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.

Itchy and scratchy gene discovered

Itching for a better anti-itch remedy? Your wish may soon be granted now that scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene for the itch sensation in the central nervous system.

26 Jul 2007

Resisting peer pressure all in the brain

The capacity to resist peer pressure in early adolescence may depend on the strength of connections between certain areas of the brain, according to a study carried out by University of Nottingham researchers.

26 Jul 2007

Research sheds light on synesthesia

In the psychological phenomenon known as 'synesthesia', individuals sensory systems are a bit more intertwined than usual.

25 Jul 2007

Radiation therapy combined with microsurgery shows promise for curing injured spinal cord

Research on rats with crushed spinal cords, similar to human injury, reveals that treatment soon after injury combining radiation therapy to destroy harmful cells and microsurgery to drain excess fluids significantly increases the body's ability to repair the injured cord leading to permanent recovery from injury, according to the study published in the July 18 peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.

25 Jul 2007

Prenatal alcohol exposure alters brain activity in the frontal-striatal areas

Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure does not always lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS); sometimes it can lead to cognitive and behavioral deficits in the absence of craniofacial features needed to make an FAS diagnosis.

25 Jul 2007

Telephone counseling coaxes reluctant alcoholics into treatment

Telephone counseling might be an effective primary care intervention for men who are not seeking treatment for their alcohol dependence or abuse, according to a new study.

25 Jul 2007

Guilt plays a vital role in the regulation of social behavior

That worried feeling in our gut often serves as the impetus for our stab at redemption. However, psychologists have trouble agreeing on the function of this complex emotion.

25 Jul 2007

Faster-acting antidepressant medications

A new study has revealed more about how the medication ketamine, when used experimentally for depression, relieves symptoms of the disorder in hours instead of the weeks or months it takes for current antidepressants to work.

25 Jul 2007

Essential fatty acid intake drops as alcohol consumption increases, particularly among men

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are just that; an "essential" part of the total fat intake necessary for a healthy human diet. Most EFAs come from plants, but some are animal-sourced.

25 Jul 2007

Tetrabenazine protects brain cells in Huntington's disease model

A drug used in some countries to treat the symptoms of Huntington's disease prevents death of brain cells in mice genetically engineered to mimic the hereditary condition, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

25 Jul 2007

New evidence for the existence of accumulator neurons

As any child knows, to answer the question, how many? one must start by adding up individual objects in a group.

24 Jul 2007

Another alert over sick air traveler in the U.S.

Another alert has been triggered in the United States over an air traveler with a serious infection.

24 Jul 2007

Effects of aging hematopoietic stem cells

There is little disagreement that the body's maintenance and repair systems deteriorate with age, even as there is plenty of disagreement as to why.

24 Jul 2007

New Australian case of prosopamnesia

The woman's condition, known as prosopamnesia, is extremely rare and has only been found in a handful of people around the world, according to University of Queensland cognitive neuroscientist Professor Jason Mattingley.

24 Jul 2007

Sun exposure during childhood may lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis

People who spent more time in the sun as children may have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than people who had less sun exposure during childhood, according to a study published in the July 24, 2007, issue of Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 Jul 2007