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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.

Targacept presents data from Phase 2b clinical trial of TC-5214

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics-, today announced the presentation of data from its recently completed Phase 2b clinical trial of TC-5214 as an augmentation (add-on) treatment in subjects with major depressive disorder, or MDD, who did not respond adequately to first-line treatment with the representative SSRI citalopram hydrobromide.

20 Oct 2009

Human neural stem cells protect cone photoreceptors: StemCells preclinical data

StemCells, Inc. announced today new preclinical data showing that its human neural stem cells protect cone photoreceptors (cones) in the eye from progressive degeneration and preserve visual function long term.

20 Oct 2009

Researchers use biotechnological tools to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease

No one has yet found a cure or a way to prevent people from developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, among others, are breaking new ground in biotechnology to find new tools that can help provide new solutions.

20 Oct 2009

Aspect Medical Systems to present a complete family of BIS monitoring technologies at ASA meeting

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting will feature 62 scientific presentations that reference BIS® monitoring when it convenes on October 17-21, 2009 in New Orleans. BIS-related research will cover a broad range of applications for BIS monitoring, including initial results from studies conducted as part of a comparative effectiveness research collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic as well as findings from a study evaluating use of a Composite Variability Index (CVI) that is based on BIS parameters.

20 Oct 2009

Remote-controlled robot for testing visual prosthesis

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a remote-controlled robot that is able to simulate the "visual" experience of a blind person who has been implanted with a visual prosthesis, such as an artificial retina.

20 Oct 2009

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics files a provisional patent application

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers, announced today that it has filed a provisional patent application at US Patent Office seeking protection of intellectual property relating to novel glycosylated epitopes present in lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and colon cancer that are targeted by the Company’s ICT-109 monoclonal antibody product candidate.

20 Oct 2009

Elan and Biogen Idec to present TYSABRI study data at ACG meeting

Elan Corporation, plc and Biogen Idec today announced multiple presentations at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place October 23-28 in San Diego.

20 Oct 2009

Potential hazards of H1N1 vaccine and seasonal flu shot not disclosed, say protesters

As millions of Americans remain concerned about government-recommended flu shots, dozens of citizens dressed in full haz-mat suits will gather Wednesday, October 21, at the entrance to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) to greet arriving members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

20 Oct 2009

Vitamin D and progesterone combination for treating traumatic brain injury

As doctors begin to test progesterone for traumatic brain injury at sites across the country, researchers are looking ahead to optimizing the hormone's effectiveness.

20 Oct 2009

New research emphasizes benefits of exercise on brain and related disorders

Research presented today at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health, provides a better understanding of the brain, nervous system, and related disorders.

20 Oct 2009

Internet training could potentially enhance brain function and cognition in older adults: Study

You can teach an old dog new tricks, say UCLA scientists who found that middle-aged and older adults with little Internet experience were able to trigger key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning after just one week of surfing the Web.

20 Oct 2009

New technique to treat metabolic disorders in babies while still in the womb

Researchers say a new development in cord blood transplants for inherited metabolic disorders may be curative for some babies who are treated while still in the womb.

20 Oct 2009

Multilingual capability has a positive impact on cognitive functions

For a considerable time already there has been discussion within scientific circles about whether knowing and using multiple languages could possibly have positive effects on the human brain and thinking. There have been a number of international studies on the subject, which indicate that the ability to use more than one language brings an individual a considerable advantage.

20 Oct 2009

Amylin Pharmaceuticals to present new data from its obesity program at Obesity 2009

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that new data from its obesity program will be presented at Obesity 2009, the 27th Annual Scientific Meeting of The Obesity Society, to be held in Washington, D.C. October 24-28. Phase 2 data from the pramlintide/metreleptin combination treatment clinical program will be the subject of a late-breaking oral presentation.

20 Oct 2009

Children with history of diabetic ketoacidosis may have memory problems

Children who have had an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis, a common complication of diabetes, may have persistent memory problems, according to a new study from researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain.

19 Oct 2009

Children with neurological disorders have low skin temperature

Many wheelchair-using children with neurological disorders have much colder hands and feet than other children, and most receive no special help even though they have had these problems for a long time, is revealed in at thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

19 Oct 2009

Federal grant for ecstasy research

A so-called "club drug" - typically not used all that often by those who take it - can still have the potential to cause a lot of damage among some users, say University of Cincinnati researchers. Trials are underway to trace the effects of ecstasy and to see who's most at risk. The study is supported by $471,000 in federal stimulus funds awarded by the National Institutes of Health and spread out over two years.

19 Oct 2009

Failure to correct hearing loss may lead brain to forget how to hear and understand speech

Most of the 28 million Americans living with untreated hearing loss may not be aware that failure to take corrective action could result in the brain actually "forgetting" how to hear and understand speech, warns HearUSA audiologist Cindy Beyer.

19 Oct 2009

Metabolic master switch sets the biological clock in body tissues

Our body's activity levels fall and rise to the beat of our internal drums-the 24-hour cycles that govern fundamental physiological functions, from sleeping and feeding patterns to the energy available to our cells. Whereas the master clock in the brain is set by light, the pacemakers in peripheral organs are set by food availability. The underlying molecular mechanism was unknown.

19 Oct 2009

Antisense Pharma's SAPPHIRE Phase III trial evaluating trabedersen approved by Health Canada

The biopharmaceutical company Antisense Pharma GmbH has announced today that it has received the approval by Health Canada for its pivotal Phase III clinical trial SAPPHIRE in patients with recurrent or refractory anaplastic astrocytoma.

19 Oct 2009