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.

Brain protein called MC4R that plays a role in the urge to eat has now been found to influence appetite in a second way

A brain protein already known to play a central role in the "feast or fast" signaling that controls the urge to eat has now been found to influence appetite in a second way. The discovery identifies a potential new target for drugs against obesity.

19 Oct 2004

Strong relationship between kids academic achievement and fitness

The health benefits of exercise – across the lifespan – have been well documented. More recently, scientists have begun to demonstrate that exercise also may improve cognitive functioning in older adults.

19 Oct 2004

Study into ageing yields wealth of data

Any long-term study that follows people in their old age is bound to lose numbers because of deaths among its subjects, but the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ALSA) and many of its participants are still going strong.

19 Oct 2004

Cymbalta significantly reduced pain in more than half of women treated for fibromyalgia, with and without major depression

The antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl), a dual-reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine, 60 mg once or twice daily, significantly reduced pain in more than half of women treated for fibromyalgia, with and without major depression, according to 12-week data presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.

18 Oct 2004

Researchers use brain cells to correct involuntary muscle spasms in rats with ischemic spinal cord injury

Transplantation of human brain cells corrected involuntary muscle spasms in rats with ischemic spinal cord injury, according to research published online October 12 and in print October 19, 2004 in the European Journal of Neurosciences by investigators at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

18 Oct 2004

Researchers have found two areas of the brain that appear to compete for control over behavior

You walk into a room and spy a plate of gooey doughnuts dripping with chocolate frosting. But wait: You were saving your sweets allotment for a party later today. If it feels like one part of your brain is battling another, it probably is, according to a newly published study.

18 Oct 2004

Cyclopamine, derived from the corn lily may treat and prevent basal cell carcinoma

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) have demonstrated in laboratory animals that a compound derived from a common plant can be used to treat and prevent the most widespread form of cancer in people

18 Oct 2004

Collaborative research will help bring hope to Americans who are losing their sight to degenerative retinal diseases

A collaborative research and development agreement signed today between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Second Sight LLC will help bring hope to hundreds of thousands of Americans who are losing their sight to degenerative retinal diseases.

18 Oct 2004

Pneumococcal vaccinations help protect patients with rheumatoid arthritis against serious pneumococcal infections of the lungs, brain, blood, and ears

Rheumatoid arthritis patients have an approximately two-fold increased morbidity and mortality in infections compared to a population without the disease.

18 Oct 2004

Small delay after birth when cutting umbilical cord of a premature baby appears to lessen chances of bleeding

Waiting 30 seconds to two minutes after birth to cut the umbilical cord of a premature baby appears to lessen chances of bleeding in the newborn’s brain and reduce the need for transfusions, according to a new review of research.

18 Oct 2004

Psychic powers that enable people to see auras around others may simply be a quirk of the brain

Supposed psychic powers that enable people to see auras around others may simply be a quirk of the brain, according to a University College London (UCL) study of a rare form of synaesthesia where some people see colourful ‘auras’ around their loved ones.

18 Oct 2004

People who drank alcohol on a regular basis appeared to have less cardiovascular disease

Many previous studies have shown a link between moderate alcohol consumption, versus abstinence or heavy consumption, and decreased mortality from cardiovascular disease.

16 Oct 2004

We are at the very beginning of 'gene finding' for alcohol response

Alcoholism is a complex, genetically influenced disorder. Multiple phenotypes – measurable and/or observable traits or behavior – contribute to the risk of developing alcoholism, particularly disinhibition, alcohol metabolizing patterns, and a low level of response (LR) to alcohol.

16 Oct 2004

Some patients who undergo treatment considered to be the last resort for severe obesity can develop peripheral neuropathy

Researchers from Mayo Clinic have found some patients who undergo a treatment considered to be the last resort for those who suffer from severe obesity - stomach stapling or gastric bypass surgery, can develop peripheral neuropathy, damage to the peripheral nerves, the vast communications network that transmits information from the brain and spinal cord to every other part of the body.

16 Oct 2004

Single protein appears central to the formation of the long-term memories

Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have discovered that a single protein appears central to the formation of the long-term memories.

16 Oct 2004

Scientists can now explain why the brain prefers one brand of soft drink to another

A study involving 67 people showed no preference for either Coca-Cola® (Coke®) or Pepsi® when the drinks were administered anonymously, according to results published in the Oct. 14 issue of the journal Neuron.

13 Oct 2004

New research collaboration investigates disease in newborn and elderly

The University of Otago's Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences' 30 year expertise in free radical research will be a vital component of a new collaborative Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE), recently backed by major Government funding.

13 Oct 2004

Research shows brain cells move like a two-stroke engine

Following the often-quoted advice of Yogi Berra — "You can observe a lot by just watching" — Rockefeller University scientists show that nerve cells in the developing brains of humans and other mammals move in a two-part "step" led by a structure within the cell called the centrosome.

13 Oct 2004

Surgical remedies for snoring and sleep disorders

Like thousands of Americans, snoring keeps Dr. Kenny Pang awake at night. It’s not his own nocturnal nasal sounds, or those of his wife, that trouble Dr. Pang -- it’s the why behind the sounds.

13 Oct 2004

Mothers must breastfeed for at least four months without using formula to reduce obesity risk in preschool children

Pediatric obesity researchers from Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have found that for breastfeeding to reduce the risk of obesity in preschool children, mothers must breastfeed for at least four months without using formula or for at least six months if they are also formula feeding.

13 Oct 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Brain protein called MC4R that plays a role in the urge to eat has now been found to influence appetite in a second way

Strong relationship between kids academic achievement and fitness

Study into ageing yields wealth of data

Cymbalta significantly reduced pain in more than half of women treated for fibromyalgia, with and without major depression

Researchers use brain cells to correct involuntary muscle spasms in rats with ischemic spinal cord injury

Researchers have found two areas of the brain that appear to compete for control over behavior

Cyclopamine, derived from the corn lily may treat and prevent basal cell carcinoma

Collaborative research will help bring hope to Americans who are losing their sight to degenerative retinal diseases

Pneumococcal vaccinations help protect patients with rheumatoid arthritis against serious pneumococcal infections of the lungs, brain, blood, and ears

Small delay after birth when cutting umbilical cord of a premature baby appears to lessen chances of bleeding

Psychic powers that enable people to see auras around others may simply be a quirk of the brain

People who drank alcohol on a regular basis appeared to have less cardiovascular disease

We are at the very beginning of 'gene finding' for alcohol response

Some patients who undergo treatment considered to be the last resort for severe obesity can develop peripheral neuropathy

Single protein appears central to the formation of the long-term memories

Scientists can now explain why the brain prefers one brand of soft drink to another

New research collaboration investigates disease in newborn and elderly

Research shows brain cells move like a two-stroke engine

Surgical remedies for snoring and sleep disorders

Mothers must breastfeed for at least four months without using formula to reduce obesity risk in preschool children

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

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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