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.

New direction for research into Sly Syndrome

Findings by a Saint Louis University research team led by the scientist who discovered Sly Syndrome 32 years ago point to a new direction for research into the rare genetic disorder that can cause bone deformities, vision and hearing loss, mental retardation and death in children.

9 Aug 2004

Alzheimer’s sufferers are more likely to have jobs that are less mentally challenging than people without Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's is a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness

9 Aug 2004

New treatment strategy for brain cancer

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers have found that combining ionizing radiation with a secreted protein that selectively inhibits tumor cell growth and survival can target cancer cells and leave healthy cells alone, perhaps presenting a new approach for treating the deadliest type of brain tumor.

9 Aug 2004

Effects of oxidative stress on atherosclerosis

Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death among men and women in the United States and account for 40 percent of all mortalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

9 Aug 2004

New screening tool prevents wrong patients from receiving Parkinson's surgery

The allure of a new brain surgery technique to relieve the stiffness and shaking caused by Parkinson’s disease may lead to unnecessary operations, University of Florida researchers say, but a new screening tool they developed could prevent potentially dangerous procedures.

9 Aug 2004

Premature babies, better to delay where possible, to minimise brain damage

Findings from a UK-led international trial, funded by the Medical Research Council, confirm that premature babies across Europe are being delivered at the right time to save their lives, but preventing brain damage by optimising delivery time is still a challenge.

9 Aug 2004

MRI may be better than polygraph for revealing lies

A new study involving people telling lies while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides early indications that understanding the brain basis of deception may lead to a better lie detection method than polygraph tests.

9 Aug 2004

Knowledge about oral and head and neck cancer is severely lacking in the American public

Most adult Americans know how to light a cigarette and order a drink, but a great number of them are clueless about the consequence of these two destructive habits – oral and head and neck cancer.

9 Aug 2004

Step closer to unravelling the mystery of medically unexplained pain such as chronic low back pain

Researchers are one step closer to unravelling the mystery of medically unexplained pain such as chronic low back pain, which continues to baffle doctors.

9 Aug 2004

Neuroscience research in South Australia is mobilising its efforts against diseases of the brain and nervous system

Neuroscience research in South Australia is mobilising its efforts against diseases of the brain and nervous system that cause Australians incalculable distress as well as costing billions of dollars each year in treatment and care.

9 Aug 2004

Delaying delivery by a few days is as effective as immediate delivery for babies who have experienced fetal trauma

Results of a European study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that delaying delivery by a few days is as effective as immediate delivery for babies who have experienced fetal trauma. The study also showed that fetuses delivered without delay at 30 weeks or younger had an increased risk of infant disability compared with delayed delivery.

6 Aug 2004

Second case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease infection that was probably caused by blood transfusion

Research reported in The Lancet this week details the second case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) infection that was probably caused by blood transfusion. The rogue prion responsible for vCJD was identified at postmortem five years after an elderly person received a blood transfusion from a donor who later developed vCJD.

5 Aug 2004

Physicians offer several promising and unique approaches to brain tumor treatment

An estimated 41,000 new cases of primary brain tumors are expected to be diagnosed in 2004, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.

5 Aug 2004

$Surgeons implant a new investigational neurostimulator in a patient with medically refractory epilepsy$

Surgeons implant a new investigational neurostimulator in a patient with medically refractory epilepsy

Neurosurgeons at Rush University Medical Center are the first in Chicago to implant a new investigational neurostimulator in a patient with medically refractory epilepsy.

5 Aug 2004

Emergency nursing shortage is worsening because of changing patient demographics and the aging of the emergency nurses population

As emergency departments across the country face increasing pressure from a nursing shortage and overcrowding, the nation’s emergency nurses will gather in San Diego Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, to seek opportunities to improve patient care, discuss ways to alleviate the difficult issues facing the profession, and learn about latest practices and innovations.

5 Aug 2004

Mefloquine, an anti-malarial drug plays a critical role in movement, vision and memory

Brown University researchers have discovered that mefloquine, an anti-malarial drug, blocks two gap junction proteins, or connexins, in low doses and with very few side effects in the brains of laboratory mice.

5 Aug 2004

Overactive brain circuit brings on depression

A brain imaging study by the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found that an emotion-regulating brain circuit is overactive in people prone to depression – even when they are not depressed.

5 Aug 2004

Schools need to be more aware of head injuries

New research from the University of Warwick examining return to school and classroom performance following head injury reveals that teachers are often unaware of the injury and that children only very rarely receive specialist help, despite having attention and memory problems.

5 Aug 2004

Heavy drinking by college students poses many serious dangers

As American college students gear up to head back to campus later this month, they'll look forward to all the usual college traditions: football games, late-night discussions, and pizza with new friends after classes.

3 Aug 2004

Smart drug that targets cancer cells in the brain following removal of a tumor

The use of a "smart" drug that targets cancer cells in the brain following removal of a tumor may provide treatment that can extend the survival of people with the most common form of primary malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

3 Aug 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New direction for research into Sly Syndrome

Alzheimer’s sufferers are more likely to have jobs that are less mentally challenging than people without Alzheimer’s disease

New treatment strategy for brain cancer

Effects of oxidative stress on atherosclerosis

New screening tool prevents wrong patients from receiving Parkinson's surgery

Premature babies, better to delay where possible, to minimise brain damage

MRI may be better than polygraph for revealing lies

Knowledge about oral and head and neck cancer is severely lacking in the American public

Step closer to unravelling the mystery of medically unexplained pain such as chronic low back pain

Neuroscience research in South Australia is mobilising its efforts against diseases of the brain and nervous system

Delaying delivery by a few days is as effective as immediate delivery for babies who have experienced fetal trauma

Second case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease infection that was probably caused by blood transfusion

Physicians offer several promising and unique approaches to brain tumor treatment

Surgeons implant a new investigational neurostimulator in a patient with medically refractory epilepsy

Emergency nursing shortage is worsening because of changing patient demographics and the aging of the emergency nurses population

Mefloquine, an anti-malarial drug plays a critical role in movement, vision and memory

Overactive brain circuit brings on depression

Schools need to be more aware of head injuries

Heavy drinking by college students poses many serious dangers

Smart drug that targets cancer cells in the brain following removal of a tumor

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Latest News