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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.

Discovery of new method for visual impairment treatment

The patients suffering from visual impairment can be helped if a healthy donor’s cerebrospinal fluid is introduced to the parent’s vertebral canal – this method is called liquortransfusion.

1 Nov 2004

New evidence to explain why mental function becomes less efficient with ageing

Dementia and milder forms of loss of mental ability affects millions of older people every year, but the causes are unclear. Previous research using brain scanning has shown that brain shrinkage and changes in the brain's white matter 'wiring', are associated with mental function slowing down in old age.

29 Oct 2004

Trojan horse technique offers potential new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer's disease

A potential new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer's disease protects brain cells in culture by drastically reducing the neurotoxic amyloid protein aggregates that are critical to the development of the disease.

29 Oct 2004

Biomedical engineers and physicians have brought the day when artificial limbs will be controlled directly by the brain considerably closer

Biomedical engineers and physicians at Vanderbilt University have brought the day when artificial limbs will be controlled directly by the brain considerably closer by discovering a method that uses laser light, rather than electricity, to stimulate and control nerve cells.

28 Oct 2004

Scientists are trying to determine what goes on inside the brain when it sees a face

Ever catch a glimpse of someone but can't quite fit a name to go with the face? While it's something that happens to everyone, for older people especially, difficulty in retrieving names is a common frustration.

28 Oct 2004

New insights into hormone therapy show when estrogen best aids brain

New hormone therapy studies demonstrate estrogen's ability to directly stimulate neurons, repair damaged neurons, and stimulate support cells—most of which can alleviate some of the cognitive decline associated with menopause.

28 Oct 2004

Marijuana-like compounds may aid Parkinson's disease, pain and obesity

No longer a pipe dream, new animal research now indicates that marijuana-like compounds can aid a bevy of debilitating conditions, ranging from brain disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease, to pain and obesity.

28 Oct 2004

Research speeds development of brain-controlled devices that may allow amputees and paraplegics to use their limbs

New research is speeding the development of brain-controlled devices that may soon allow amputees and paraplegics to use their limbs.

28 Oct 2004

New research could address sleep problems associated with alcohol

New research about how alcohol affects sleep could lead to medications to address a common reason some alcoholics go back to drinking – disturbed sleep when they try to stop.

28 Oct 2004

Genes linked to schizophrenia might function to cause the disease

Animal research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has found how one of the genes linked to schizophrenia might function to cause the disease.

28 Oct 2004

Smoking shown to quell painful sensations and heighten positive emotions

Smokers often say that lighting up a cigarette can calm their nerves, satisfy their craving and help them relax.

28 Oct 2004

New direction for spinal cord research

A piece of the puzzle of how nerves find their way across the midline of the brain and spinal cord in a developing embryo has been found by Medical College of Georgia researchers.

28 Oct 2004

Study suggests safer immunization approach to Alzheimer's

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have had preliminary success with a method of immunization intended to dissolve the plaques in brain tissue that are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

28 Oct 2004

First study to measure the influence of night-shift work on hormone levels that may affect breast-cancer risk

Three years ago, investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center made headlines nationwide when they published the results of a population-based study that suggested women who work the graveyard shift have an increased risk of breast cancer as opposed to women who work the day shift.

26 Oct 2004

Impaired endothelial function is an early indicator of atherosclerosis

Impaired endothelial function is an early indicator of atherosclerosis according to a study of healthy people followed from childhood to young adulthood reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Oct 2004

Scientists closer to understanding the potential effects of anti-cholesterol drugs on Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at Jefferson Medical College and the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have taken another step in understanding the potential effects of anti-cholesterol drugs on Alzheimer's disease.

25 Oct 2004

Lead exposure can hinder recovery from a brain injury

Lead exposure at a young age can hurt the brain's development and cause learning and behavioral problems. It may also interfere with recovery from a brain injury.

25 Oct 2004

Evidence links cellular iron deficiency to restless legs syndrome

Iron-deficient cells in the brain are mixing up central nervous system signals to the legs and arms causing the irresistible urges to move and creepy-crawly sensations that characterize restless legs syndrome (RLS), a Penn State College of Medicine study reports.

25 Oct 2004

Fish oil reverses age-related ailments

University of Bradford student Samantha Little has been awarded a Young Investigators Award at an international congress for her work on the effect of fish oil on the ageing brain.

25 Oct 2004

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's disease in human brain tissue. The protein, known as "transthyretin," protects brain cells from gradual deterioration by blocking another toxic protein that contributes to the disease process.

25 Oct 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Discovery of new method for visual impairment treatment

New evidence to explain why mental function becomes less efficient with ageing

Trojan horse technique offers potential new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer's disease

Biomedical engineers and physicians have brought the day when artificial limbs will be controlled directly by the brain considerably closer

Scientists are trying to determine what goes on inside the brain when it sees a face

New insights into hormone therapy show when estrogen best aids brain

Marijuana-like compounds may aid Parkinson's disease, pain and obesity

Research speeds development of brain-controlled devices that may allow amputees and paraplegics to use their limbs

New research could address sleep problems associated with alcohol

Genes linked to schizophrenia might function to cause the disease

Smoking shown to quell painful sensations and heighten positive emotions

New direction for spinal cord research

Study suggests safer immunization approach to Alzheimer's

First study to measure the influence of night-shift work on hormone levels that may affect breast-cancer risk

Impaired endothelial function is an early indicator of atherosclerosis

Scientists closer to understanding the potential effects of anti-cholesterol drugs on Alzheimer's disease

Lead exposure can hinder recovery from a brain injury

Evidence links cellular iron deficiency to restless legs syndrome

Fish oil reverses age-related ailments

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's

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