Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Transthyretin discovery may halt progression of Alzheimer's

In a finding that may cause a dramatic shift in the way scientists and researchers search for a therapy for Alzheimer's disease, a team of researchers led by Jeff Johnson, an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy, has discovered that increased expression of a protein called transthyretin in the brain appears to halt the progression of the disease.

10 Sep 2004

Area of brain crucial for the generation of dreams

In a study published September 10, 2004, in the online edition of the Annals of Neurology, scientists describe a patient who lost all dreaming, and very little else, following a stroke in one distinct region of the brain, suggesting that this area is crucial for the generation of dreams.

10 Sep 2004

Chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system pave way for future pharmaceutical treatments for depression

From mollusks to mammals, newly discovered chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system are paving a path toward future pharmaceutical treatments for depression and other disorders.

10 Sep 2004

Therapeutic hypothermia improves the chances of recovery among those who suffer from cardiac arrest

Lowering the body’s temperature after a cardiac arrest dramatically increases the chances for surviving and improves the neurological outcome.

10 Sep 2004

New research into stimulus-related ear differences from birth may provide improved methods for newborn hearing tests

Researchers have known since the 1950s that humans process speech and tone sounds in different sides of the brain.

10 Sep 2004

Gene linked to both alcoholism and depression

A national team of investigators led by psychiatric geneticists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified a gene that appears to be linked to both alcoholism and depression.

8 Sep 2004

Findings point to the hippocampus as critical to the process of recollection

For millennia, the process of memory and remembering has intrigued scholars and scientists. In 350 B.C., Aristotle, in his seminal treatise on the subject, described it as having two forms: familiarity and recollection. Of these, he considered recollection to be a purely human condition.

8 Sep 2004

Autism may arise from a mixture of sources that include a few genes and epigenetics

Autism, a serious developmental disorder in children, may arise from a mixture of sources that include a few genes and alterations in the factors that regulate genes (epigenetics) that may be inherited or occur as a new event, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine.

8 Sep 2004

No discernible link between the three-in-one vaccine and child behavioural problems

A new study of children’s behaviour problems has come to the conclusion that there is no discernible link with the three-in-one vaccine now being phased out in the UK.

8 Sep 2004

ADHD children four times more likely to have mental health problems when they grow up

Many normal children display low levels of the traits associated with ADHD – behaving in an impulsive, inattentive, and restless fashion – which will not cause problems.

8 Sep 2004

First indication that Parkinson’s disease can be caused by a defect in a protein

The findings of Finnish scientists with their multinational collaborators shed light to the mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease and early menopause.

8 Sep 2004

Research into constraint-induced movement therapy

Traditional treatment of movement problems for people who have suffered traumatic brain injury or strokes has mainly focused on making the best use of motor functions the patient has retained.

8 Sep 2004

Pig tissue may help reduce the damage and disability of stroke

A tiny capsule containing tissue that secretes a cocktail of brain-nourishing neurotrophic factors may one day help reduce the damage and disability of stroke, according to research published in the September issue of Stroke.

7 Sep 2004

First biological assessment tool for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

On the eve of the first National ADHD Awareness Day, the first biological assessment tool for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is being introduced in Denver.

7 Sep 2004

FDA approval for chewable ADHD tablets

Alliant Pharmaceuticals has announced FDA approval of Methylin Chewable Tablets and Methylin Oral Solution for the treatment of ADHD. The two products are the first, and only, chewable tablet and oral solution for ADHD to gain FDA acceptance.

7 Sep 2004

Sight of a friendly face can reduce stress in sheep

This discovery, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences, could point to the reason that many of us carry pictures of loved ones in our wallets or handbags.

6 Sep 2004

First Parkinson’s gene therapy patient well after 1 year suggesting that the therapy is safe and effective

The first ever patient to have undergone gene therapy for Parkinson’s appears to have come through phase I without a hitch, suggesting that the therapy is safe and effective, reports Marina Murphy in Chemistry & Industry.

2 Sep 2004

Benefit of using clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for ischemic stroke

An independent review of data from a landmark clinical trial has validated the benefit of using the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for ischemic stroke, when given within three hours of symptom onset under a strict treatment protocol.

2 Sep 2004

Drinking alcohol regularly in your 40's increases risk of mild cognitive impairment

People in their 40's who drink alcohol regularly could be increasing their risk of mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia and Alzheimer's. The claim is reported in the current issue of the British Medical Journal.

2 Sep 2004

Does the popular Atkins diet really work?

Since it’s introduction in the middle 1970’s, the Atkins Protein Diet has grown to be one of the most popular methods of weight loss. Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets have been criticized by major health organizations including the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association, and the American Kidney Fund.

2 Sep 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Transthyretin discovery may halt progression of Alzheimer's

Area of brain crucial for the generation of dreams

Chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system pave way for future pharmaceutical treatments for depression

Therapeutic hypothermia improves the chances of recovery among those who suffer from cardiac arrest

New research into stimulus-related ear differences from birth may provide improved methods for newborn hearing tests

Gene linked to both alcoholism and depression

Findings point to the hippocampus as critical to the process of recollection

Autism may arise from a mixture of sources that include a few genes and epigenetics

No discernible link between the three-in-one vaccine and child behavioural problems

ADHD children four times more likely to have mental health problems when they grow up

First indication that Parkinson’s disease can be caused by a defect in a protein

Research into constraint-induced movement therapy

Pig tissue may help reduce the damage and disability of stroke

First biological assessment tool for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

FDA approval for chewable ADHD tablets

Sight of a friendly face can reduce stress in sheep

First Parkinson’s gene therapy patient well after 1 year suggesting that the therapy is safe and effective

Benefit of using clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for ischemic stroke

Drinking alcohol regularly in your 40's increases risk of mild cognitive impairment

Does the popular Atkins diet really work?

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®

Latest News