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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.

Infection plays a larger role than lack of oxygen in premature infants with brain injury

Johns Hopkins researchers have dispelled the widespread belief among obstetricians that, in premature infants, brain injury results from a lack of oxygen, also called hypoxia, when, in fact, infection plays a larger role.

24 Oct 2004

Stress early in life can have varying lifelong impacts

Scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University National Primate Research Center and the University of Pittsburgh report significant stress early in life can have varying lifelong impacts depending of the timing of the stress exposure.

24 Oct 2004

Exercise protects brain cells affected by Parkinson's

In an animal model of Parkinson's, exercise prevents degeneration of nerve cells that are normally impaired or destroyed by the disease, according to University of Pittsburgh researchers.

24 Oct 2004

New imaging technology gathers valuable information about the brains of people with schizophrenia

Researchers at the Boston Veterans Affairs Health Care System – Brockton Division, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Massachusetts-Boston are using new imaging technology to gather valuable information about the brains of people with schizophrenia.

24 Oct 2004

Human primitive spinal cord cells may delay symptoms and paralysis associated with Lou Gehrig's disease

Human primitive spinal cord cells delayed symptoms and paralysis by a week when implanted in the spinal cord of rats destined to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, researchers from Johns Hopkins report.

24 Oct 2004

Intoxicated honey bees provide greater insights into the effects of alcohol

A new study out of Ohio State University thats used intoxicated honey bees could provide greater insights into the effects of alcohol on a person's behaviour.

24 Oct 2004

Discovery of new protein involved in regulating the second most commonly mutated tumor suppressor in human tumors

Scientists in Tokyo have discovered a new protein, named PICT-1, that is involved in regulating PTEN, the second most commonly mutated tumor suppressor in human tumors.

22 Oct 2004

Deep brain stimulation could help alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms on both sides of the body

For many patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, deep brain stimulation can mean the difference between having difficulty walking and being able to run.

22 Oct 2004

Estrogen treatment had less beneficial effect on memory in active female mice

Estrogen treatment had less beneficial effect on memory in female mice that raced on running wheels and played with other toys than in mice raised in non-stimulating environments, according to a Yale study published this month.

22 Oct 2004

Neuroimaging initiative to track early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers are looking for ways to spot early warning signs in the brain of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

22 Oct 2004

The aging American population means that more people are at risk for stroke

A leading stroke researcher says the aging of the American population means that more people are at risk for stroke, and unless new approaches are developed to reduce stroke incidence, it will surpass heart attacks and cancer as the major cause of long-term disability and premature death.

22 Oct 2004

New method for determining the presence of a type of strep that can cause fatal meningitis or pneumonia

Research at Michigan State University found that a new test that provides a new, quicker method for determining the presence of a type of strep that can cause fatal meningitis or pneumonia in newborns is effective more than 90 percent of the time.

22 Oct 2004

Groundbreaking new study that may help stroke patients regain greater use of their hands or arms

The trial showed that study participants – stroke survivors suffering impaired hand or arm movement – who underwent physical rehabilitation accompanied by motor cortex stimulation showed greater improvement than participants who received physical rehabilitation alone.

21 Oct 2004

Discovery of the gene for a form of Joubert Syndrome

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered the gene for a form of Joubert Syndrome, a condition present before birth that affects an area of the brain controlling balance and coordination in about 1 in 10,000 individuals.

21 Oct 2004

Stem cells grown from skin samples of adult patients with brain tumors could be used as a new brain tumor therapy

A team of neurosurgeons and scientists from Italy is looking into whether stem cells derived from a brain tumor patient's own skin can be used to fight the tumors.

21 Oct 2004

Atypical antipsychotics commonly used to treat children with aggression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may trigger insulin resistance

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center say a group of drugs known as "atypical antipsychotics" that are commonly used to treat children with aggression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may trigger insulin resistance, a condition that increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life.

21 Oct 2004

Male scientists typically have a level of the hormone oestrogen as high as their testosterone level

The study draws on research which suggests that these unusual hormone levels in many male scientists cause the right side of their brains, which governs spatial and analytic skills, to develop strongly.

21 Oct 2004

Highly sensitive receptors in the brain may function differently in a person with a family history of alcoholism

Receptors in the brain that are highly sensitive to alcohol may function differently in a person with a family history of alcoholism, according to a Yale study published this month.

21 Oct 2004

Evidence showing treatment benefits of beta interferon for multiple sclerosis

Results of a European study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET provide further evidence that patients with early symptoms of multiple sclerosis given a weekly injection with interferon beta are less likely to progress to full clinical disease after two years follow-up.

21 Oct 2004

Possible link between elevated calcium levels in older neurons and aging-related disorders of the brain

Brain cells become increasingly unable to regulate calcium loads as they age, becoming more vulnerable to injury and premature death, according to new findings that Virginia Commonwealth University researchers will present at an international conference this month.

20 Oct 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Infection plays a larger role than lack of oxygen in premature infants with brain injury

Stress early in life can have varying lifelong impacts

Exercise protects brain cells affected by Parkinson's

New imaging technology gathers valuable information about the brains of people with schizophrenia

Human primitive spinal cord cells may delay symptoms and paralysis associated with Lou Gehrig's disease

Intoxicated honey bees provide greater insights into the effects of alcohol

Discovery of new protein involved in regulating the second most commonly mutated tumor suppressor in human tumors

Deep brain stimulation could help alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms on both sides of the body

Estrogen treatment had less beneficial effect on memory in active female mice

Neuroimaging initiative to track early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

The aging American population means that more people are at risk for stroke

New method for determining the presence of a type of strep that can cause fatal meningitis or pneumonia

Groundbreaking new study that may help stroke patients regain greater use of their hands or arms

Discovery of the gene for a form of Joubert Syndrome

Stem cells grown from skin samples of adult patients with brain tumors could be used as a new brain tumor therapy

Atypical antipsychotics commonly used to treat children with aggression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may trigger insulin resistance

Male scientists typically have a level of the hormone oestrogen as high as their testosterone level

Highly sensitive receptors in the brain may function differently in a person with a family history of alcoholism

Evidence showing treatment benefits of beta interferon for multiple sclerosis

Possible link between elevated calcium levels in older neurons and aging-related disorders of the brain

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