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High-definition fiber tractography shows white matter tracts in living brain

A technique called high-definition fiber tractography (HDFT) provides a powerful new tool for tracing the course of nerve fiber connections within the brain—with the potential to improve the accuracy of neurosurgical planning and to advance scientific understanding of the brain's structural and functional networks, reports a paper in the August issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

21 Aug 2012

FDA approves InSightec's ExAblate Neuro system clinical trial for tremor dominant Parkinson's Disease

InSightec Ltd, the global leader in MR guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), announced that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to begin a Phase I clinical trial evaluating the use of its ExAblate Neuro system for the treatment of patients with tremor dominant Parkinson's Disease.

20 Aug 2012

Researchers develop multi-dimensional MRI method to assess age in children

A national team of researchers led by investigators at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have developed a multidimensional set of brain measurements that, when taken together, can accurately assess a child's age with 92 percent accuracy.

17 Aug 2012

Sophisticated brain scans can accurately predict age

It isn't uncommon for people to pass for ages much older or younger than their years, but researchers have now found that this feature doesn't apply to our brains. The findings reported online on August 16 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, show that sophisticated brain scans can be used to accurately predict age, give or take a year.

17 Aug 2012

Inhibiting over-production of Panx1 protein can treat melanoma

New research from Western University, Canada, has identified a potential new target for the treatment of melanoma, the deadliest of all skin cancers. Silvia Penuela and Dale Laird discovered a new channel-forming protein called Pannexin (Panx1) that is expressed in normal levels on the surface of healthy skin cells.

16 Aug 2012

Sports medicine physician recommends two high-tech tools to enhance patient care

Research shows that the average person only retains 15 to 20 percent of what he or she is told during a medical appointment. According to Matt Roth, MD, associate medical director for ProMedica Sports Care, when patients have the opportunity to view actual images of their anatomy and diagnosis, their understanding and retention improves.

16 Aug 2012

Endocrine Society revises clinical practice guideline for management of thyroid dysfunction

The Endocrine Society has made revisions to its 2007 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum. The CPG provides recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of patients with thyroid-related medical issues just before and during pregnancy and in the postpartum interval.

12 Aug 2012

Effects on white matter brain volume from long-term alcoholism are different for men and women

(Boston) - Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System have demonstrated that the effects on white matter brain volume from long-term alcohol abuse are different for men and women. The study, which is published online in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, also suggests that with abstinence, women recover their white matter brain volume more quickly than men.

12 Aug 2012

Astrocytes help reduce damaging effects of epilepsy

Epileptic fits are like thunderstorms raging in the brain: Nerve cells excite each other in an uncontrolled way so that strong, rhythmic electrical discharges sweep over whole brain regions. In the wake of such a seizure, the nerve cells are severely affected, and permanent damage is possible. The glia, a class of cells that surround the neurons in the brain, was long suspected to contribute to the damaging effects of epilepsy.

7 Aug 2012

FDA clears Toshiba’s new 16-element flexible coil system

To improve MR exam efficiency and image quality, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has received FDA clearance for its high-density 16-element flexible coil system, developed in partnership with NeoCoil. The new coil system makes it easier for clinicians to complete high-quality exams and improve diagnostic efficiency.

7 Aug 2012

Montefiore launches first fellowship program in Women's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Montefiore Medical Center has launched the nation's first fellowship program in Women's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (WPM&R), and established a new clinical program in this specialty.

6 Aug 2012

Survey results of adoption and implementation of therapeutic hypothermia in hospitals

National guidelines recommend the use of therapeutic hypothermia to improve outcomes in patients who suffer a heart attack outside of a hospital. The results of a survey of all 73 acute care hospitals in New Jersey evaluating the adoption and implementation of this life-saving treatment from 2004-2011 is published in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

3 Aug 2012

Scientists discover novel therapeutic target for advanced breast cancer

Scientists at Western University have identified a new therapeutic target for advanced breast cancer which has shown tremendous promise in mouse models.

1 Aug 2012

Study highlights advantages of Baxano's iO-Flex system in performing lumbar spinal decompression

Baxano, Inc., the manufacturer of the innovative and cost-effective iO-Flex System, announced today the publication of a peer-reviewed study highlighting the advantages of the flagship iO-Flex technology in performing lumbar spinal decompression, a procedure that can be done with and without spinal fusion.

26 Jul 2012

New cell regeneration method uses gene therapy to repair bone tissue

Researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have developed a new method of repairing bone using synthetic bone graft substitute material, which combined with gene therapy, can mimic real bone tissue and has potential to regenerate bone in patients who have lost large areas of bone from either disease or trauma.

25 Jul 2012

Insights on neural mechanisms behind guidance of attention

Ever wonder how the human brain, which is constantly bombarded with millions of pieces of visual information, can filter out what's unimportant and focus on what's most useful?

23 Jul 2012

Researchers uncover mechanism by which aging may weaken immune response

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have uncovered one of the mechanisms by which aging may compromise the ability of the immune system to fight infections and respond to vaccines.

18 Jul 2012

Researchers define interaction between two essential proteins that control inflammation

Researchers at the IRCM, led by geneticist Dr. Jacques Drouin, recently defined the interaction between two essential proteins that control inflammation.

14 Jul 2012

Study links brain anatomy and activation with human altruism

What can explain extreme differences in altruism among individuals, from Ebenezer Scrooge to Mother Teresa? It may all come down to variation in the size and activity of a brain region involved in appreciating others' perspectives, according to a study published by Cell Press in the July 12th issue of the journal Neuron. The findings also provide a neural explanation for why altruistic tendencies remain stable over time.

12 Jul 2012

Brain anatomy and brain activity connected to altruistic behavior

The volume of a small brain region influences one's predisposition for altruistic behavior. Researchers from the University of Zurich show that people who behave more altruistically than others have more gray matter at the junction between the parietal and temporal lobe, thus showing for the first time that there is a connection between brain anatomy, brain activity and altruistic behavior.