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.

Software can predict future of sports concussion: New research

With the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers poised to do battle for the Super Bowl XLV crown, concern about recognizing and minimizing the incidence of concussions in sports could once again be back in the spotlight. Media coverage of concussion awareness rose to a fever pitch earlier this season fueled by an Associated Press report that this type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) had risen 21 percent in the first eight weeks of the regular season.

1 Feb 2011

Eat more seafood to realize health benefits

The United States Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released today, name seafood among the handful of foods Americans should eat more of because of its heart and brain benefits.

1 Feb 2011

Specific brain network acts as event monitoring system

Wouldn't life be easy if everything happened as we anticipated? In reality, our brains are able to adapt to the unexpected using an inbuilt network that makes predictions about the world and monitors how those predictions turn out.

1 Feb 2011

New study sheds further light on stroke recovery process

Most people who survive a stroke recover some degree of their motor, sensory and cognitive functions over the following months and years. This recovery is commonly believed to reflect a reorganisation of the central nervous system that occurs after brain damage. Now a new study, published in the February 2011 issue of Elsevier's Cortex, sheds further light on the recovery process through its effect on language skills.

1 Feb 2011

Masimo amends January 2006 settlement agreement with Covidien

Following today's announcement by Masimo that the company has amended its January 2006 settlement agreement with Covidien, Masimo provides the following additional information.

1 Feb 2011

Widespread screening or ultrasound for blocked neck arteries not necessary to determine stroke risk

Widespread screening or routine ultrasound for blocked neck arteries to determine stroke risk isn't necessary, according to new guidelines from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, American College of Cardiology and other groups.

1 Feb 2011

Yale University scientists synthesize lomaiviticin that appears to destroy cancer stem cells

A team of Yale University scientists has synthesized for the first time a chemical compound called lomaiviticin aglycon, leading to the development of a new class of molecules that appear to target and destroy cancer stem cells.

1 Feb 2011

Walk briskly to boost memory

Researchers have found that older adults who took a brisk walk three times a week did better on memory tests and increased the size of their hippocampus, a portion of the brain involved with memory formation.

1 Feb 2011

Fortis Hospital specialists in Mumbai successfully perform gastric bypass surgery in American patient

Specialists at Fortis Hospitals Mumbai successfully diagnosed and treated a previously undetected pituitary tumor in Michelle Hardin, a 35 year-old American medical traveler.

1 Feb 2011

Brain scans can predict smokers' behavior change: New study

Brain scans showing neural reactions to pro-health messages can predict if you'll keep that resolution to quit smoking more accurately than you yourself can. That's according to a new study forthcoming in Health Psychology, a peer-reviewed journal.

1 Feb 2011

Positive results from NRM8499 phase I clinical study in patients with Alzheimer's disease

BELLUS Health announced today the results of the phase I clinical study for NRM8499, a prodrug of tramiprosate, intended for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

1 Feb 2011

AVANIR's NUEDEXTA for pseudobulbar affect now available by prescription

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that NUEDEXTA™ (dextromethorphan hydrobromide and quinidine sulfate) is now available by prescription in the United States. NUEDEXTA is the first and only treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pseudobulbar affect (PBA).

1 Feb 2011

Histamine can be an important molecule to develop new treatments for MS

If you think histamines are your nemesis during allergy season, here's something that might change your perspective. New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows that histamine could be an important molecule to developing new treatments for multiple sclerosis.

1 Feb 2011

VBL commences two studies to evaluate efficacy, safety of VB-111 in advanced cancers

VBL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced the initiation of two studies to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of VB-111 in advanced cancers.

31 Jan 2011

Loyola inaugurates clinic exclusively to treat children with headaches

Fortunately, in most cases the causes of childhood headaches are usually no cause for alarm, Schnitzler said. Children can get headaches from stress, anxiety, inadequate sleep, vision problems, caffeine or food sensitivities. To help pinpoint the cause, Loyola has opened a clinic that's exclusively devoted to treating children with headaches.

31 Jan 2011

Physicians suggest new target structure for deep brain stimulation

Nearly ten percent of all cases of depression are so severe that the patients do not respond to any established treatment method. Targeted stimulation of areas in the brain using a type of "brain pacemaker" has recently raised hopes: According to initial studies, half of patients with the most severe depression treated in this manner see a significant improvement in mood.

31 Jan 2011

New nicotine addiction mechanism revealed

A new discovery has shown why some people cannot give up tobacco and may lead to new anti-smoking treatments. The researchers have found a brain pathway which when defective leads to an uncontrollable desire to smoke. This is a “sub-unit” of a receptor protein sensitive to nicotine.

31 Jan 2011

Venture philanthropist invests $3.5 million to thwart Alzheimer's disease

Retired San Francisco real estate developer Douglas Rosenberg says he has a new job - helping to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. Through the Ellen and Douglas Rosenberg Foundation, the venture philanthropist is betting at least $3.5 million that Buck faculty Dale Bredesen, MD has the correct take on how to thwart the memory robbing disease that affects over 5 million Americans.

31 Jan 2011

Omega-3 deficieny may play a role in neuropsychiatric disorders: Study

Researchers from Inserm and INRA and their collaborators in Spain collaboration, have studied mice fed on a diet low in omega-3 fatty acid. They discovered that reduced levels of omega-3 had deleterious consequences on synaptic functions and emotional behaviours.

30 Jan 2011

Scientists convert adult skin cells into cardiomyocytes using direct reprogramming strategy

Scripps Research Institute scientists have converted adult skin cells directly into beating heart cells efficiently without having to first go through the laborious process of generating embryonic-like stem cells. The powerful general technology platform could lead to new treatments for a range of diseases and injuries involving cell loss or damage, such as heart disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease.

30 Jan 2011