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.

Antisocial behaviour in young men linked to low levels of stress hormone

A British research team have discovered a link between antisocial behaviour in male adolescents and reduced levels of the 'stress hormone' cortisol.

1 Oct 2008

First genetic research model of retina receptors

A team of scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has created the first genetic research model for a microscopic part of the eye that when missing causes blindness. The research appears in a recent issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

30 Sep 2008

Drinking alcohol before age 15 a risky habit

Researchers at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have found that drinking alcohol before 15 years of age is risky and increases a child's risk of becoming a heavy drinker later on.

30 Sep 2008

Warfarin linked to increased bleeding in brain

A new study shows that people who take the commonly used blood thinning drug warfarin may have larger amounts of bleeding in the brain and increased risk of death if they suffer a hemorrhagic stroke. The study is published in the September 30, 2008, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Sep 2008

Multiple sclerosis patients have higher spinal fluid levels of suspicious immune molecule

A protein that helps keep immune cells quiet is more abundant in the spinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), further boosting suspicion that the protein, TREM-2, may be an important contributor to the disease.

29 Sep 2008

Fish oil brain study slammed as 'laughable'

The study carried out by a local council in Britain which found that children who took omega-3 fish oil supplements during the school year performed better in exams, has been slammed as unethical and "laughably incompetent".

29 Sep 2008

Genetic link found to sleep disorder narcolepsy

New genetic research may help explain the unusual and distressing sleep disorder narcolepsy.

29 Sep 2008

Pain is not a symptom of arthritis, pain causes arthritis

Pain is more than a symptom of osteoarthritis, it is an inherent and damaging part of the disease itself, according to a study published today in journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

29 Sep 2008

Infants who focus on mouths rather eyes could be autistic

Researchers in the United States say young children who focus on mouths rather than on eyes could be autistic and they believe the extent of such behaviour indicates the severity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

28 Sep 2008

Protecting patient privacy the new fashioned way

Protecting patient privacy has been recognized as the duty of health-care providers for aHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Actbout as long as doctors have seen patients. Since 1996, that duty became a legal obligation when Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

25 Sep 2008

Discovery provides model for Alzheimer's breakthrough

Sydney researchers have made a major breakthrough that will lead to a greater understanding of the causes of and treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

24 Sep 2008

Out of Iraq emerges hope for those with the severest of head injuries

There may be more hope than has been recognized for some people with severe brain injuries, according to a U.S. neurosurgeon who earlier this year spent four months in Iraq treating soldiers and civilians. Jason Huang, M.D., this week presented his results from his experience in Iraq at the annual meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in Orlando, Fla.

24 Sep 2008

Drugs to treat ADHD should be a last resort

According to new guidelines in Britain on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), drugs should be the last resort in treating the disorder and parents need to learn how to cope with their child's unruly behaviour.

24 Sep 2008

VA to increase benefits for veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday announced it will substantially increase disability benefits for veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries, USA Today reports.

24 Sep 2008

Family history of brain tumours increases the risk

New research has found that people with a family history of cancerous brain tumours appear to have higher risk of developing the same kind of tumours.

23 Sep 2008

Research shows mobile phones raise children's risk of brain cancer by five times

New research from Sweden is certain to alarm many as it has found that young people today are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they are mobile phones users.

22 Sep 2008

Sen. Edward Kennedy holds video conference with HELP Committee Democrats to discuss health care reform strategy

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on Thursday held a videoconference with Democratic committee members to discuss a strategy to pass legislation next year that would overhaul the U.S. health care system, CongressDaily reports.

22 Sep 2008