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.

Chromium picolinate supplementation reduced carbohydrate cravings and atypical depression

Results of a new double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial found that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate significantly reduced some key symptoms of atypical depression.

2 Jun 2004

Tongue Display Unit allows blind people to see with their tongue

The Tongue Display Unit (TDU) can activate areas that are normally reserved for visual information and are unused when someone suffers from congenital blindness.

2 Jun 2004

Innovative type of brain scan can determine where blockages of blood to the brain lie

It's a no-brainer that the brain needs a constant supply of blood to keep it going. But some medical conditions can block or reduce that life-giving flow. Whether it's a stroke, a clogged artery or a brain tumor, any situation where blood can't get to the whole brain can lead to death or permanent disability.

2 Jun 2004

Model of the central nervous system will allow oncologists and neurosurgeons to target tumours more effectively

A larger-than-life model of the human central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord, which will allow oncologists and neurosurgeons to target tumours more effectively, will be among a range of student projects on display at an event at The University of Nottingham this week.

2 Jun 2004

Genes that allow nerve cells to communicate may have come from bacteria eons ago

Some of the genes that allow nerve cells and some other types of cells to send elaborate chemical messages to each other appear to have been transferred to animals or their immediate ancestors from bacteria eons ago.

2 Jun 2004

Acne drug may help treat multiple sclerosis

Dr. Luanne Metz, an associate professor of neurosciences and physician-scientist in the Neuroscience Research Group at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine, has found that minocycline, a drug currently used to treat such conditions as acne, decreases the activity of lesions in the brains of people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS).

2 Jun 2004

Radiological imaging system that will give medics a clearer view inside the human body

EUREKA project E! 2427 PERMON is developing a radiological imaging system that will give medics a clearer view inside the human body by accurately monitoring organ blood flow during operations. This essential information will lead to an increase in techniques such as laser surgery over more invasive methods.

2 Jun 2004

Reiner Center for Behavioral and Psychosomatic Medicine

Columbia University Medical Center has received a $5 million gift from Edward S. Reiner to establish the Reiner Center for Behavioral and Psychosomatic Medicine, the only center of its kind in New York City.

2 Jun 2004

Gene linked to alcoholism

Alcoholism tends to run in families, suggesting that addiction, at least in part, has an underlying genetic cause. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered a gene linked to alcohol dependency.

1 Jun 2004

Advertising campaigns do little, if anything, to dissuade teenagers from using drugs

Expensive government advertising campaigns, which play an important part in the national drug strategy, do little, if anything, to dissuade teenagers from using drugs, according to a study by University of Florida researchers.

1 Jun 2004

Novel molecular targeting technologies to deliver gene-silencing therapy

Researchers have combined novel molecular targeting technologies to deliver gene-silencing therapy specifically to tumor cells shielded by a normally impermeable obstacle, the blood brain barrier.

1 Jun 2004

New monitor can reduce patients experiencing awareness during an operation by more than 80%

An Australian study headed by Melbourne’s Alfred hospital and published in The Lancet today is likely to change the way surgical anaesthesia is conducted throughout the world.

31 May 2004

There are still benefits from hormone therapy after menopause

Despite the highly publicized closing of the Women’s Health Initiative study, the scientific community should not rule out that women may benefit from hormone therapy after menopause, say researchers at UC Davis, Duke and Harvard Universities.

31 May 2004

Cellular garbage plays a key role in the process of cytokinesis, or cell division

A cellular structure discovered 125 years ago and dismissed by many biologists as "cellular garbage" has been found to play a key role in the process of cytokinesis, or cell division, one of the most ancient and important of all biological phenomena.

27 May 2004

American Heart reports on acute ischemic stroke and increased risk of bleeding in the brain

High blood levels of a cell-regulating protein in patients with acute ischemic stroke can identify those with an increased risk of bleeding in the brain, according to a report in today’s rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

27 May 2004

Researchers identify molecules that underlie nerve fiber degeneration in multiple sclerosis patients

Yale researchers and collaborators have identified molecules that underlie nerve fiber degeneration in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that cripples nearly three million people worldwide. The new findings are the first observations in humans of molecules that contribute to degeneration of nerve fibers.

27 May 2004

Research program may provide parents the tools they need to prevent shaken baby syndrome

Crying, especially inconsolable crying, is the most common trigger for shaking and physical abuse of infants. A new research program may provide parents and other caretakers the tools they need to prevent shaken baby syndrome (SBS), a form of child abuse that can cause immediate damage to the victim's brain or be fatal.

27 May 2004

Inadequate hospital staffing affecting death rates in the birthing unit

Inadequate staffing levels and ineffective deployment of midwives are key to many adverse events and near misses in birthing units, according to an international researcher in midwifery.

27 May 2004

₤16.5 million investment in stem cell research

A ₤16.5 million investment in stem cell research was announced today, 27th May, promising to speed the development of new treatments and cures from the laboratory to the clinic. In total, 57 multidisciplinary research grants have been awarded as part of the new monies allocated via the 2002 Government Spending Review to the UK Research Councils.

27 May 2004

New technology gives neurosurgeons real-time images in the operating room

Within the past decade, imaging systems have provided much clearer pictures of the brain’s structures, and navigational tools have helped physicians map direct approaches, minimize points of entry and spare healthy brain and function.

27 May 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Chromium picolinate supplementation reduced carbohydrate cravings and atypical depression

Tongue Display Unit allows blind people to see with their tongue

Innovative type of brain scan can determine where blockages of blood to the brain lie

Model of the central nervous system will allow oncologists and neurosurgeons to target tumours more effectively

Genes that allow nerve cells to communicate may have come from bacteria eons ago

Acne drug may help treat multiple sclerosis

Radiological imaging system that will give medics a clearer view inside the human body

Reiner Center for Behavioral and Psychosomatic Medicine

Gene linked to alcoholism

Advertising campaigns do little, if anything, to dissuade teenagers from using drugs

Novel molecular targeting technologies to deliver gene-silencing therapy

New monitor can reduce patients experiencing awareness during an operation by more than 80%

There are still benefits from hormone therapy after menopause

Cellular garbage plays a key role in the process of cytokinesis, or cell division

American Heart reports on acute ischemic stroke and increased risk of bleeding in the brain

Researchers identify molecules that underlie nerve fiber degeneration in multiple sclerosis patients

Research program may provide parents the tools they need to prevent shaken baby syndrome

Inadequate hospital staffing affecting death rates in the birthing unit

₤16.5 million investment in stem cell research

New technology gives neurosurgeons real-time images in the operating room

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

Latest News