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.

Adult survivors of childhood leukemia exercise less putting themselves at risk for obesity

Overcoming pediatric cancer may only mark the beginning of a young survivor's lifelong battle to stay healthy.

24 Jul 2007

A quarter of adult New Yorkers have elevated blood mercury levels

A quarter of adult New Yorkers have elevated blood mercury levels, according to survey results released today by the Health Department, and the elevations are closely tied to fish consumption.

24 Jul 2007

Older tipplers need aged based drinking guidelines

A British expert says alcohol drinking guidelines need to be introduced which are based on age, in order to protect consumers' health.

23 Jul 2007

Medical students respond positively to simulated patient experience

When a vomiting, simulated patient mannequin was rolled into the lecture hall last fall to teach large numbers of first- and second-year Wake Forest University School of Medicine students about the brain and nervous system, Michael T. Fitch, M.D., Ph.D., wasn't sure what to expect.

23 Jul 2007

Research to look at reasons for the formation of Lewy bodies

A University of Nottingham researcher has been awarded more than £440,000 by the Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS) to investigate the causes of the condition.

23 Jul 2007

Chemotherapy beneficial for children with intracranial ependymoma

Use of chemotherapy to treat children with intracranial ependymoma avoids or delays the need for use of radiotherapy which can potentially cause serious damage to the child's nervous system, without compromising chances of survival.

23 Jul 2007

Chemo instead of radiotherapy cuts long-term side effects for children with brain tumours

Using chemotherapy to delay or avoid radiotherapy in children under three with a type of brain tumour called ependymoma reduces the risk of potentially damaging long term side effects, reveal trial results published online in the Lancet Oncology.

23 Jul 2007

Better treatment for children with brain cancer

Young children diagnosed with a malignant type of brain tumour will benefit from research that has taken twelve years to complete.

23 Jul 2007

Man with a small brain shows that size isn't everything!

French doctors have discovered a man who led a normal life yet his brain was considerably smaller than normal.

22 Jul 2007

Good diet + exercise = less insulin in the brain and a longer life!

Scientists in the U.S. say reducing the action of insulin in the brain could well be the secret to longevity.

22 Jul 2007

European watchdog warns about dangers of Acomplia

The European Medicines Agency has warned consumers that the weight loss drug Acomplia heightens the risk of suicide among those taking anti-depressants.

21 Jul 2007

Bipolar disorder shrinks the brain

British researchers have found that people who suffer from manic depression or bipolar disorder as it is more often called, also experience a loss of brain tissue and an accelerated shrinking of their brain.

21 Jul 2007

Court throws lifeline to seriously ill baby

A seriously ill baby girl has been given a lifeline by a high court in Britain.

21 Jul 2007

D-Cycloserine found to help people with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that a drug originally developed to fight tuberculosis may help people with obsessive-compulsive disorder make more progress in therapy sessions.

20 Jul 2007

Bipolar disorder linked to reduction in brain tissue

People with bipolar disorder or manic depression suffer from an accelerated shrinking of their brain, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found.

20 Jul 2007

New understanding of how anaesthetics work in the brain

An important clue to how anaesthetics work on the human body has been provided by the discovery of a molecular feature common to both the human brain and the great pond snail nervous system, scientists say today.

20 Jul 2007

Discovery of new brain mechanism involved with waking up

How do we wake up? How do we shift from restful sleep to dreaming? Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have discovered a new brain mechanism that just might explain how we do that.

20 Jul 2007

Reducing insulin signaling in the brain can prolong lifespan

One route to a long and healthy life may be establishing the right balance in insulin signaling between the brain and the rest of the body, according to new research from Children's Hospital Boston.

20 Jul 2007

Powerful proteomics research promises to revolutionize biomedical discovery

Human cells function through the concerted action of thousands of proteins that control their growth and differentiation.

20 Jul 2007

New biochemical mechanism for memory storage

Our experiences - the things we see, hear, or do - can trigger long-term changes in the strength of the connections between nerve cells in our brain, and these persistent changes are how the brain encodes information as memory.

20 Jul 2007