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.

Parkinson's disease linked to pesticide exposure

Researchers in Britain have discovered that high levels of exposure to some pesticides may be bad for peoples' health.

31 May 2007

New hypothesis on Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are challenging current thinking on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, offering a new hypothesis that could be the key to preventing this form of dementia.

30 May 2007

Pesticide exposure and head trauma increases risk for Parkinson's disease

Exposure to pesticides and traumatic head injury may have a causative role in Parkinson's disease, according to a study published online ahead of print in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

30 May 2007

Northwestern University researchers find drug reactions six years earlier than the FDA and drug companies

Northwestern University's Charles Bennett, M.D., is a super sleuth of potentially deadly prescription drug reactions.

30 May 2007

Scientists study glutamate system in the brains of living people

A newly started research collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and AstraZeneca has already generated results.

30 May 2007

Natural chemical with memory-enhancing effects

A natural compound found in blueberries, tea, grapes, and cocoa enhances memory in mice, according to newly published research.

30 May 2007

Investigational device to treat brain cancer shows promise in early studies

New early data showed that an investigational device that specifically targets rapidly growing cancer cells with intermediate frequency electrical fields -- called Tumor-Treating Fields (TTFields) -- more than doubled the median overall survival rates in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive type of malignant brain tumor.

30 May 2007

Growth factors and the environment combine to increase brain maturation

Recent studies by this group have demonstrated that rodents, brains are sensitive to the influences of the environment and in particular that maturation of the visual system is accelerated in an enriched environment, where animals can explore new objects, engage in physical exercise and play.

30 May 2007

Dentists need more training in oral cancer detection

More than 92 percent of Illinois dentists provide oral cancer examinations for their patients, but many are not performing the procedures thoroughly or at optimum intervals, according to a new University of Illinois at Chicago study.

30 May 2007

Common antipsychotic drug for methamphetamine overdose may damage brain cells

A common antipsychotic drug used in emergency rooms to treat methamphetamine overdose damages nerve cells in an area of the brain known to regulate movement, a new study shows.

30 May 2007

All anxiety is not created equal!

All anxiety is not created equal, and a research team at the University of Illinois now has the data to prove it.

30 May 2007

H5N1 influenza virus survivors' antibodies effective at neutralising H5N1 strain

Adults who have recovered from the potentially deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza may hold the key to future treatments for the virus, according to an international team of researchers.

30 May 2007

Depression is a risk factor for osteoporosis

Evidence is accumulating that depression is a risk factor for osteoporosis, reports the June 2007 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch.

30 May 2007

Amazing Marge - the cow with low-fat milk!

Scientists in New Zealand say they have bred cows with a genetic mutation which produces low-fat milk.

28 May 2007

Post traumatic stress disorder and brain injury affecting more soldiers

According to California researchers more and more soldiers are returning from active service in Iraq and Afghanistan with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and brain injury.

28 May 2007

Smart mice miss out on Alzheimer's

Scientists in the U.S. have managed to breed mice which lack the enzyme thought to be the culprit in Alzheimer's disease.

28 May 2007

Natalizumab returns to market

Just months after receiving FDA approval, natalizumab, a medication for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other inflammatory disorders, was voluntarily withdrawn by its manufacturers after three patients developed a brain infection known as Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML).

28 May 2007

Appetite-regulating hormones and peptides may be involved in the neurobiology of alcohol craving

Defined as a powerful urge to drink, or intense thoughts about alcohol, is an important contributor to the development and maintenance of alcoholism.

28 May 2007

Research reveals a new mechanism of learning in the brain

Mice genetically engineered to lack a single enzyme in their brains are more adept at learning than their normal cousins, and are quicker to figure out that their environment has changed, a team led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center has found.

28 May 2007

People may need more dietary choline than previously thought

A new study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that the current recommended Adequate Intake (AI) for choline may, in fact, be inadequate for some people.

28 May 2007