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 high-tech pacifier helps babies who are born prematurely

The pacifier also may reduce the incidence or severity of certain developmental disabilities that appear in early childhood and beyond as well as possibly boost IQ.

16 Sep 2004

Immunoglobulins might be promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease

Intravenous immunoglobulin might offer a promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease, suggests preliminary research in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

15 Sep 2004

Men with sweet tooths more prone to alcoholism

Men who have a sweet tooth and who have trouble controlling their behavior are more prone to alcoholism, and these factors combined were better predictors of the disease than any single individual trait, a recent analysis has found.

15 Sep 2004

Role of gene identified in development of tumours in children

Medical researchers from Children’s Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research (CCIA) have made significant progress in understanding tumour initiation in the aggressive, debilitating childhood cancer, neuroblastoma

14 Sep 2004

Important discovery that will increase the understanding of multiple sclerosis

Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have made an important discovery that will increase the understanding of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system in which the myelin sheath, an insulating membrane surrounding the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, start to unravel for reasons as yet unknown.

14 Sep 2004

BNCT treatment has had an excellent response in a patient with head and neck cancer

A Finnish research group has been the first in the world to publish an article in which BNCT treatment has had an excellent response in a patient with head and neck cancer for whom there was no other treatment available.

14 Sep 2004

Brain function a key to addiction treatments

Neuroscience research should be informing drug addiction treatment and policy in Australia, according to Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence, a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO).

14 Sep 2004

Molecule that may be a primary cause of high blood pressure and link to diabetes

A study published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified the molecule that binds to a receptor (a molecule on the cell surface that triggers a reaction within the cell) in the brain that is known to regulate blood pressure and release of insulin.

14 Sep 2004

People with mild Alzheimer’s were more likely to make driving errors

People with mild Alzheimer’s disease make more mistakes on a driving test than older people with no cognitive problems, according to a study published in the September 14 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Sep 2004

One of Australia's largest hospitals has suspected case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

The Royal Melbourne Hospital, one of Australia's largest hospitals, has contacted 1056 patients today after a man died of a suspected case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

13 Sep 2004

Researchers have discovered a possible way to distinguish lethal from localized prostate cancers

If future studies show their test -- measuring the level of activity of a signaling pathway called Hedgehog -- can predict which prostate cancers will spread, the results could revolutionize decision making processes for prostate cancer patients, the researchers say.

13 Sep 2004

Health problems among timber workers exposed to industry chemical PCP are to be investigated

The project, funded by the Ministry of Health, aims to ascertain whether timber workers exposed to the PCPs (pentachlorophenols) are dying earlier, getting cancers more often and suffering more chronic health problems, including fatigue, nausea and neuropsychological dysfunction.

13 Sep 2004

Botox injections to treat children with cerebral palsy

Botox injections are best known for reducing wrinkles on the face. However, experts at Loyola University Health System are finding new ways to use the injections in children with cerebral palsy, with most benefit in patients who are younger than 5 years old.

12 Sep 2004

Higher blood levels of homocysteine may be associated with changes in deep brain tissue in middle-aged men

According to the article, high HCY levels have been associated with an increased risk for vascular diseases, and some studies have suggested that HCY may also increase the risk for brain atrophy and Alzheimer disease. Other studies have shown an inverse relationship between elevated HCY levels and cognitive functioning, the article states.

12 Sep 2004

Patients who experience medical or neurological complications following stroke are at a greater risk of dying in the hospital

Patients who experience medical or neurological complications following stroke, such as pneumonia or brain swelling, are at a greater risk of dying in the hospital, according to an article in the September 13 issue of The Archives Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Sep 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New high-tech pacifier helps babies who are born prematurely

Immunoglobulins might be promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease

Men with sweet tooths more prone to alcoholism

Role of gene identified in development of tumours in children

Important discovery that will increase the understanding of multiple sclerosis

BNCT treatment has had an excellent response in a patient with head and neck cancer

Brain function a key to addiction treatments

Molecule that may be a primary cause of high blood pressure and link to diabetes

People with mild Alzheimer’s were more likely to make driving errors

One of Australia's largest hospitals has suspected case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Researchers have discovered a possible way to distinguish lethal from localized prostate cancers

Health problems among timber workers exposed to industry chemical PCP are to be investigated

Botox injections to treat children with cerebral palsy

Higher blood levels of homocysteine may be associated with changes in deep brain tissue in middle-aged men

Patients who experience medical or neurological complications following stroke are at a greater risk of dying in the hospital

Suprising new information on the HOX genes

Cancer drug may reduce kidney disease in lupus

Chiropractic correction may help reverse multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease

Discovery of way to regulate brain blood could lead to new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s

Disruption of protein folding causes neurodegeneration, mental retardation

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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