http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Parkinsons-Disease-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 06:50:38 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/finely-meshed-brains-yields-cannier-older-age-101713-1.htm Brains that sustain hale nerve connections as people grow older help us to maintain ourselves to be sharp in later life, states finding of new research funded by the charity Age UK. Older people with robust brain 'wiring' - that is, the nerve fibres that connect different, distant brain areas - can process information quickly and that this makes them generally smarter, the study suggests. According to the findings, joining distant parts of the brain together with better wiring improves mental ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/finely-meshed-brains-yields-cannier-older-age-101713-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/headaches-in-one-twin-led-to-diagnosis-of-brain-tumor-in-other-101687-1.htm Displaying the mysterious power of telepathy among twins, a 38-year old man in Australia underwent a life saving surgery to remove a tumor in his brain after his twin complained of headaches and made him to undergo an MRI scan. Craig Gurney from Sydney revealed that his brother Brenton initially underwent an MRI scan after complaining of persistent headaches. However when doctors found no problem with the scan, Brenton asked Craig to get a scan himself and doctors found a massive tumor in his brain....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/headaches-in-one-twin-led-to-diagnosis-of-brain-tumor-in-other-101687-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/simple-10-min-test-to-diagnose-alzheimers-disease-and-prevent-severe-brain-damage-101621-1.htm A simple ten-minute CANTABmobile memory test will effectively screen patients for early signs of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, thus enabling faster treatment. The CANTABmobile test distinguishes between normal forgetfulness and the more dangerous memory lapses that can signal dementia. The test has been made available for use in GPs' surgeries, according to the Daily Mail. Early diagnosis would allow patients to receive drug treatment when it would help them the most, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/simple-10-min-test-to-diagnose-alzheimers-disease-and-prevent-severe-brain-damage-101621-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/findings-on-new-brain-cells-could-spell-success-for-your-weight-loss-plans-101620-1.htm A novel study reveals new nerve cells formed in a particular part of the brain could hold significant sway over how much you eat and consequently how much you weigh. Study leader Seth Blackshaw, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said that the idea that the brain is still forming neurons even in the adulthood has become well-established over the past several decades. However, researchers had ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/findings-on-new-brain-cells-could-spell-success-for-your-weight-loss-plans-101620-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/using-brain-computer-interface-people-with-paralysis-control-robotic-arms-to-reach-and-grasp-101605-1.htm On his fourth day of interacting with the arm T2 performed the session in this study, whereas the prior three sessions were focused on system development. He later described his control of the arm, using his eyes to indicate each letter: "I just imagined moving my own arm and the [DEKA] arm moved where I wanted it to go." The study used two advanced robotic arms: the DLR Light-Weight Robot III with DLR five-fingered hand and the DEKA Arm System. The DLR LWR-III, which is designed to assist ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/using-brain-computer-interface-people-with-paralysis-control-robotic-arms-to-reach-and-grasp-101605-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/treatment-of-childhood-osa-reverses-brain-abnormalities-study-101603-1.htm According to a new study, treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children normalizes disturbances in the neuronal network responsible for attention and executive function. "OSA is known to be associated with deficits in attention, cognition, and executive function," said lead author Ann Halbower, MD, Associate Professor at the Children's Hospital Sleep Center and University of Colorado Denver. "Our study is the first to show that treatment of OSA in children can reverse neuronal brain ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/treatment-of-childhood-osa-reverses-brain-abnormalities-study-101603-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/physical-exercise-may-benefit-brain-as-well-101568-1.htm Though the main reason for exercising is to maintain physical fitness, a new study carried out by researchers at Dartmouth College suggests that it may benefit the brain as well. The researchers said that exercising not only develops our body, but also helps in developing our brain by improving memory. The researchers also noticed a link between exercise and responding favorably to behavioral interventions among children with ADHD. The study has been published in the journal Neuroscience. The ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/physical-exercise-may-benefit-brain-as-well-101568-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/neurological-damage-of-a-traumatic-brain-injury-survivor-being-modelled-101560-1.htm In 1848, railroad worker Phineas Gage survived a severe brain injury when a tamping rod shot through his skull, resulting in significant behavioral changes. Researchers have used CT images of his skull in conjunction with MRI and connectomic brain imaging data of living subjects to reconstruct the injury and investigate which regions of the brain were affected