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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.

Autistic toddlers’ brain research may help early diagnosis: Study

Researchers have noted that the brain activities of toddlers with autism appears to be out of sync at a very early stage -- a finding that sheds light on the biology of the condition and might help in earlier diagnosis. The study was published in the journal Neuron.

23 Jun 2011

Urban dwellers at greater risk of mental illness: Study

A new study shows that living in a city increases the risk of developing a mental disorder, including depression and schizophrenia, compared to people who live in non-urban areas. The findings of the has implications for around half of the world's population who live in cities.

23 Jun 2011

Weak neural synchronization could serve as powerful, new biological marker of autism

In a novel imaging study of sleeping toddlers, scientists at the University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence report that a diminished ability of a young brain's hemispheres to "sync" with one another could be a powerful, new biological marker of autism, one that might enable an autism diagnosis at a very young age.

23 Jun 2011

Singer Glen Campbell diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

Glen Campbell, the American country pop singer, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. His wife Kim, said she wanted fans to be aware of his condition.

23 Jun 2011

More frequent use of ultrasound recommended in twin pregnancies

Featured in the June edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada is a new clinical practice guideline which suggests that carrying twins requires greater monitoring and, therefore, the more frequent use of ultrasound technology to conduct the ongoing assessment of twin pregnancies.

23 Jun 2011

Telaprevir drug shows promise in curing hepatitis C infection

The drug telaprevir (Incivek) provides a dramatic improvement in the treatment of the most common form of hepatitis C infection, says an international team of investigators led by Dr. Ira M. Jacobson of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

23 Jun 2011

Penn State College of Medicine researchers create brief exam that identifies cognitive changes in ALS patients

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could lose brain function earlier than is noticeably detectable, affecting their ability to make decisions about their care. Physicians need a method to assess these sensitive changes in brain function, without the need for extensive neuropsychological tests.

23 Jun 2011

Scientists observe key aspects of how memory circuits in the brain refine themselves

Scientists at the University of Michigan Health System have for the first time demonstrated how memory circuits in the brain refine themselves in a living organism through two distinct types of competition between cells.

23 Jun 2011

Rush scientist receives NIH grant to evaluate whether cinnamon may treat MS

A neurological scientist at Rush University Medical Center has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate whether cinnamon, a common food spice and flavoring material, may stop the destructive process of multiple sclerosis.

23 Jun 2011

Key trigger to rare but deadly neurodegenerative disease

Jeremy Smith, Governor's Chair for Molecular Biophysics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has helped reveal a key trigger of Gerstmann-Str-ussler-Scheinker (GSS) syndrome, a rare but deadly neurodegenerative disease. The finding could have far-reaching implications for the treatment of other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's.

23 Jun 2011

Scientists find altering hormone levels change cellular development in brain

In a study that increases the understanding of the link between fetal development and obesity later in life, researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) found altering the levels of two common hormones, insulin and leptin, in utero changes the cellular development in the region of the brain that regulates appetite.

23 Jun 2011

Simple non-invasive breath test could accurately detect vitamin B12 deficiency

Researchers have developed a new test to detect the levels of vitamin B12 using your breath, allowing for a cheaper, faster, and simpler diagnosis that could help to avoid the potentially fatal symptoms of B12 deficiency.

23 Jun 2011

No reason to move on bicycle helmet laws: Study

Bicycle-related head injuries fell significantly in the months after mandatory helmet legislation came into effect in NSW, and recent calls for a repeal of the laws should be rejected, new research based on hospital admissions data shows.

22 Jun 2011

Barrow Neurological Institute announces Phoenix Children’s Hospital as new pediatric affiliate

St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital jointly announced today their pediatric neuroscience programs are combining under the newly formed Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

22 Jun 2011

Scientists uncover novel mechanism linked to Spinocerebellar ataxia 7

A team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have uncovered a novel mechanism regulating gene expression and transcription linked to Spinocerebellar ataxia 7, an inherited neurological disorder.

22 Jun 2011

Researchers identify natural mechanism linked with Huntington's disease

Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a natural mechanism that might one day be used to block the expression of the mutated gene known to cause Huntington's disease.

22 Jun 2011

UC Riverside research could lead to novel therapeutics for epileptic seizures

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have made a discovery in the lab that could help drug manufacturers develop new antiepileptic drugs and explore novel strategies for treating seizures associated with epilepsy - a disease affecting about two million Americans.

22 Jun 2011

Researchers identify potential cause of hereditary, progressive blindness

Medics at the RUB have found the cause of hereditary, progressive blindness: they have identified the previously unknown protein CCDC66, the loss of which initially leads to night blindness and in due course usually results in complete blindness.

22 Jun 2011

Nine young clinical investigators earn recognition from Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation named five new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators at its spring 2011 Clinical Investigator Award Committee review.

22 Jun 2011

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics receives U.S. patent for cancer vaccine technology

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, announced the issuance of a U.S. patent relating to a technology for the treatment of cancer for which the Company holds an exclusive, worldwide license.

22 Jun 2011