Brain News and Research

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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.

Effects of Zen meditation and how the brain functions during meditative states

Zen meditation is an ancient spiritual practice that promotes awareness and presence through the undivided engagement of mind and body.

17 Jun 2004

Latest research into schizophrenia and links between prenatal vitamin D and growth

The latest research into schizophrenia and links between prenatal vitamin D and growth will be revealed at a public lecture at the Queensland Art Gallery, Australia next Friday (June 25).

17 Jun 2004

New clues into the mystery of the brain’s ultra-complicated cells known as neurons

Researchers from USC and the Technion Medical School in Israel have uncovered new clues into the mystery of the brain’s ultra-complicated cells known as neurons.

16 Jun 2004

Soil-borne disease called allergic fungal sinusitis is on the rise

The bad news this summer is that a destructive, soil-borne disease called allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is on the rise -- at least according to the up tick in cases referred to specialist Steven Schaefer, MD, chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

16 Jun 2004

New approach to interpreting brain electroencephalograms could help understanding of epilepsy and autism

A team led by University of California San Diego neurobiologists has developed a new approach to interpreting brain electroencephalograms, or EEGs, that provides an unprecedented view of thought in action and has the potential to advance our understanding of disorders like epilepsy and autism.

16 Jun 2004

Marijuana/Cannabis causes transient schizophrenia-like symptoms

The principal active ingredient in marijuana causes transient schizophrenia-like symptoms ranging from suspiciousness and delusions to impairments in memory and attention, according to a Yale research study.

15 Jun 2004

Art gives insight into medical research

Paintings that give insights into medical research through a scientist's eyes can be seen at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History's latest exhibition – Medical Research Revealed by Dr Lizzie Burns.

15 Jun 2004

Drug combination reduces cocaine use

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center are the first to demonstrate that a combination of drug therapies targeting the region of the brain that controls drug abuse and addiction significantly reduces cocaine use in nonhuman primates.

15 Jun 2004

Expansion of Medicare coverage of positron emission tomography to include some Medicare beneficiaries with suspected Alzheimer’s disease

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that it intends to expand Medicare coverage of positron emission tomography (PET) to include some Medicare beneficiaries with suspected Alzheimer’s disease.

15 Jun 2004

Artificial vibration has potential to help stroke patients recover their mobility more quickly

By artificially vibrating certain muscle parts, the brain areas and neuronal pathways responsible for movement can be trained. This has the potential to help stroke patients recover their mobility more quickly. These are the results of PhD research by Maarten Steyvers of the Department of Kinesiology, K.U.Leuven.

15 Jun 2004

Significant vaccine advance for Parkinson’s disease therapy

Scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and Columbia University Medical Center in New York have discovered a new vaccine approach that successfully prevents the death of brain cells in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease.

15 Jun 2004

Simple genetic code might work to wire up the body from head to foot

The study found that when a development gene named Hoxb1 worked in a mouse’s brain but not in the developing facial tissues, nerves extended outward from the brain but failed to reach the facial muscles, leaving the mouse unable to blink its eyes, flatten its ears or make other facial movements.

15 Jun 2004

Second language that can be learned quickly and with amazing ease

The study, which is one of the first to look at how fast second-language words are learned and how the brain responds to words with increasing experience with the new language, was published June 13 in the on-line edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

15 Jun 2004

Size and shape of synapses among neurons in the cerebral cortex determine long term memory capability

In a study to appear in the June 10 issue of Neuron, neuroscientists at the Picower Center for Learning and Memory at MIT show for the first time that storage of long-term memories depends on the size and shape of synapses among neurons in the outer part of the brain, the cerebral cortex.

14 Jun 2004

Being bilingual helps keep the brain sharper with age

Most will agree that two heads are better than one in solving problems. The same logic may be true for language and retaining cognitive processes as we age. Being fluent in two languages seems to prevent some of the cognitive decline seen in same-age monolingual speaking persons, according to the findings of a study appearing in this month’s journal of Psychology and Aging.

14 Jun 2004

Topiramate may protect newborns from brain injury and long-term neurologic problems caused by excitotoxicity

An existing drug already approved by the FDA may protect newborns from brain injury and long-term neurologic problems caused by excitotoxicity, or over-activation of neurons, report two NIH-funded studies from Children's Hospital Boston.

14 Jun 2004

New insights into the way the brain blends and balances information from different senses

New research has found that the brain continues to accept ambiguous visual information about an object in motion even when it conflicts with more reliable information that we can touch.

12 Jun 2004

Kids as young as 6 who get frequent headaches may be using over-the-counter pain relievers too much

Kids as young as 6 who get frequent headaches may be using over-the-counter pain relievers far more than they should, and often without their parents' knowledge, suggests a study being presented at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society (AHS).

11 Jun 2004

Cholesterol isn’t all bad

Cholesterol gets lots of bad press, and for good reason. An estimated 24 million women and 18 million men have total cholesterol levels of 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher increasing their risk of heart attack and stroke.

11 Jun 2004

U.S.$2.8 to study a virus associated with respiratory infections

The Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID), based in the University of Iowa College of Public Health, has been awarded a five-year, $2.8 million grant by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study a virus associated with respiratory infections.

11 Jun 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Effects of Zen meditation and how the brain functions during meditative states

Latest research into schizophrenia and links between prenatal vitamin D and growth

New clues into the mystery of the brain’s ultra-complicated cells known as neurons

Soil-borne disease called allergic fungal sinusitis is on the rise

New approach to interpreting brain electroencephalograms could help understanding of epilepsy and autism

Marijuana/Cannabis causes transient schizophrenia-like symptoms

Art gives insight into medical research

Drug combination reduces cocaine use

Expansion of Medicare coverage of positron emission tomography to include some Medicare beneficiaries with suspected Alzheimer’s disease

Artificial vibration has potential to help stroke patients recover their mobility more quickly

Significant vaccine advance for Parkinson’s disease therapy

Simple genetic code might work to wire up the body from head to foot

Second language that can be learned quickly and with amazing ease

Size and shape of synapses among neurons in the cerebral cortex determine long term memory capability

Being bilingual helps keep the brain sharper with age

Topiramate may protect newborns from brain injury and long-term neurologic problems caused by excitotoxicity

New insights into the way the brain blends and balances information from different senses

Kids as young as 6 who get frequent headaches may be using over-the-counter pain relievers too much

Cholesterol isn’t all bad

U.S.$2.8 to study a virus associated with respiratory infections

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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