to result in the behavioral changes in a new study, reported May 16 in the open access journal iPLoS ONE/i. The research team, led ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/neurological-damage-of-a-traumatic-brain-injury-survivor-being-modelled-101560-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/insight-into-motor-control-tendered-by-songbirds-learning-hub-in-brain-101557-1.htm The male songbird learns its signature melody, by using a trial-and-error course to mimic the song of its father, singing the tune repeatedly, many times in a day, making subtle changes in the pitch of the notes. For the male Bengalese finch, this rigorous training process begins around the age of 40 days and is completed about day 90, just as he becomes sexually mature and ready to use his song to woo females. To accomplish this feat, the finch's brain must receive and process large quantities ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/insight-into-motor-control-tendered-by-songbirds-learning-hub-in-brain-101557-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-therapy-aids-kids-with-rare-untreatable-brain-disease-for-the-better-101550-1.htm Employing gene transfer methods initiated by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some mobility in four children confined to bed with a rare, critical neurological disease. The first-in-humans achievement may also be helpful for more common diseases such as Parkinson's that involve nerve cell damage caused by lack of a crucial molecule in brain tissue. The results are reported today (May 16) in the journal iScience Translational Medicine/i. The children in the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-therapy-aids-kids-with-rare-untreatable-brain-disease-for-the-better-101550-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/lie-detector-in-brain-lights-up-when-dealing-with-untrustworthy-people-101532-1.htm Research has indicated that suspicion resides in two distinct regions of the brain: the amygdala and the parahippocampal gyrus. This is the conclusion of a new study by scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute including one of an Indian origin. "We wondered how individuals assess the credibility of other people in simple social interactions," said Read Montague, director of the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory and the Computational Psychiatry Unit at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, who led the study....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/lie-detector-in-brain-lights-up-when-dealing-with-untrustworthy-people-101532-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/death-and-disability-from-bleeding-brain-aneurysms-can-be-reduced-by-specialized-care-by-experienced-teams-101503-1.htm The best chance of survival and full recovery for people with bleeding brain aneurysms is possible if they receive aggressive emergency treatment from a specialized team. These findings are contained in new guidelines just published by the American Stroke Association. Diagnosing and immediately treating this kind of "bleeding stroke", and using advanced techniques to prevent re-bleeding and aneurysm recurrence, reduces the chance of immediate death and disability by 30 percent for patients ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/death-and-disability-from-bleeding-brain-aneurysms-can-be-reduced-by-specialized-care-by-experienced-teams-101503-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/increased-acidity-in-the-brain-linked-to-panic-disorders-and-depression-101498-1.htm John Wemmie, neuroscientist, has found that increased acidity or low pH, in the brain is linked to panic disorders, anxiety, and depression. His study also suggests that changes in acidity are important for normal brain activity too. "We are interested in the idea that pH might be changing in the functional brain because we've been hot on the trail of receptors that are activated by low pH," says Wemmie, a UI associate professor of psychiatry. "The presence of these receptors implies the possibility ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/increased-acidity-in-the-brain-linked-to-panic-disorders-and-depression-101498-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/too-much-of-trans-fat-is-bad-for-your-brain-101443-1.htm It is a well known fact that consuming foods containing saturated fats or trans fats is bad for your heart. Now researchers have linked "bad" fat - saturated fat - with worse overall cognitive function and memory in women over time. By contrast, a "good" fat-mono-unsaturated fat was associated with better overall cognitive function and memory. The research team from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) analyzed data from the Women's Health Study-originally a cohort of nearly 40,000 women, 45 years and older....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/too-much-of-trans-fat-is-bad-for-your-brain-101443-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/childrens-brain-tumors-diversity-excels-compared-to-former-notion-101366-1.htm Paediatric brain tumours protect definite characteristics of the normal cells from which they initiate, a formerly obscure circumstance with complexities for how tumour cells respond to treatment. This has been shown by Uppsala researcher Fredrik Swartling together with colleagues in the U.S., Canada and England in a study that was published today in the distinguished journal iCancer Cell/i. Every year, 80-90 children in Sweden are afflicted with brain tumours, a serious form of paediatric cancer....