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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.

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

Study evaluates hepatocyte transplantation as an alternative to liver transplantation

A research team from the National Taiwan University Hospital has evaluated the efficiency of transplanted hepatocyte (liver) cells in animal models severely damaged by two kinds of chemical toxicity to see whether and how transplanted hepatocytes were able to efficiently repopulate the toxin-induced, severely damaged livers.

2 Feb 2010

New therapeutic made from tobacco plants shown to arrest West Nile virus infection

A new therapeutic made from tobacco plants has been shown to arrest West Nile virus infection, according to a new study by Arizona State University scientist Qiang Chen and his colleagues.

2 Feb 2010

Mouse model demonstrates cell-to-cell connections between implanted stem cells and diseased cells

Investigators at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham, formerly Burnham Institute for Medical Research), the Karolinska Institutet, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Harvard Medical School and Universit- Libre de Bruxelles have demonstrated in mouse models that transplanted stems cells, when in direct contact with diseased neurons, send signals through specialized channels that rescue the neurons from death.

2 Feb 2010

FDA and PATH collaborate to advance pneumococcal vaccine development for children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a collaboration with PATH to advance development of a vaccine to protect children against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), especially pneumonia.

2 Feb 2010

Memory loss or decline in thinking abilities may indicate higher risk of stroke

People who experience memory loss or a decline in their thinking abilities may be at higher risk of stroke, regardless of whether they have been diagnosed with dementia, according to a new study published in the February 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Feb 2010

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce risk of psychotic disorders

Individuals at extremely high risk of developing psychosis appear less likely to develop psychotic disorders following a 12-week course of fish oil capsules containing long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Feb 2010

FDA approves neurostimulation treatment for heart failure

The FDA recently approved the first study of neurostimulation as a treatment for heart failure, a chronic disease that affects nearly six million Americans and is the leading cause of hospitalization in America.

2 Feb 2010

People with body dysmorphic disorder have difficulties in processing visual input, say UCLA researchers

Everyone checks themselves in the mirror now and then, but that experience can be horrifying for individuals suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD, a psychiatric condition that causes them to believe, wrongly, that they appear disfigured and ugly. These people tend to fixate on minute details - every tiny blemish looms huge - rather than viewing their face as a whole.

2 Feb 2010

MCADD screening is expensive but offers immense health benefits

Newborn screening for a metabolic disorder could lead to false positives -- adding stress to parents, costing money and possibly subjecting a baby to unnecessary follow-up treatment and dietary restrictions.

2 Feb 2010

Evidence suggests antidepressants may improve post-stroke recovery

Patients who received the antidepressant escitalopram following a stroke appeared to recover more of their thinking, learning and memory skills than those taking placebo or participating in problem-solving therapy, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Feb 2010

Study: Schizophrenia patients may experience beneficial brain changes in response to exercise

Potentially beneficial brain changes (an increase in the volume of an area known as the hippocampus) occur in response to exercise both in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

1 Feb 2010

YM BioSciences-Cytopia merger complete

YM BioSciences Inc., announced that the merger of Cytopia Limited, the Australian biopharmaceutical company, into YM under a Scheme of Arrangement, has been concluded.

1 Feb 2010

Children of Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers spend less time in front of TV

Young children of Hispanic mothers whose dominant language is Spanish spend less time in front of the TV than children whose mothers speak mostly English, according to research led by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and published in the February issue of Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

1 Feb 2010

ACE launches public service campaign to educate parents and teenagers on inhalant abuse

The Alliance for Consumer Education (ACE) is launching a new public service announcement campaign to support its www.inhalant.org website, and its ongoing efforts to reach out to parents and children about inhalant abuse.

1 Feb 2010

Interim positive data from Phase IIa clinical study of SYN115 for Parkinson’s disease

Synosia Therapeutics today announced interim positive data from a Phase IIa clinical study of an adenosine 2a (A2a) receptor antagonist (SYN115) in Parkinson’s disease.

1 Feb 2010

Healthy older adults without sleep disorders may need less sleep

A study in the Feb. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that healthy older adults without sleep disorders can expect to have a reduced "sleep need" and to be less sleepy during the day than healthy young adults.

1 Feb 2010

Study assesses gray matter concentration deficits in multiple brain areas of people with OSA

A study in the Feb. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found gray matter concentration deficits in multiple brain areas of people with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The study suggests that the memory impairment, cardiovascular disturbances, executive dysfunctions, and dysregulation of autonomic and respiratory control frequently observed in OSA patients may be related to morphological changes in brain structure.

1 Feb 2010

Lanzoprazole and astemizole hold promise for early detection of AD

Investigators from the International Center for Biomedicine and the University of Chile, in collaboration with the Center for Bioinformatics of the Universidad de Talca, have discovered that two drugs, the benzimidazole derivatives lanzoprazole and astemizole, may be suitable for use as PET (positron emission tomography) radiotracers and enable imaging for the early detection of Alzheimer's Disease. The study is published in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

30 Jan 2010

Congressman Rothman secures 1.49M in federal dollars for EHMC's bloodless medicine program

Congressman Steve Rothman (D-NJ) will be the featured speaker at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center today, 1:00-2:00 pm. Congressman Rothman will announce the latest batch of federal funds, $1.49 million, for the Institute for Patient Blood Management and Bloodless Medicine and Surgery. This brings the total amount of federal funding secured by Congressman Rothman for this institute to $4.69 million in federal resources and to over six million dollars to Hospital programs since 2002.

30 Jan 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Study evaluates hepatocyte transplantation as an alternative to liver transplantation

New therapeutic made from tobacco plants shown to arrest West Nile virus infection

Mouse model demonstrates cell-to-cell connections between implanted stem cells and diseased cells

FDA and PATH collaborate to advance pneumococcal vaccine development for children

Memory loss or decline in thinking abilities may indicate higher risk of stroke

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce risk of psychotic disorders

FDA approves neurostimulation treatment for heart failure

People with body dysmorphic disorder have difficulties in processing visual input, say UCLA researchers

MCADD screening is expensive but offers immense health benefits

Evidence suggests antidepressants may improve post-stroke recovery

Study: Schizophrenia patients may experience beneficial brain changes in response to exercise

YM BioSciences-Cytopia merger complete

Children of Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers spend less time in front of TV

ACE launches public service campaign to educate parents and teenagers on inhalant abuse

Interim positive data from Phase IIa clinical study of SYN115 for Parkinson’s disease

Healthy older adults without sleep disorders may need less sleep

Study assesses gray matter concentration deficits in multiple brain areas of people with OSA

Lanzoprazole and astemizole hold promise for early detection of AD

Congressman Rothman secures 1.49M in federal dollars for EHMC's bloodless medicine program

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

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