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.

Walking can cut craving for a cigarette

New research by scientists at Exeter University has shown that going for a walk can help smokers break the habit.

15 May 2005

Anti-nicotine vaccine to help smokers is promising

Swiss researchers say they have had some encouraging results with an experimental anti-nicotine vaccine.

15 May 2005

Unsuspected protein CD147, regulates the production of plaque-forming peptides that are the defining feature of Alzheimer's

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered an unsuspected subunit of the protein complex gamma-secretase, which plays a central role in Alzheimer's disease.

15 May 2005

Bevacizumab plus chemo extends survival beyond one year for large group of advanced lung cancer patients

Patients with a particular type of advanced lung cancer may have a new option based on data presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology showing that combining a drug that cuts off the cancer's blood supply with standard chemotherapy can shrink tumors and extend life.

15 May 2005

Sensory intervention cab help ADHD kids

Preliminary findings from a study of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show that sensory intervention - for example, deep pressure and strenuous exercise - can significantly improve problem behaviors such as restlessness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Of the children receiving occupational therapy, 95 percent improved. This is the first study of this size on sensory intervention for ADHD.

15 May 2005

Black cohosh does not reduce hot flashes in women

Mayo Clinic researchers, working with North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) investigators, will present new study findings about treatments to reduce hot flashes in women. The research will be outlined during the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, May 13-17 in Orlando, Fla.

15 May 2005

Humans more prone to cancer than chimpanzees

Chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor, and even today 99 percent of the two species' DNA is identical. But since the paths of man and chimp diverged 5 million years ago, that one percent of genetic difference appears to have changed humans in an unexpected way: It could have made people more prone to cancer.

15 May 2005

Fat-fighting drugs may be a far riskier business than they seem

Experts are warning that despite the fact that obesity is one of the biggest preventable causes of death, fat-fighting drugs may be a far riskier business than they seem, particularly for investors.

11 May 2005

Broader range of treatments for excessive sweating disorder, Mayo Clinic Proceedings says

The often embarrassing, excessive sweating disorder, hyperhidrosis, and its treatment options are gaining greater attention from physicians. This is improving the efficacy of treatment and minimizing its adverse effects, Mayo Clinic authors write in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

11 May 2005

Vitamin A's paradoxical role in influencing symmetry during embryonic development revealed

In this week's journal Nature, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report that they have solved one of the "holy grail" puzzles of developmental biology: the existence of a mechanism that insures that the exterior of our bodies is symmetrical while inner organs are arranged asymmetrically.

11 May 2005

National stroke study sets new practice standard for Canada

A Canada-wide clinical research study of more than 1000 stroke patients has put to rest a long-standing controversy about the use of thrombolysis for stroke. The two-year study, Canadian Alteplase for Stroke Effectiveness Study (CASES), recommends the widespread use of clot-busting drugs for acute stroke.

11 May 2005

Virus that targets and kills glioblastoma

Yale School of Medicine scientists have identified a virus that targets and kills glioblastoma, a deadly type of human brain tumor resistant to current medical or surgical treatment, according to a study published as the cover article in the Journal of Virology.

11 May 2005

MicroVention awarded key patent for Smart Hydrogel

MicroVention announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company U.S. Patent No. 6,878,384 for its proprietary environmentally-responsive or "smart" hydrogel called Intelligel.

11 May 2005

Magnetic stimulation treatment for depression

Barbara Baas ran away from home and tried to kill herself as a teenager. As an adult, she has tried more than 15 varieties of antidepressants. But, thanks to a new weapon, she has finally reached a truce in a 45-year battle.

10 May 2005

Vaccine against Alzheimer's disease may still be on the cards

A new, but modified, trial of an Alzheimer's vaccine has begun in the U.S. despite an earlier one being abandoned in 2002 due to safety concerns.

10 May 2005

Brains of both black and white people have been programmed by racist stereotyping

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, carried out brain scans of black and white Americans, focusing on a part of the brain called the amygdala, the area that reacts to threat and novelty, and, because the region responds in different ways, exactly what goes on in that area was unclear.

10 May 2005