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/childrens-brain-tumors-diversity-excels-compared-to-former-notion-101366-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/sensitivity-of-brain-circuit-different-in-women-with-anorexia-and-obesity-101338-1.htm The sensitivity of reward circuit in the brains of women plays an important role in diet problems in women with the circuit being sensitized in women with anorexia and desensitized in women who are obese, a new study by a University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher reveals. Guido Frank, MD, assistant professor director of the Developmental Brain Research Program at the CU School of Medicine and his colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain activity in 63 women who were either anorexic or obese....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/sensitivity-of-brain-circuit-different-in-women-with-anorexia-and-obesity-101338-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/memory-can-be-improved-following-cognitive-impairment-by-slowing-down-brain-activity-101335-1.htm The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease following cognitive impairment can be reduced and memory improved by slowing down brain activity, a new study revealed. A study led by a Johns Hopkins neuroscientist focused on "excess brain activity" commonly associated with conditions that cause mild cognitive decline and memory loss, and are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's. Previously, it had been thought that this neural hyperactivity in the hippocampus was the brain's attempt to ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/memory-can-be-improved-following-cognitive-impairment-by-slowing-down-brain-activity-101335-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/overexposure-to-cocaine-may-lead-to-structural-changes-in-brain-101334-1.htm A new study conducted by American researchers has found that chronic use of cocaine may lower the levels of a protein that has been found to regulate brain plasticity. That reduction drives structural changes in the brain, which produces greater sensitivity to the rewarding effects of cocaine, according to new, in vivo research on the molecular basis of cocaine addiction. The finding by researchers at the University at Buffalo and Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests a potential new ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/overexposure-to-cocaine-may-lead-to-structural-changes-in-brain-101334-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-measure-brain-activity-using-virtual-reality-101241-1.htm A new technique to measure brain activity in large populations of nerve cells at the resolution of individual cells has been developed by researchers. The technique, reported today in the journal iNature/i, has been developed in zebrafish to represent a simplified model of how brain regions work together to flexibly control behaviour. Our thoughts and actions are the product of large populations of nerve cells, called neurons, working in harmony, often millions at a time. Measuring brain ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-measure-brain-activity-using-virtual-reality-101241-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-structure-and-psychiatric-medications-101240-1.htm Chronic psychotropic drug treatment may lead to structural remodeling of the brain, extensive research has shown. Indeed, clinical studies in humans present an intriguing picture: antipsychotics, used for the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis, may contribute to cortical gray matter loss in patients, whereas lithium, used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and mania, may preserve gray matter in patients. However, the clinical significance of these structural changes is not yet clear....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-structure-and-psychiatric-medications-101240-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-and-vascular-risk-alter-effects-of-aging-on-brain-and-cognition-wsu-researchers-101234-1.htm Attempts to comprehend the method of aging process affecting the brain and cognition have traversed beyond plainly comparing younger and older adults. "Everybody ages differently. By looking at genetic variations and individual differences in markers of vascular health, we begin to understand that preventable factors may affect our chances for successful aging," said Wayne State University psychology doctoral student Andrew Bender, lead author of a study supported by the National Institute on ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-and-vascular-risk-alter-effects-of-aging-on-brain-and-cognition-wsu-researchers-101234-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/missing-gene-in-decision-making-center-in-brain-lined-to-a-form-of-autism-101199-1.htm A new study by Yale University researchers has revealed that a recently evolved pattern of gene activity in the language and decision-making centers of the human brain is missing in one form of autism disorder. "This is the cost of being human," said Nenad Sestan, associate professor of neurobiology, researcher at Yale's Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, and senior author of the paper. "The same evolutionary mechanisms that may have gifted our species with amazing cognitive abilities have also ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/missing-gene-in-decision-making-center-in-brain-lined-to-a-form-of-autism-101199-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-finds-music-of-brain-hemispheres-sheds-light-on-schizophrenia-101172-1.htm Careful analyses of the electrical signals of brain activity may reveal important harmonic relationships in the electrical activity of brain circuits, researchers at the University of California in San Diego have suggested. The underlying premise is a simple one - that brain function is expressed by circuits that fire, and therefore generate oscillating EEG signals, at different frequencies. High frequency EEG activity called gamma, for