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.

Cleveland Clinic receives NIH grant to study effectiveness of concussion diagnostic test

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue studying the effectiveness of a blood test that conclusively identifies concussions in college football players.

16 Sep 2011

Medicated stents lower likelihood of heart attacks in cardiac patients

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have discovered that cardiac patients receiving medicated stents - a procedure that occurs often when blood vessels are blocked - have a lower likelihood of suffering heart attacks or developing new blockages in the vessel downstream from the stent.

16 Sep 2011

Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification test for human African trypanosomiasis

The Geneva-based not-for-profit foundation FIND and Japanese diagnostics company Eiken announced today that a next-generation molecular test designed specifically for sleeping sickness - a deadly parasitic disease also known as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) - is ready to enter accelerated field trials in sites across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

16 Sep 2011

U of C researchers create new model of obsessive-compulsive disorder

A new model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that mirrors both symptoms of the disease and the timing of its treatment in humans has been created by University of Chicago researchers, according to a new study.

16 Sep 2011

New cell type could play an important role in spinal cord injury and disease

The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today the discovery of a new class of cells in the spinal cord that act like neural stem cells, offering a fresh avenue in the search for therapies to treat spinal cord injury and disease.

16 Sep 2011

New insight into why some individuals may be more aggressive than others

Fluctuations of serotonin levels in the brain, which often occur when someone hasn't eaten or is stressed, affects brain regions that enable people to regulate anger, new research from the University of Cambridge has shown.

16 Sep 2011

Scientists uncover unknown fail-safe pathway for inherited disorders

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered a previously unknown fail-safe (compensatory) pathway that potentially protects the brain and other organs from genetic and environmental threats.

16 Sep 2011

Researchers identify promising new therapies for ependymoma

Researchers have identified promising new therapies for ependymoma, a rare tumor with few treatment options. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators led the effort, which used a new, faster drug development system that combines the latest drug screening technology with the first accurate animal model of the tumor.

16 Sep 2011

GSM signal from mobile phones suppresses glucose metabolism in brain

Recent PET-measurements in Turku, Finland, show that the GSM mobile phone electromagnetic field suppresses glucose metabolism in temporoparietal and anterior temporal areas of the hemisphere next to the antenna.

16 Sep 2011

Anavex Life Sciences to present data on lead compound for Alzheimer’s at Japan Neuroscience Society

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. will present the most recent data showing the therapeutic potential of ANAVEX compounds in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease at a special symposium of the 34th annual meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society. The symposium is being held in Yokohama, Japan from September 15-17, 2011.

15 Sep 2011

International patient groups anxiously await start of Huntington’s trial

Prana Biotechnology Limited received a very positive reaction from international patient groups and researchers at this week’s World Congress on Huntington’s Disease in Melbourne. The company had a major presence at the Congress and the Prana team has held numerous meetings and conversations with patient groups and researchers.

15 Sep 2011

A good laugh truly the best medicine: Study

British researchers carried out experiments in which volunteers watched either comedy clips from Mr. Bean or Friends or non-humorous items such as golf or wildlife shows while their resistance to mild pain was monitored. Another test was conducted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where the volunteers watched either a stand-up comedy show or a theatrical drama.

15 Sep 2011

Elekta acquires Nucletron

Elekta AB today announced it has successfully completed its acquisition of Nucletron, the world leader in brachytherapy treatment planning and delivery. Through the combination Elekta will offer a complete range of radiotherapy planning and delivery technologies.

From Elekta 15 Sep 2011

Telestroke appears to be cost-effective for rural hospitals

In a first of its kind study, researchers have found that using two way audio-video telemedicine to deliver stroke care, also known as telestroke, appears to be cost-effective for rural hospitals that don't have an around-the-clock neurologist, or stroke expert, on staff.

15 Sep 2011

First effective blood-stage vaccine against malaria

Scientists have identified the first effective blood-stage malaria vaccine, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study from University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers, in collaboration with the University of Bamako in Mali, West Africa, and other partners.

15 Sep 2011

OXTR gene associated with optimism, self-esteem and mastery

UCLA life scientists have identified for the first time a particlular gene's link to optimism, self-esteem and "mastery," the belief that one has control over one's own life - three critical psychological resources for coping well with stress and depression.

15 Sep 2011

Researchers discover several chemical compounds against human prion diseases

In a new study NYU School of Medicine researchers report that they have found several chemical compounds, including an antidepressant, that have powerful effects against brain-destroying prion infections in mice, opening the door to potential treatments for human prion diseases.

15 Sep 2011

Researchers may have solved 100-year-old puzzle to safely open and close the blood-brain barrier

Cornell University researchers may have solved a 100-year puzzle: How to safely open and close the blood-brain barrier so that therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and cancers of the central nervous system might effectively be delivered.

14 Sep 2011

USC scientists explore motor memory to foster better rehabilitation for stroke patients

For the first time, scientists at USC have unlocked a mechanism behind the way short- and long-term motor memory work together and compete against one another.

14 Sep 2011

Toshiba to highlight Aquilion ONE CT system at ASER conference

Since fast and accurate detection of potential conditions in the head, chest and abdomen can save lives in a hospital's emergency department (ED), clinicians need cutting-edge CT technology to evaluate patients. To demonstrate the effectiveness of advanced CT imaging in the ED, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., will highlight its Aquilion ONE CT system at the American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) conference, Sept. 14-17, 2011, in Miami.

14 Sep 2011