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.

New research promising for improving brain cell survival after brain injury

Scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have found a protein in the brain that can save neurons from dying after experiencing traumatic brain injury from incidents such as stroke, car accidents and falls.

10 Jul 2006

World-first stem cell research may help male infertility

Scientists have shown for the first time that sperm grown from embryonic stem cells can be used to produce offspring.

10 Jul 2006

Latest 'mad cow' in Canada was pregnant

According to Canadian officials the dairy cow which is the country's latest suspected case of mad cow disease was heavily pregnant.

10 Jul 2006

Court says autism therapy age limit is not a form of discrimination

A court in Canada has ruled that the government's refusal to provide expensive therapy for all autistic children older than five is not age discrimination.

10 Jul 2006

Which inflammatory markers predict the appearance of a stroke?

Patients that have suffered from a stroke have a higher risk of a similar event happening and, in consequence, greater possibilities of dying.

10 Jul 2006

Scientists now feel age may not be a limiting factor to developing better vision

Imagine going through life seeing the world in two dimensions.

10 Jul 2006

Faulty molecule closely linked to Alzheimer's

A recent study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine identifies a faulty molecule in the brain found in cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

10 Jul 2006

Hi-tech initiative aims to help doctors treat brain tumours

Software that gives doctors much-needed help in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours is being developed by an international consortium of scientists and medics.

10 Jul 2006

CAS Medical awarded two new U.S. patents

CAS Medical Systems has announced that it has been awarded two United States Patents for technology used in its Fore-Sight Cerebral Oximeter, which is scheduled for commercial release in late 2006.

10 Jul 2006

Cell survival depends on chromosome integrity

UCLA researchers report that thousands of genes behave differently in the same organs of males and females - something never detected to this degree.

9 Jul 2006

The inability to recognize faces can be inherited

In the first study to examine whether the inability to recognize faces can be inherited, researchers found that it is in fact a common disorder that runs in families and is one of the most frequent disorders apparently controlled by a defect in a single gene.

9 Jul 2006

New aspect of prion disease - agent causes heart damage

Until now, prion disease has been thought of as a chronic neurological condition.

9 Jul 2006

Discovery of gene mutation gives hope for Down syndrome and Alzheimer's victims

Researchers in the U.S. have discovered a gene mutation that shrivels brain cells which they suspect is responsible for the mental retardation seen in Down syndrome.

6 Jul 2006

Keeping neurons in synch reduces epileptic seizures by 90%

The brain's septum helps prevent epileptic seizures by inducing rhythmical electrical activity in the circuits of another area of the brain known as the hippocampus, according to a new study in the Journal of Neurophysiology.

5 Jul 2006

Dopamine drug leads to new neurons and recovery of function in Parkinson's

In preliminary results, researchers have shown that a drug which mimics the effects of the nerve-signaling chemical dopamine causes new neurons to develop in the part of the brain where cells are lost in Parkinson's disease (PD).

5 Jul 2006

New anti-smoking drug Varenicline (Chantix) promotes longer-lasting abstinence

Scientists have found that a new anti-smoking drug may be more effective than drugs currently in use to help smokers kick the habit and it has the added advantage of promoting longer-lasting abstinence.

5 Jul 2006

Varenicline effective in helping smokers quit

The drug varenicline shows effectiveness in helping smokers quit and abstain from smoking when compared to placebo and the smoking cessation medication bupropion.

4 Jul 2006

Dopamine drug may lead to new ways of treating Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers have shown that a drug which mimics the effects of the nerve-signaling chemical dopamine causes new neurons to develop in the part of the brain where cells are lost in Parkinson's disease

4 Jul 2006

Teen drinking a predictor for alcohol abuse later in life

Researchers in the U.S. say that those who start drinking alcohol in their early teens are more likely to suffer alcoholism later in life.

4 Jul 2006

World's first face transplant hailed as a complete success

According to the French surgeons who carried out the world's first face transplant, six months down the line the operation is regarded as a complete success.

4 Jul 2006