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.

Study shows inaccuracies in cardiac PET-CT imaging

Current PET-CT scanners with standard commercial software designed to provide images of the heart are falsely indicating coronary artery disease in as many as 40 percent of patients, according to a study published today on the cover page of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

4 Jul 2007

Scientists measure distraction

A scientific indicator of how easily distracted you are has been designed by a UCL (University College London) psychologist. It could be used as another assessment tool during the recruitment process and would have particular benefits in fields where employee distraction could lead to fatal errors.

4 Jul 2007

Hearing loss and von Hippel-Lindau disease

Patients with the genetic disorder von Hippel-Lindau disease may suddenly experience hearing loss because of a tumor-associated hemorrhage in the inner ear, according to a study in the July 4 issue of JAMA.

4 Jul 2007

Just one smoke can lead to nicotine addiction

A new study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine shows that 10 percent of youth who become hooked on cigarettes are addicted within two days of first inhaling from a cigarette, and 25 percent are addicted within a month.

4 Jul 2007

Fibrinogen protein may inhibit spinal cord regeneration

Fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein found in circulating blood, has been found to inhibit the growth of central nervous system neuronal cells, a process that is necessary for the regeneration of the spinal cord after traumatic injury.

4 Jul 2007

Genetic mutation that may alter response to cancer therapeutics found

Researchers from Eli Lilly & Company and the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) today announced finding a novel recurring mutation of the gene AKT1 in breast, colorectal and ovarian cancers.

4 Jul 2007

Researchers step toward a Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease test

Researchers have shown that a recently developed laboratory method to amplify prions (Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification) can be applied to variant CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease).

4 Jul 2007

Catastrophic head injuries in football dramatically higher at high school level than college level

The incidence of catastrophic head injuries in football is dramatically higher at the high school level than at the college level, according to a study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

4 Jul 2007

One in four Britons have mental health problems

The UK's first jargon-fee guide to mental health aimed at the general public is published this week.

4 Jul 2007

Drug gets rid of those nasty memories

A team of scientists say they have found a way to dampen down the impact of bad memories in people's brains.

4 Jul 2007

Exercise good for those brain cells

According to Swedish researchers exercise may stimulate the production of new brain cells in the area of the brain that is important to memory and learning.

2 Jul 2007

Sensing and following motion

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shed new light on how the brain and eye team up to spot an object in motion and follow it, a classic question of human motor control.

29 Jun 2007

Prospective predictors of long-term abstinence versus relapse among smokers who quit as young adults

A non-smoking spouse and smoke-free workplace play key roles in long-term success for young adults who quit smoking, according to Indiana University research, which found environmental factors to be more influential than individual behaviors and beliefs when it comes to kicking the habit.

29 Jun 2007

Link between ciliary signaling and cancer

Submarines have periscopes. Insects have antennae. And increasingly, biologists are finding that most normal vertebrate cells have cilia, small hair-like structures that protrude like antennae into the surrounding environment to detect signals that control cell growth.

29 Jun 2007

Exercise stimulates the production of new brain cells

Exercise has a similar effect to antidepressants on depression. This has been shown by previous research. Now Astrid Bjornebekk at Karolinska Institutet has explained how this can happen: exercise stimulates the production of new brain cells.

29 Jun 2007

Type of curriculum influences child behavior

Children who were taught a curriculum that focused on self-control and awareness of their own and others emotions were found to exhibit greater social competence and fewer behavioral and emotional problems.

29 Jun 2007

Stimulate the brain and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's!

According to a new study elderly people can reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by reading newspapers, playing chess, or engaging in other mentally stimulating activities.

28 Jun 2007

Meningococcal vaccine now recommended for ages 11 to 18

Recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), that all young people aged 11 to 18 should get a shot that protects them from the most dangerous type of meningitis, has been applauded by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

28 Jun 2007

Antidepressants during pregnancy present remote risk of birth defects

According to the latest research the newer antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) only slightly increase the risk of birth defects in pregnancy.

28 Jun 2007

Key finding on ALS related protein

Chemists from UCLA and the University of Florence in Italy may have solved an important mystery about a protein that plays a key role in a particular form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder that strikes without warning.

28 Jun 2007