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Mayo Clinic clarifies diagnosis for primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV)

Mayo Clinic has clarified the methods of diagnosis and optimal management of a rare and little-understood blood vessel disease of the brain and spinal cord that often leads to stroke or death.

19 Oct 2007

Children who are obese or who are at risk for obesity show early signs of heart disease

Childhood obesity in the United States is an epidemic -- nationwide, 19 percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 17 percent of those 12 to 19 are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those who are overweight during childhood also have an increased risk of obesity in adulthood and are at greater risk for complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, because obesity increases total blood volume, which leads to extra stress on the heart.

18 Oct 2007

Massage could put you at risk for nerve injury

Massage is commonly regarded as a therapy associated with relieving muscle tension and pain.

18 Oct 2007

Insulin levels affect the brain's dopamine systems

Insulin, long known as an important regulator of blood glucose levels, now has a newly appreciated role in the brain.

18 Oct 2007

Infrared imaging for sleep apnea diagnosis shows promise

Sleep apnea is commonly diagnosed by way of measuring airflow by nasal pressure, temperature, and/or carbon dioxide, through sensors placed in the nose.

18 Oct 2007

Blood modulates how neurons process information

MIT scientists propose that blood may help us think, in addition to its well-known role as the conveyor of fuel and oxygen to brain cells.

17 Oct 2007

Mental disorders are disorders of the brain

Depression, anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders, alcohol and drug dependence, dementia and Parkinson's disease are just a few examples of "disorders of the brain".

17 Oct 2007

Is the spleen able to prohibit tumor cell proliferation?

Primary and metastatic tumors of the spleen are described as unusual, excluding involvement by lymphoma.

17 Oct 2007

In-vitro fertilization improved with 3-D/4-D-guided embryo transfer and new placement target

The pregnancy rate for patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is improved when doctors use advanced 3D/4D imaging to guide the placement of embryos to the point where the endometrium is most receptive to implantation, according to a study presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

17 Oct 2007

Nanorods of gold blast tumor cells

Researchers have shown how tiny "nanorods" of gold can be triggered by a laser beam to blast holes in the membranes of tumor cells, setting in motion a complex biochemical mechanism that leads to a tumor cell's self-destruction.

17 Oct 2007

Genetic contributions to human brain morphology and intelligence

While showing an impressive growth prenatally, the human brain is not completed at birth.

17 Oct 2007

Optical coherence tomography helps track multiple sclerosis

A five-minute eye exam might prove to be an inexpensive and effective way to gauge and track the debilitating neurological disease multiple sclerosis, potentially complementing costly magnetic resonance imaging to detect brain shrinkage - a characteristic of the disease's progression.

16 Oct 2007

Knee buckling common in older adults

Knee buckling which is a sudden "giving way" of the knee is not an uncommon event particularly for older people.

16 Oct 2007

Capsule endoscopy finds undiagnosed Crohn's disease

A small capsule that takes "snapshots" of the small intestine as it moves through the digestive tract helped doctors spot cases of Crohn's disease that had gone undiagnosed for up to 15 years, according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

16 Oct 2007

3-D model of the mammary gland reveals secrets of cancer cells

A trans-Atlantic tie up between scientists at the University of Ulster and the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston could lead to a greater understanding of the triggers that affect cancer cells.

15 Oct 2007

Familial multiple sclerosis appears more severe than non-familial

Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of a large group of patients with multiple sclerosis has provided the first evidence that those with a history of MS in their families show more severe brain damage than patients who have no close relatives with the disease.

15 Oct 2007

How does the opioid system work?

The opioid system controls pain, reward and addictive behaviors. Opioids exert their pharmacological actions through three opioid receptors, mu, delta and kappa whose genes have been cloned (Oprm, Oprd1 and Oprk1, respectively).

15 Oct 2007

Benefits of exercise on the aging brain

Bradley Hatfield, professor in the University of Maryland, College Park, School of Public Health, uses high tech brain imaging to study the benefits of exercise on the aging brain.

15 Oct 2007

Scientists identify brain circuits that 'decide' how much we eat

Scientists have identified the brain circuits that 'decide' how much we eat. Using live brain scanning techniques and an innovative study design, researchers have discovered how the brain controls food intake in humans. Their findings are published in Nature.

15 Oct 2007

Advanced 3D mapping technique captures brain damage linked to Alzheimer's disease

Using an advanced three-dimensional mapping technique developed by UCLA researchers, the team analyzed magnetic resonance imaging data from 24 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 25 others with mild Alzheimer's disease.

12 Oct 2007