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.

Brain cell transplants help replace degenerated neurons, finds Swiss research team

A Swiss research team has found that using an animal's own brain cells (autologous transplant) to replace degenerated neurons in select brain areas of donor primates with simulated but asymptomatic Parkinson's disease and previously in a motor cortex lesion model, provides a degree of brain protection and may be useful in repairing brain lesions and restoring function.

29 Oct 2009

Cognitive scores deteriorate with age: Study

According to recent studies carried out by leading brain-training games developer MIND360, people's cognitive scores do indeed deteriorate with age. The research results were compiled following careful observations of players engaged in the company's science based online brain games within an uncontrolled environment.

29 Oct 2009

Transient ischemic attacks are treatable and preventable

An estimated 200,000 Americans experience TIAs each year, and more than one-third will later have full strokes. But TIAs, like strokes, are treatable and preventable.

29 Oct 2009

No scientific proof that patients with Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine

There is no scientific proof that patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine. This is the conclusion in the final report that the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) published in September 2009.

29 Oct 2009

Pregnant women with symptoms of depression have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine

Pregnant women with significant symptoms of depression tend to have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine than do women with lower depression levels, according to a new study.

29 Oct 2009

Study links low maternal folate levels with attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems in children

It has long been suggested that healthy folate (the natural form of folic acid) levels in expectant mothers goes hand in hand with healthy nervous system development in their children. A study published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry finds that low maternal folate levels is linked to the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems in children at age seven to nine years.

29 Oct 2009

Gene variant may be the cause for bad driving: UC Irvine neuroscientists

Bad drivers may in part have their genes to blame, suggests a new study by UC Irvine neuroscientists.

29 Oct 2009

CAMH Foundation receives $5 million gift for mental health research

An extraordinary gift of $5 million from Mr. G. Raymond Chang, Chancellor of Ryerson University and Chair of CI Financial, will go toward furthering research and education about the treatment of mental health and addictions, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation announced today.

29 Oct 2009

Moores UCSD Cancer Center awarded $20 million for cancer research

Researchers led by Moores UCSD Cancer Center Director Dennis A. Carson, MD, professor of medicine, and Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and director of the Cancer Stem Cell Research Program at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center have been awarded $20 million over four years to develop novel drugs against leukemia stem cells.

28 Oct 2009

NeuroVasx cPAX Aneurysm Treatment System: first procedure in Spain performed

NeuroVasx, Inc., a medical device company that develops technologies for the treatment of hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, announced today that the first procedure in Spain utilizing its cPAX Aneurysm Treatment System was performed in Madrid. cPAX received CE Mark earlier this year.

28 Oct 2009

Modern functional brain imaging techniques can be a dynamic process of looking at psychopathology

Modern functional brain imaging techniques are available to psychiatrists and are promising modern-day 'telescopes' to explore in vivo brain activity. Modern psychiatric neuroimaging suggests that only phenomena that may be seen and mathematically computed throughout the scan are real.

28 Oct 2009

Scientists test rapamycin's effectiveness at rescuing impaired nerve cells

Johns Hopkins scientists report having used a commercially available drug to successfully "rescue" animal brain cells that they had intentionally damaged by manipulating a newly discovered gene that links susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and autism.

28 Oct 2009

Veterans with TBI vision loss have poor quality of life compared to civilian patients

Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) Joint Meeting, includes a Veterans Administration study that indicates that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with vision loss from traumatic brain injury have significantly poorer quality of life than comparable civilian patients, and a Harvard doctor's insights on how to best evaluate and care for low-vision patients who experience vivid visual hallucinations due to Charles Bonnet syndrome.

28 Oct 2009

Treatment with TYSABRI reduces the rate of hospitalization in Crohn’s patients

Elan Corporation, plc and Biogen Idec today announced data showing that treatment with TYSABRI® (natalizumab) significantly reduced the rate of hospitalization compared with placebo in patients with moderate–to–severe Crohn’s disease during both induction and maintenance treatment.

28 Oct 2009

New clinical uses for old hypertension drug leads to several patents

University of South Florida neuroscientist R. Douglas Shytle's discovery of successful new clinical uses for mecamylamine, a drug once used to treat hypertension, has led to several issued patents on mecamylamine and related compounds. Earlier this month, Shytle, associate professor and research scientist at the USF Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair and the USF Silver Child Development Center, received the university's 2009 "Excellence in Innovation" award.

28 Oct 2009

NCKU transfers microalgal docosahexaenoic acid production technology to Vedan Biotechnology

NCKU President, Academician Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, signed Technology Transfer Agreement in this morning with Mr. Tou-Hsiung Yang, Chairman of Vedan International (Holding) Ltd, witnessed by Vedan Biotechnology President Shih-An (Raymond) Yang and the inventor, Prof. Huey-Lang Yang of the NCKU Institute of Biotechnology.

28 Oct 2009

Rutgers scientist receives 2009 Gruber International Research Award

For the first time, it now is possible for researchers to peer into those internal processes in a rodent brain. Eva Pastalkova, a post-doctoral researcher at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University, Newark and her advisor, Professor Gy-rgy Buzsaki, have developed a method for studying internally generated brain activity in rats.

28 Oct 2009

Upsher-Smith Laboratories publishes data on Slo-Niacin and Lipitor combination study

Results of the SLIM Study ("Slo-Niacin® and Atorvastatin Treatment of Lipoproteins and Inflammatory Markers in Combined Hyperlipidemia") were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology.

28 Oct 2009

Susceptibility to schizophrenia and autism may have common genetic fingerprints, says researchers

28 Oct 2009

Arena Pharmaceuticals presents data from its Phase 3 trial of LOrcaserin

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported today data from the pivotal BLOSSOM (Behavioral modification and LOrcaserin Second Study for Obesity Management) Phase 3 trial that demonstrate improvements in patients' body composition, cardiovascular risk factors and quality of life. These findings add to the previously announced top-line BLOSSOM data that showed highly significant weight loss with lorcaserin over one year of treatment in 4,008 patients.

28 Oct 2009

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Brain cell transplants help replace degenerated neurons, finds Swiss research team

Cognitive scores deteriorate with age: Study

Transient ischemic attacks are treatable and preventable

No scientific proof that patients with Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine

Pregnant women with symptoms of depression have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine

Study links low maternal folate levels with attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems in children

Gene variant may be the cause for bad driving: UC Irvine neuroscientists

CAMH Foundation receives $5 million gift for mental health research

Moores UCSD Cancer Center awarded $20 million for cancer research

NeuroVasx cPAX Aneurysm Treatment System: first procedure in Spain performed

Modern functional brain imaging techniques can be a dynamic process of looking at psychopathology

Scientists test rapamycin's effectiveness at rescuing impaired nerve cells

Veterans with TBI vision loss have poor quality of life compared to civilian patients

Treatment with TYSABRI reduces the rate of hospitalization in Crohn’s patients

New clinical uses for old hypertension drug leads to several patents

NCKU transfers microalgal docosahexaenoic acid production technology to Vedan Biotechnology

Rutgers scientist receives 2009 Gruber International Research Award

Upsher-Smith Laboratories publishes data on Slo-Niacin and Lipitor combination study

Susceptibility to schizophrenia and autism may have common genetic fingerprints, says researchers

Arena Pharmaceuticals presents data from its Phase 3 trial of LOrcaserin

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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