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.

ESI's LaserMill Micromachining system selected to aid in Parkinson's research

Electro Scientific Industries has announced that Lund University in Sweden has selected ESI's LaserMill micromachining system for use in a cutting-edge, scientific application.

16 Apr 2009

Evidence grows that maternal immune response to fetal brain during pregnancy a key factor in some autism

New studies in pregnant mice using antibodies against fetal brains made by the mothers of autistic children show that immune cells can cross the placenta and trigger neurobehavioral changes similar to autism in the mouse pups.

16 Apr 2009

3 events offer hope for people with brain tumors

People with brain tumors, and those who love and care for them, will observe Brain Tumor Awareness Week with three educational and celebratory events sponsored by the University of Rochester Medical Center and James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.

16 Apr 2009

Scientists use eye tracking to detect mild dementia in humans

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, developed a test in nonhuman primates that is now using infrared eye tracking to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in humans.

15 Apr 2009

Researchers use stroke patient's own stem cells in trial for first time

For the first time in the United States, a stroke patient has been intravenously injected with his own bone marrow stem cells as part of a research trial at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

15 Apr 2009

Treating sleep disorders in people with traumatic brain injury may not eliminate symptoms

A study in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine is the first to assess the effectiveness of treating sleep disorders in adults with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

15 Apr 2009

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps alleviate nonepileptic seizures

Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can reduce the frequency of seizures in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), along with improving their overall quality of life.

15 Apr 2009

Discovery of gene variation linked to increased risk of ischemic stroke

Millions of people have a genetic variant linked to increased risk of ischemic stroke, reports an international research team including scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in a study published online by The New England Journal of Medicine on April 15.

15 Apr 2009

Rochester scientist wins major award for Alzheimer's research

A Rochester researcher whose work has opened up a whole new avenue in Alzheimer's disease research has received a major prize from the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Apr 2009

Prenatal exposure to influenza virus shown to reduce intelligence in adulthood

The Hong Kong flu pandemic was responsible for more than 700,000 deaths worldwide in the late 1960s, with major disease outbreaks in Europe in the winter of 1969-1970.

15 Apr 2009

Mehamphetamine use during pregnancy causes abnormal brain development in children

A first of its kind study examining the effects of methamphetamine use during pregnancy has found the drug appears to cause abnormal brain development in children.

15 Apr 2009

Simple method to monitor sleep and potentially diagnose sleep disorders

Sleep is such an essential part of human existence that we spend about a third of our lives doing it -- some more successfully than others.

15 Apr 2009

Neurodegenerative diseases target healthy brain's intrinsic networks

New research suggests that neurodegenerative diseases are neither diffuse nor random but specifically target large-scale functional networks in the human brain.

15 Apr 2009

Neurodegeneration study reveals targets of destruction

Scientists are reporting the strongest evidence to date that neurodegenerative diseases target and progress along distinct neural networks that normally support healthy brain function.

15 Apr 2009

Conserved gene expression reveals our 'inner fish'

A study of gene expression in chickens, frogs, pufferfish, mice and people has revealed surprising similarities in several key tissues.

15 Apr 2009

Brain mechanisms for behavioral flexibility

New research provides insight into how the brain can execute different actions in response to the same stimulus.

15 Apr 2009

Alzheimer's controversy solved

For a decade, Alzheimer's disease researchers have been entrenched in debate about one of the mechanisms believed to be responsible for brain cell death and memory loss in the illness.

15 Apr 2009

Wrist acupuncture prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting

Up to 80 percent of patients who have surgery complain of nausea and vomiting afterwards, but stimulating an acupoint in their wrists can help reduce these symptoms, finds a new evidence review.

14 Apr 2009

Signals from stroking have direct route to brain

Nerve signals that tell the brain that we are being slowly stroked on the skin have their own specialised nerve fibres in the skin.

14 Apr 2009

Severe hypoglycemia linked with higher risk of dementia for seniors with diabetes

Having hypoglycemic (low blood sugar level) episodes that are severe enough to require hospitalization are associated with a greater risk of dementia for older adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the April 15 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Apr 2009