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.

Simple portable test can diagnose 'vegetative' patients with consciousness

The Coma Science Group, led by Dr Steven Laureys, has developed, along with its partners in London, Ontario, (Canada) and Cambridge (England), a portable test which will permit a simpler and less expensive diagnosis of 'vegetative' patients who still have consciousness, despite the fact that they do not have the means to express it.

9 Nov 2011

Pitt mathematicians to target symptoms of Parkinson's disease

University of Pittsburgh mathematicians have been collaborating with Pitt's School of Medicine to find ways to stop the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, thanks in part to a four-year, $1.86 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a five-year $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

9 Nov 2011

Positive results from NeuroDerm's ND0611 Phase I/II study for advanced Parkinson's disease

NeuroDerm, Ltd. announced today the results of a Phase I/II safety and pharmacokinetic trial of ND0611, administered as an adjunct therapy to Sinemet, Sinemet CR or Stalevo, in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

9 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 9, 2011

In today's headlines, reports on the latest developments related to the 'super committee's' deliberations, an appeals court issues a health law decision and results from yesterday's elections.

9 Nov 2011

Sex of patient plays a relevant role in recovery from facial paralysis

Research work drawn up by specialists from the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at the University of Navarra Hospital has shown that, after surgical treatment for facial paralysis through using muscular transplant and nervous transposition (connection of facial muscle to a nerve different from the injured facial nerve), the brain of a woman - in comparison to that of a male - manages to adapt itself better, recovers the spontaneous smile and has a greater time period available for repairing the paralysis.

9 Nov 2011

Study: Children with autism have more prefrontal brain neurons

In a small, preliminary study that included 13 male children, those with autism had an average 67 percent more prefrontal brain neurons and larger than average brain weight, than children without autism, according to a study in the Nov. 9 issue of JAMA.

9 Nov 2011

Maryland anesthesiologist named 2011 Researcher of the Year

Often on the mind of Gary Fiskum, PhD, are the more than 250,000 people in the U.S. who get resuscitated from cardiac arrest each year, the 6 million living with traumatic brain injuries, and the wounded warriors whose brain whose brains sustain enormous G-forces from roadside bombs in the war zone.

9 Nov 2011

Novel mathematical method reveals genetic distinction between individuals

At a time when profound gaps remain in our understanding of how one person's genes differ from another person's, developing accurate methods to interpret the human genome is essential to uncover population history, population relationships and the genetic basis of some of the most common diseases affecting society.

9 Nov 2011

UCSB researchers study how genotypes can express themselves differently as a function of culture

Two psychologists at UC Santa Barbara have provided a new twist on the old adage that people are products of both nature and nurture, in introducing a framework for understanding how these influences interact.

9 Nov 2011

Insulin resistance associated with cortical atrophy and brain dysfunction

Many complications of diabetes, including kidney disease, foot problems and vision problems are generally well recognized. But the disease's impact on the brain is often overlooked.

9 Nov 2011

EI-IC bypass surgery does not lower risk of stroke recurrence in patients with TIA

A surgical procedure aimed at bypassing a blocked artery that supplies blood to the brain did not lower the subsequent stroke rate after 2 years in people who previously had a minor stroke, compared to those who did not have the surgery.

9 Nov 2011

Brain hypoxia associated with poor short-term outcome after severe TBI

Low oxygen supply (hypoxia) to vulnerable brain tissue is a major contributor to the risk of death or major disability after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), reports a study in the November issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

9 Nov 2011

BioTime third quarter revenue increases 40% to $1.1 million

BioTime, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of regenerative medicine, today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and highlighted recent corporate accomplishments.

9 Nov 2011

Amylin and Lilly terminate exenatide alliance, resolve litigation

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced an agreement to terminate their alliance for exenatide and resolve the outstanding litigation between the companies.

9 Nov 2011

Men and overweight individuals eat faster, consume more

Two new studies by researchers at the University of Rhode Island are providing additional insights into the role that eating rate plays in the amount of food one consumes. The studies found that men eat significantly faster than women, heavier people eat faster than slimmer people, and refined grains are consumed faster than whole grains, among other findings.

9 Nov 2011

Omeros third quarter net loss decreases to $6.5 million

Omeros Corporation, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products targeting inflammation, coagulopathies and disorders of the central nervous system, today announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2011.

9 Nov 2011

Prenatal processes gone awry linked to children with autism

A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence shows that brain overgrowth in boys with autism involves an abnormal, excess number of neurons in areas of the brain associated with social, communication and cognitive development.

9 Nov 2011

Scripps scientist receives Novo Nordisk grant for research into diabetes

Andrew Butler, an associate professor in The Scripps Research Institute's Department of Metabolism and Aging, has been awarded one million dollars in funding over the next two years to further his research into a novel protein with the potential to improve the understanding and future treatment of diabetes.

9 Nov 2011

RNS system offers significant relief to patients with intractable seizures

Brain stimulation, already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, has now been shown to offer significant relief to patients with intractable seizures for whom drugs and other treatments have not worked.

9 Nov 2011

Kessler Foundation neuropsychologists receive National Multiple Sclerosis Society grants

Two neuropsychologists at Kessler Foundation Research Center were awarded more than $100,000 in grants by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, received $63,000 to conduct a pilot study, "Speed of Processing Training for Improving Processing Speed in Persons with MS".

8 Nov 2011