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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.

Computational model of addiction which can be used to make predictions about human behavior

A University of Minnesota researcher developed a computational model of addiction which can be used to make predictions about human behavior, animal behavior, and neurophysiology.

13 Dec 2004

Newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression

A newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression, a condition which effects 20 million people in the U.S., according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

13 Dec 2004

Key molecular signal allows malarial parasites to target human red blood cells

Northwestern University researchers have identified a key molecular "signal" that allows malarial parasites to release virulence proteins inside human red blood cells.

13 Dec 2004

Migraine sufferers are twice as likely to suffer a stroke than those who don't experience migraines

In the first review of its kind, researchers in Canada and the US looked at 14 studies which investigated an association between stroke and migraine. They found that the risk of stroke for migraine sufferers was 2.16 times that for non-sufferers.

13 Dec 2004

Neurobiologists distinguish in unprecedented detail the patterns of brain activity

Using hairlike microelectrodes and computer analysis, neurobiologists at Duke University Medical Center have demonstrated that they can see the detailed instant-to-instant electrical "brainscape" of neural activity across a living brain.

8 Dec 2004

Non-invasive brain-computer interface offers more control than once thought

A brain-computer interface (BCI) that translates electrical signals detected from the scalp into a user's commands offers comparable precision, speed and accuracy to systems that rely on electrodes surgically implanted in the brain, researchers at the Department of Health's Wadsworth Center laboratories have shown.

7 Dec 2004

Magnetism does not cause paranormal experiences

Previous research has shown that paranormal experiences can be achieved via electromagnetic stimulation of the temple lobe. Now scientists from Uppsala and Lund universities in Sweden are calling into question how the experiments were set up and therefore questioning the results.

7 Dec 2004

Month of birth linked to risk of multiple sclerosis

In the northern hemisphere, being born in May is linked to an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life, while being born in November carries the lowest risk, finds a new study published on bmj.com today.

6 Dec 2004

MRI reveals similarities between the human and chimpanzee brain

New MRI-based studies present more evidence that the brains of chimpanzees are human-like in terms of the relationships among brain asymmetry, handedness and language, according to research undertaken at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta.

6 Dec 2004

New noninvasive technique allows for early detection of chemotherapy treatment response

Scientists at the Arizona Cancer Center have developed an approach that will allow them to detect if cancer patients are responding within days after they start a new chemotherapy regimen.

4 Dec 2004

Methylphenidate improves attention, behavior of children surviving acute lymphoblastic leukemia, brain tumors

Children who suffer from behavioral and learning problems after their central nervous systems have been exposed to chemotherapy or radiation appear to benefit from treatment with methylphenidate (MPH), the drug commonly known by the brand name Ritalin®.

4 Dec 2004

System helps physicians prevent radiation-induced skin injuries to patients

The threading of slender catheters and stents through arteries to deliver treatments to the heart, the brain and elsewhere in the body has produced nothing short of a medical revolution.

4 Dec 2004

A vitamin B pill that drastically lowers blood levels of homocysteine could one day be used to prevent dementia

High blood levels of homocysteine are a risk factor for stroke and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Raised levels damage nerves and blood vessels, and lead to a loss of brain tissue in patients.

4 Dec 2004

Replicating an eel's nerve circuitry may one day allow paralyzed people to walk again

In a collaboration that blends biology and robotics, researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland are unraveling the circuitry in an eel's spinal cord to help develop a microchip implant that may someday help paralyzed people walk again.

3 Dec 2004

$3 million to research whether stress-management techniques can improve immune system responses in women with breast cancer

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing a $3 million grant to research whether stress-management techniques can improve immune system responses in women with breast cancer.

2 Dec 2004

Toxic proteins explain memory loss in Alzheimer's patients

Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered a molecular mechanism -- a tiny protein attacking nerve cells -- that could explain why the brain damage in early Alzheimer's disease results in memory loss and not other symptoms such as loss of balance or tremors.

1 Dec 2004

Novel anti-obesity compound shows promise for treatment of obesity

Arena Pharmaceuticals announced today results from the dosing phase of its Phase 1b clinical trial of APD356, an orally administered small molecule designed to regulate satiety (and perhaps metabolism) for the treatment of obesity.

30 Nov 2004

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy may prove to be the definitive diagnostic test for bipolar disorder

Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy may prove to be the definitive diagnostic test for bipolar disorder, a serious brain illness characterized by an alternating pattern of extreme emotional highs and lows, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

30 Nov 2004

Iris Murdoch's last novel reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease

The last novel written by author Iris Murdoch before she died reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the latest online issue of Brain.

29 Nov 2004

Autism results from failure of brain areas to work together

In contrast to people who do not have autism, people with autism remember letters of the alphabet in a part of the brain that ordinarily processes shapes, according to a study from a collaborative program of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

29 Nov 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Computational model of addiction which can be used to make predictions about human behavior

Newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression

Key molecular signal allows malarial parasites to target human red blood cells

Migraine sufferers are twice as likely to suffer a stroke than those who don't experience migraines

Neurobiologists distinguish in unprecedented detail the patterns of brain activity

Non-invasive brain-computer interface offers more control than once thought

Magnetism does not cause paranormal experiences

Month of birth linked to risk of multiple sclerosis

MRI reveals similarities between the human and chimpanzee brain

New noninvasive technique allows for early detection of chemotherapy treatment response

Methylphenidate improves attention, behavior of children surviving acute lymphoblastic leukemia, brain tumors

System helps physicians prevent radiation-induced skin injuries to patients

A vitamin B pill that drastically lowers blood levels of homocysteine could one day be used to prevent dementia

Replicating an eel's nerve circuitry may one day allow paralyzed people to walk again

$3 million to research whether stress-management techniques can improve immune system responses in women with breast cancer

Toxic proteins explain memory loss in Alzheimer's patients

Novel anti-obesity compound shows promise for treatment of obesity

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy may prove to be the definitive diagnostic test for bipolar disorder

Iris Murdoch's last novel reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease

Autism results from failure of brain areas to work together

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

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