Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Updates from Phase I/IIa clinical trial of DIABECELL treatment in insulin-dependent diabetics

Living Cell Technologies Limited, a global company pioneering the development of a cell implant to treat diabetes, today provided a penultimate update regarding the three-year follow up of its Phase I/IIa clinical trial in Russia of its DIABECELL® treatment in insulin-dependent diabetics.

7 Apr 2010

Fewer babies face health risks of early birth

The nation's preterm birth rate dropped for the second consecutive year.

7 Apr 2010

Concerns over safety and effectiveness of "natural" treatments for treating anxiety

In a broad-based review of studies focused on drugs that treat anxiety, a Saint Louis University doctor found no evidence supporting the use of so-called "natural" treatments in combating the effects of anxiety.

7 Apr 2010

Non-conscious, learning systems of the brain simpler and evolutionarily older, study substantiates

A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet provides evidence that basic human learning systems use areas of the brain that also exist in the most primitive vertebrates, such as certain fish, reptiles and amphibians. The study involved an investigation into the limbic striatum, one of the evolutionarily oldest parts of the brain, and the ability to learn movements, consciously and unconsciously, through repetition.

7 Apr 2010

Antigens of both influenza B virus strains can improve influenza vaccines

Vaccines likely would work better in protecting children from flu if they included both strains of influenza B instead of just one, Saint Louis University research has found.

7 Apr 2010

Researchers commence Phase 2 research study to test CERE-110 for AD

Researchers at Banner Sun Health Research Institute are about to start the first Phase 2 research study to test a gene transfer agent for Alzheimer's disease. AD is a degenerative and ultimately fatal disorder affecting as many as five million Americans and that number is expected to soar to more than 11 million by 2040.

7 Apr 2010

Study provides benchmark data to evaluate quality of management of sickle cell disease

The largest study to date of the use of acute care medical services by people with sickle cell disease found four of every 10 had to return to the hospital within 30 days of a previous hospitalization or go to the emergency department for treatment of pain, according to a new study funded in part by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

7 Apr 2010

Research highlights first steps in the formation of Lewy bodies, the hallmark of Parkinson's brain

Although the cause of Parkinson's disease remains a mystery, scientists now have a better understanding of the earliest stages of abnormal aggregation of a key disease-associated protein. The research, published by Cell Press online on April 6th in Biophysical Journal, provides new insight into the first steps in the formation of neurotoxic structures called Lewy bodies that are the hallmark of the Parkinson's brain.

7 Apr 2010

Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior awarded $14.9M to establish IPCN facility

The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA has been awarded $14.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to establish a center dedicated to interdisciplinary research on the role of genetic and environmental factors in neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders.

7 Apr 2010

Stimulant medication normalizes brain function in children with ADHD: Study

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common mental health disorders affecting children and adolescents. Children with ADHD are excessively restless, impulsive, and distractible and experience difficulties at home and in school. Problems inhibiting behavior are a common theme for ADHD symptoms.

7 Apr 2010

Improving static balance key to preventing falls in older adults

Being able to stay in their homes and remain independent is a daily struggle for many older adults. As we age we tend to lose our flexibility, our connective tissue tightens and we have prolonged reaction times. Problems with vision, including depth perception, all increase the likelihood of falling. When a child falls it may result in a few bumps and bruises.

7 Apr 2010

Doctors prepare to take recertification tests; California case examines patient safety

The Associated Press: "For the first time since leaving medical school, many doctors are having to take tests to renew board certification in their fields — 147 specialties from dermatology to obstetrics. Any doctor can deliver a baby, treat cancer, or declare himself a cardiologist. Certification means the doctor had special training in that field and passed an exam to prove knowledge of it.

7 Apr 2010

IAN survey gives grandparents a voice in autism research community

Today, the Interactive Autism Network, www.ianproject.org, the nation's largest online autism research project, announces results of the Grandparents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Survey, finding that nearly one-third of grandparents who participated were the first to raise concerns about their grandchild's development.

7 Apr 2010

Reverse Medical signs strategic partnership agreement with Getz Bros.

Reverse Medical Corporation today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Getz Bros. & Company, Inc., for distribution of Reverse Medical devices throughout the Pacific Rim. Getz is an international marketing and medical distribution services company with over 50 offices in 24 countries around the world, and has an excellent reputation for global distribution.

7 Apr 2010

Newer treatments, closer monitoring of childhood cancer may improve longevity

Although more children today are surviving cancer than ever before, young patients successfully treated in the 1970s and 80s may live a decade less, on average, than the general population, according to a study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health.

7 Apr 2010

IGRAs effective for detecting confirmed active TB disease: CHEST

New data from a meta-analysis of existing literature published today in CHEST, the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, demonstrate that Interferon Gamma Release Assays are superior to the previous standard in diagnostics, the 100+-year-old tuberculin skin test, for detecting confirmed active Tuberculosis disease.

7 Apr 2010

Three scientific posters featuring Zenvia to be presented at AAN Annual Meeting

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced it will present three scientific posters featuring detailed Zenvia™ (dextromethorphan/quinidine) safety and efficacy data from the double-blind phase and the open label extension of the Phase III confirmatory STAR trial at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, taking place April 10 - 17, 2010.

6 Apr 2010

Src can be most promising targets for cancer therapy

Src (short for sarcoma) is a family of proto-oncogenic tyrosine kinases active in many cancer tumors, including medulloblastoma, the most common malignant cancer in children. Src represents one of the most promising targets for cancer therapy.

6 Apr 2010

USPTO issues patent for Taro Pharmaceutical Industries' T2007

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued United States Patent No. 7,683,071 covering T2007. The patent, entitled "Composition and method for improved bioavailability and enhanced brain delivery of 5,5-diphenyl barbituric acid," is for one of a class of non-sedating barbiturate compounds currently in development by the Company.

6 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 6, 2010

Among today's headlines is news about a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts insurers who are seeking to reverse the state insurance commissioner's decision and allow them to raise rates.

6 Apr 2010