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.

A new discovery shows that the brain rewires itself following an experience

The research further shows that this process of creation, testing, and reconfiguring of brain circuits takes place on a scale of just hours, suggesting that the brain is evolving considerably even during the course of a single day.

8 Aug 2006

Valproate poses high risk for fetal death and birth defects

The epilepsy drug valproate poses a higher risk for fetal death and birth defects than other commonly used epilepsy drugs, according to a study published in the August 8, 2006, issue of Neurology.

8 Aug 2006

Allergic rhinitis linked to the development of Parkinson's disease

Researchers from Mayo Clinic have discovered that allergic rhinitis is associated with the development of Parkinson's disease later in life. Findings will be published in the Aug. 8 issue of the journal Neurology.

7 Aug 2006

Nicotine shows promise as treatment against Parkinson's disease

New research suggests that nicotine treatment protects against the same type of brain damage that occurs in Parkinson's disease.

7 Aug 2006

Effects of sleep deprivation on the brain

Everyone needs sleep, but temporary periods with no sleep can be a reality of military operations.

7 Aug 2006

Scientists discover two proteins responsible for detecting sour tastes

A team led by Duke University Medical Center researchers has discovered two proteins in the taste buds on the surface of the tongue that are responsible for detecting sour tastes.

7 Aug 2006

Relationships between spirituality and science in the human brain

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are examining the effectiveness of meditation on early cognitive impairment.

7 Aug 2006

New method of delivering a dose of radioactive iodine

A new method of delivering a dose of radioactive iodine - using a man-made version of scorpion venom as a carrier - targets deadly brain tumors called gliomas without affecting neighboring tissue or body organs.

7 Aug 2006

Researchers discover a cellular signal that aggravates the symptoms of multiple sclerosis

Depression, coordination and speech problems, muscle weakness and disability are just a few of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

6 Aug 2006

For the first time, scientists watch neurons change in response to experience

Thanks to a new imaging system, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have gotten an unprecedented look into how genes shape the brain in response to the environment.

6 Aug 2006

Actual meal time activates genes in specific brain area

Giving up your regular late-night snack may be hard, and not just because it's a routine.

6 Aug 2006

Normal pattern of brain growth is disrupted in babies that are born prematurely

Measurement of the way that the brain grows after birth in preterm infants, particularly the relation between brain surface area and cortical volume, may help to predict neurodevelopmental impairment.

6 Aug 2006

Genetics is a very strong component of obesity

Nearly 6 percent of morbidly obese children and adults have a genetic defect that keeps them feeling like their stomach is running on empty, no matter how much they have eaten.

6 Aug 2006

Tocotrienol - a potent neuroprotective agent

Two recent studies offer new evidence suggesting an alternative form of natural vitamin E can be taken by mouth and will reach the blood in humans at levels determined to protect against stroke and other diseases.

6 Aug 2006

3-year-old Iraqi girl arrives in the U.S. to receive cochlear implant

Amina is a 3-year-old Iraqi girl born with Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss, which means total deafness.

4 Aug 2006

Turning the immune system against cancer

Medicine can now prevent a host of diseases with a mere shot of vaccine. Polio and smallpox are almost non-existent, and mumps and chicken pox are rarely seen nowadays.

4 Aug 2006

How the body controls brain temperature: the temperature shielding effect of cerebral blood flow

Attempts to cool the brain to reduce injury from stroke and other head trauma may face a significant obstacle: current cooling devices can't penetrate very deeply into the brain.

4 Aug 2006

AIDS deaths depleting ranks of health professionals more rapidly than recruitment abroad in Africa

AIDS deaths are depleting the ranks of health professionals more rapidly than recruitment abroad in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the author of a Comment in this week's issue of The Lancet.

3 Aug 2006

Sleep apnea raises risk of ischemic stroke in elderly

Elderly people with severe sleep apnea have more than two times the risk of ischemic stroke than elderly people with no or mild apnea, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

3 Aug 2006

Diethanolamine found in shampoos may inhibit brain development

An ingredient found in many shampoos and other personal care products appears to interfere with normal brain development in baby mice when applied to the skin of pregnant mice, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have discovered

3 Aug 2006