Brain News and Research

RSS

The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Early treatment of ROP for high-risk premature babies can improve vision: ETROP study

Scientists have shown that through eye examinations, doctors can identify infants who are most likely to benefit from early treatment for a potentially blinding eye condition called retinopathy of prematurity, resulting in better vision for many children.

4 May 2010

NMT Medical reports total revenues of $3.0M for first-quarter 2010

NMT Medical, Inc., an advanced medical technology company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary implant technologies that allow interventional cardiologists to treat structural heart disease through minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

4 May 2010

Amorfix Life Sciences detects AD-associated aggregated Beta-amyloid in blood plasma

Amorfix Life Sciences, a company focused on treatments and diagnostics for misfolded protein diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), announced today the detection of the AD-associated aggregated Beta-amyloid (ABeta), the hallmark of AD, in the blood from the most-frequently-used animal model of AD. The assay detects both oligomeric and fibrillar aggregates of ABeta, which are generally considered to be the toxic forms and major contributors to brain dysfunction in AD.

4 May 2010

Personalized vaccine processed using tumor tissue promising for brain tumor treatment

Each day in the United States, 482 people are diagnosed with a brain tumor. For these 482 people, not many treatments exist. With the current treatments available, only 5% of those diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Multiform will survive more than 5 years. Only two new treatments have been approved by the FDA in the past two decades.

4 May 2010

New study finds stereotypies in more than 60% of orphaned or abandoned children

Stereotypies -- repetitive behaviors such as rocking, flapping, spinning objects and head-banging – are commonly seen in people with autism or mental retardation. They can also be acquired by children exposed to severe neglect and deprivation, along with declines in IQ, mental health and language.

4 May 2010

Consumer Reports Health lays out next steps for consumers in variety of situations

With health reform now the law of the land, Consumer Reports Health lays out next steps for consumers in a variety of situations - those who are currently insured; Medicare and Medicaid recipients; people with pre-existing conditions; parents of children with pre-existing conditions; parents of uninsured young adults; and people who develop serious illnesses.

4 May 2010

Merck reports non-GAAP EPS of $0.83 for first-quarter 2010

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company reported non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share (EPS) for the first quarter of $0.83, which excludes purchase accounting adjustments, merger-related expenses and restructuring costs, as well as a tax charge related to the recently enacted health care reform legislation. First-quarter GAAP EPS was $0.09.

4 May 2010

Merci Retriever receives Shonin approval in Japan

Concentric Medical, Inc., the global leader in devices for clot removal in ischemic stroke patients, today announced that the Merci Retriever, Merci Microcatheter, and Merci Balloon Guide Catheter have received Shonin approval in Japan.

4 May 2010

Isolated microalgal strain produces significant amounts of DGLA that helps reduce risk for heart attacks

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have isolated a microalgal strain which produces large amounts of a polyunsaturated fatty acid that could reduce blood pressure, chronic inflammation and blood cholesterol level, reducing the risk for heart attacks.

4 May 2010

Researchers explore role of ECoG measurement to improve brain mapping technology

Epilepsy and seizures affect nearly 3 million Americans of all ages, with 200,000 new cases of seizures and epilepsy occurring each year. Epilepsy surgery may be performed in patients who have seizures associated with structural brain abnormalities, such as benign brain tumors and cortical dysplasia, malformations of blood vessels, the genetic disorder tuberous sclerosis, and strokes.

4 May 2010

New study shows people with BAV more likely to have brain aneurysms

A new study shows that people with a common heart defect may also be more likely to have brain aneurysms. The study is published in the May 4, 2010, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 May 2010

Over time some people may experience NIHL

Driving in traffic, mowing the lawn, playing an instrument, listening to an MP3 player, going to the movies, concerts or athletic games - all the types of noise people experience day after day. Each activity by itself might not be enough to cause noise-induced hearing loss but add it all up and over time some people may experience hearing loss.

4 May 2010

Brain changes indicative of Fragile X syndrome take place early

Brain changes associated with the most common cause of mental retardation can be seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of children as young as one to three years old, according to a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Stanford University.

4 May 2010

Breast-feeding may help lower risk of death from Shigella infection in developing countries: Study

Teaching parents about the importance of continued breast-feeding may help to lower the risk of death from brain disease (encephalopathy) related to Shigella infection in developing countries, reports a study in the May issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

4 May 2010

UCSF transgenic mouse model first to display earliest signs of Parkinson's disease

UCSF researchers have created the first transgenic mouse to display the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease using the genetic mutation that is known to accompany human forms of the disease.

4 May 2010

Algal DHA improves memory function in healthy aging adults: MIDAS

The Memory Improvement with Docosahexaenoic acid Study published online this week in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association showed that algal DHA improved memory function in healthy aging adults, providing a benefit roughly equivalent to having the learning and memory skills of someone three years younger.

4 May 2010

New research contradicts studies on adolescents’ risk-taking behavior

Conventional wisdom holds that adolescents are susceptible to drug use and other risk-taking behavior. However, a one-size-fits-all approach to curbing these behaviors likely will be unsuccessful, according to research to be presented Monday, May 3 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

4 May 2010

Boston Scientific commences enrollment in trial comparing SCS to spine reoperation in FBSS patients

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the start of patient enrollment in the EVIDENCE Clinical Trial, which compares the therapeutic effectiveness and cost effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy to spine reoperation in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). The first patient was enrolled by Joseph Buwembo, M.D. and Krishna Kumar, M.D., F.R.C.S.C., at Regina General Hospital in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

4 May 2010

Novel combined immunotherapy promising for treatment of malignant brain tumors

A new Phase I clinical trial conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute in Los Angeles shows that two innovative treatment approaches may safely be combined to treat patients with highly aggressive, malignant brain tumors called gliomas. The results suggest that combining the two therapies might boost their effectiveness and supports the pursuit of additional studies on this approach to treating these tumors.

4 May 2010

Lupus Canada to hold annual fundraising event

In the month of May residents in communities across Canada will participate in Lupus Canada's most important public awareness and fundraising event, Walk a Block for Lupus. Lupus Canada and its member organizations are holding their 9th Annual Walk a Block for Lupus campaign in conjunction with World Lupus Day to help increase awareness and funds for lupus.

4 May 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Early treatment of ROP for high-risk premature babies can improve vision: ETROP study

NMT Medical reports total revenues of $3.0M for first-quarter 2010

Amorfix Life Sciences detects AD-associated aggregated Beta-amyloid in blood plasma

Personalized vaccine processed using tumor tissue promising for brain tumor treatment

New study finds stereotypies in more than 60% of orphaned or abandoned children

Consumer Reports Health lays out next steps for consumers in variety of situations

Merck reports non-GAAP EPS of $0.83 for first-quarter 2010

Merci Retriever receives Shonin approval in Japan

Isolated microalgal strain produces significant amounts of DGLA that helps reduce risk for heart attacks

Researchers explore role of ECoG measurement to improve brain mapping technology

New study shows people with BAV more likely to have brain aneurysms

Over time some people may experience NIHL

Brain changes indicative of Fragile X syndrome take place early

Breast-feeding may help lower risk of death from Shigella infection in developing countries: Study

UCSF transgenic mouse model first to display earliest signs of Parkinson's disease

Algal DHA improves memory function in healthy aging adults: MIDAS

New research contradicts studies on adolescents’ risk-taking behavior

Boston Scientific commences enrollment in trial comparing SCS to spine reoperation in FBSS patients

Novel combined immunotherapy promising for treatment of malignant brain tumors

Lupus Canada to hold annual fundraising event

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Latest News