Human Anatomy News and Research

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Study shows how nerve cells in visual cortex adapt to changing images

Neuroscientists studying the mind's ability to process images have completed the first empirical study to demonstrate, using animal models, how populations of nerve cells in visual cortex adapt to changing images.

13 Mar 2008

Contemplative brain network less complex in children

A brain network linked to introspective tasks - such as forming the self-image or understanding the motivations of others - is less intricate and well-connected in children, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned.

10 Mar 2008

Brain network linked to contemplation in adults is less complex in children

10 Mar 2008

Research in diabetes surgery suggests origins of disease

Growing evidence shows that surgery may effectively cure Type 2 diabetes -- an approach that not only may change the way the disease is treated, but that introduces a new way of thinking about diabetes.

5 Mar 2008

Genetic defect causes immune deficiency and balance disorder

A genetic defect that causes a severe immune deficiency in humans may also produce balance disorders, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Iowa, The Jackson Laboratory and East Carolina University.

21 Feb 2008

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided therapy safe for severe gastrointestinal bleeding patients

A new Mayo Clinic study found that endoscopic ultrasound-guided therapy appears to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe gastrointestinal bleeding for whom conventional therapies have failed.

21 Feb 2008

Siblings of schizophrenia patients display subtle shape abnormalities in brain

Subtle malformations in the brains of patients with schizophrenia also tend to occur in their healthy siblings, according to investigators at the Silvio Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Shape abnormalities were found in the brain's thalamus.

20 Feb 2008

Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy surgery improves quality of life for children with sleep apnea

For children who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy can provide dramatic relief and is successful in solving sleep problems for 80 to 90 percent of children, a Saint Louis University study found.

13 Feb 2008

Unexpected protein-protein interaction suggests new ALS drug target

Discovery of an unexpected protein-protein interaction has led University of Iowa scientists and colleagues to identify a drug that slows the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in mice and nearly doubles the animals' lifespan.

25 Jan 2008

Two proteins called BERT and ERNI interact in embryos to control brain development

Scientists at University College London have discovered how two proteins called BERT and ERNI interact in embryos to control when different organ systems in the body start to form, deepening our understanding of the development of the brain and nervous system and expanding our knowledge of stem cell behavior.

9 Jan 2008

Gene therapy can reduce long-term drinking among rodents

Just as the risk of developing alcoholism is strongly influenced by genetic factors, mutations in gene coding - such as the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2*2) allele - also appear to protect against the risk.

4 Jan 2008

New clue found to the cause of Parkinson's disease

A glitch in the mechanism by which cells recycle damaged components may trigger Parkinson's disease, according to a study by scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

3 Jan 2008

Cone-beam breast CT compared to conventional mammography

Cone-beam breast CT provides exceptional tissue contrast and can potentially reduce examination time with comparable radiation dose to conventional 2D mammography, according to a new study by a team of researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

28 Dec 2007

Sex education works for teenagers and delays sexual intercourse

According to the latest research sex education in schools is effective and makes it more likely that teenagers will delay having intercourse.

20 Dec 2007

Dynamic connectivity rewires neuronal circuits on the fly to sharpen senses

Researchers from the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), a joint project of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, have for the first time described a mechanism called "dynamic connectivity," in which neuronal circuits are rewired “on the fly” allowing stimuli to be more keenly sensed.

17 Dec 2007

PET/CT imaging proves golden for detecting cancer in children

PET/CT imaging exhibits significantly higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than conventional imaging when it comes to detecting malignant tumors in children, according to research published in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

13 Dec 2007

Male circumcision

Circumcision is one of the commonest surgical procedures performed on males. Opponents argue that infant circumcision can cause both physical and psychological harm, while recent evidence shows that circumcision is medically beneficial.

10 Dec 2007

Lymphatic vessel and lymph node function are restored with growth factor treatment

The frequent spread of certain cancers to lymph nodes often necessitates surgery or radiation therapy that damages the lymphatic system and can cause lymphedema, a condition of localized fluid retention that often increases susceptibility to infections.

4 Dec 2007

Lead exposure hinders brain's ability to recover from injury

Exposure to lead can hinder the brain's ability to recover from injury, a recent study in laboratory animals shows.

4 Dec 2007

Researchers find evidence of mature heart cell potential in embryonic stem cells

In a new study, UC Davis researchers report the first functional evidence that heart cells derived from human embryonic stem cells exhibit one of the most critical properties of mature adult heart cells, an important biological process called excitation-contraction coupling.

27 Nov 2007