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.

The brain's dopamine system is key to alcoholism

Among the many genes that may contribute to an individual's susceptibility to alcoholism, those in the dopamine system are of special interest because addictive substances can activate this system.

14 Nov 2004

Ireland is reporting its first case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

The man in his early 20's was admitted to hospital as a suspected case 4 weeks ago. Recent tests on the patient's tonsils have detected the presence of the protein which causes vCJD.

11 Nov 2004

Scientists and clinicians are pioneering the diagnosis and treatment of children's brain tumours

The University of Birmingham, England, is working with Birmingham Children's Hospital to use high-tech science to make a difference to children's lives.

11 Nov 2004

Dementia patients receiving long-term treatment with Reminyl may be able to stay at home for longer compared

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group has announced that Dementia patients receiving long-term treatment with Reminyl (more than 36 months) may be able to stay at home for longer compared to those receiving treatment for shorter periods of time.

10 Nov 2004

Stem cell gene linked to a portion of one of the most common childhood brain cancers

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have linked a stem-cell gene to a portion of one of the most common childhood brain cancers, opening the door to tailored therapies that block the gene's tumor-promoting ability.

10 Nov 2004

New strain of mice to study nicotine addiction

A team of investigators supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, has created a strain of mice scientists can use to study nicotine addiction and its associated behaviors.

9 Nov 2004

Cranberry juice may help prevent gum disease

New research presented at a recent symposium suggests that cranberry juice may help prevent certain oral health problems, including diseases of the gums and teeth.

9 Nov 2004

Scientists have identified a fault in the brain waves of schizophrenics that may explain their hallucinations and disturbed thinking

The researchers studied the brain waves of normal and schizophrenic patients as they responded to images. Those with the disorder showed no electrical activity in a certain frequency-the “gamma” range, from 30 to 100 brain waves per second-that healthy brain cells use to exchange information about the environment and form mental impressions.

9 Nov 2004

MRI technique for measuring blood volume helps distinguish between abscesses and tumors in the brain

Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI allows physicians to differentiate between cerebral abscesses—inflamed areas in the brain caused by infection—and malignant brain tumors without surgery, says a new preliminary study by researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.

8 Nov 2004

In a world first, Australian researchers re-grow cut spinal cord

In a world first, Australian researchers have discovered a mechanism for greatly enhancing regrowth of spinal cord nerves after they are damaged, restoring the ability to walk in mice within weeks of a spinal cord injury.

8 Nov 2004

D-cycloserine (DCS), used in concert with psychotherapy, is an effective treatment for some anxiety-related disorders

A tuberculosis drug called D-cycloserine (DCS), used in concert with psychotherapy, is an effective treatment for some anxiety-related disorders, according to research by scientists at Emory University School of Medicine and the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN).

8 Nov 2004

Association between long-term air pollution exposure and the early stages of atherosclerosis

Air pollution may trigger and accelerate narrowing of carotid arteries, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2004.

8 Nov 2004

Dopamine in the brain plays a key role in how we make choices

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder studying Parkinson's disease patients found strong evidence that dopamine in the brain plays a key role in how people implicitly learn to make choices that lead to good outcomes, while avoiding bad ones.

8 Nov 2004

After stopping drinking, the brain grows back - significant implications for treatment of alcoholism during recovery

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill scientists have reported - for the first time - a burst in new brain cell development during abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption.

8 Nov 2004

Researchers find two locations in the human genome that may harbor genes that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found two locations in the human genome that may harbor genes that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If confirmed, they will be the first genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease since ApoE4 was discovered in 1993.

8 Nov 2004

Researchers have identified a protein that transports the essential nutrient boron into cells

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have identified a protein that transports the essential nutrient boron into cells, where it is important for cell growth and bone development. The findings are in the Nov. 5 edition of the journal Molecular Cell and are online.

5 Nov 2004

Body's 'internal marijuana': A new target for treatment of schizophrenia, Parkinson's?

“Endocannabinoids” is an impressive word that sounds like the name for a group of tribal warriors or an ancient people. Actually, it is the scientific term for beneficial molecules produced in the brain that act as “a sort of internal marijuana in our system

4 Nov 2004

alpha4 may prove to be useful target for smoking addiction therapies

Nicotine is responsible for more than four million smoking-related deaths each year. Yet people still smoke. Why? One reason is the stranglehold of addiction, started when nicotine enhances the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine

4 Nov 2004

Trial of new type of drug that attacks amyloid

Neuroscientists at the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia will begin a clinical trial testing a new type of drug that attacks amyloid, the protein substance that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

4 Nov 2004

Ecstasy use down among America's youth

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) just-released 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports the number of current ecstasy users decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 676,000 (0.3 percent) to 470,000 (0.2 percent).

4 Nov 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

The brain's dopamine system is key to alcoholism

Ireland is reporting its first case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Scientists and clinicians are pioneering the diagnosis and treatment of children's brain tumours

Dementia patients receiving long-term treatment with Reminyl may be able to stay at home for longer compared

Stem cell gene linked to a portion of one of the most common childhood brain cancers

New strain of mice to study nicotine addiction

Cranberry juice may help prevent gum disease

Scientists have identified a fault in the brain waves of schizophrenics that may explain their hallucinations and disturbed thinking

MRI technique for measuring blood volume helps distinguish between abscesses and tumors in the brain

In a world first, Australian researchers re-grow cut spinal cord

D-cycloserine (DCS), used in concert with psychotherapy, is an effective treatment for some anxiety-related disorders

Association between long-term air pollution exposure and the early stages of atherosclerosis

Dopamine in the brain plays a key role in how we make choices

After stopping drinking, the brain grows back - significant implications for treatment of alcoholism during recovery

Researchers find two locations in the human genome that may harbor genes that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers have identified a protein that transports the essential nutrient boron into cells

Body's 'internal marijuana': A new target for treatment of schizophrenia, Parkinson's?

alpha4 may prove to be useful target for smoking addiction therapies

Trial of new type of drug that attacks amyloid

Ecstasy use down among America's youth

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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