example, might reflect the activity of fast-spiking ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-finds-music-of-brain-hemispheres-sheds-light-on-schizophrenia-101172-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/memory-in-mild-cognitive-impairment-may-be-improved-by-reduction-of-excess-brain-activity-101141-1.htm A potential new therapeutic approach for improving memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment is described in new research published by Cell Press in the May 10th issue of the journal iNeuron/i. The study finds that excess brain activity may be doing more harm than good in some conditions that cause mild cognitive decline and memory impairment. Elevated activity in specific parts of the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory, is often seen in disorders associated ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/memory-in-mild-cognitive-impairment-may-be-improved-by-reduction-of-excess-brain-activity-101141-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/deep-brain-stimulation-offers-hope-for-alzheimers-disease-101104-1.htm Deep brain stimulation holds promise for mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), say researchers. "While our study was designed mainly to establish safety, involved only six people and needs to be replicated on a larger scale, we don't have another treatment for AD at present that shows such promising effects on brain function," said the study's first author, Gwenn Smith, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/deep-brain-stimulation-offers-hope-for-alzheimers-disease-101104-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/images-of-canine-thought-processes-being-captured-by-brain-scans-101102-1.htm You can now know what your dog is thinking, when he gazes up at you adoringly says a new study. Emory University researchers have developed a new methodology to scan the brains of alert dogs and explore the minds of the oldest domesticated species. The technique uses harmless functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), the same tool that is unlocking secrets of the human brain. "It was amazing to see the first brain images of a fully awake, unrestrained dog," said Gregory Berns, director ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/images-of-canine-thought-processes-being-captured-by-brain-scans-101102-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/robot-to-record-brain-cells-inner-workings-shortly-101064-1.htm A way has been devised by researchers led by one of Indian origin, to automate the process of detecting and recording information from neurons in the living brain. Gaining access to the inner activities of a neuron in the living brain offers a wealth of useful information: its patterns of electrical activity, its shape, even a profile of which genes are turned on at a given moment. However, achieving this entry is such a painstaking task that it is considered an art form; it is so difficult ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/robot-to-record-brain-cells-inner-workings-shortly-101064-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/range-of-brain-diseases-may-be-treated-by-single-drug-101054-1.htm The prospect of treating a range of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with the same drug has been proposed by UK researchers. In a study, they prevented brain cells dying in mice with prion disease. And it is hoped the same method for preventing brain cell death could apply in other diseases. The findings are at an early stage, but have been heralded as "fascinating". Many neuro-degenerative diseases result in the build-up of proteins, which are not put together correctly - known as misfolded proteins....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/range-of-brain-diseases-may-be-treated-by-single-drug-101054-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/alzheimers-disease-purpose-in-life-may-protect-against-harmful-changes-in-the-brain-101047-1.htm A new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center has revealed that having a purpose in life may help avoid the harmful effects of plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease. The study, published in the May issue of the IArchives of General Psychiatry,/I is available online at www.archgenpsychiatry.com. "Our study showed that people who reported greater purpose in life exhibited better cognition than those with less purpose in life even as plaques and tangles accumulated in their brains," said Patricia A....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/alzheimers-disease-purpose-in-life-may-protect-against-harmful-changes-in-the-brain-101047-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-can-avoid-traffic-jams-with-multiple-thought-channels-help-101009-1.htm Traffic jams can be avoided by brain web at their busiest intersections by communicating on diverse frequencies, find researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University Medical Center at Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University of Tubingen. "Many neurological and psychiatric conditions are likely to involve problems with signaling in brain networks," says co-author Maurizio Corbetta, MD, the Norman J. Stupp Professor of Neurology at Washington University. "Examining ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-can-avoid-traffic-jams-with-multiple-thought-channels-help-101009-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/communication-amid-stem-cell-derived-motor-neurons-and-muscle-cells-measured-by-ucla-scientists-101007-1.htm The core causes of neurological disorders impairing motor functions suchlike walking and breathing, a novel system to measure the communication between stem cell-derived motor neurons and muscle cells in a Petri dish has been developed by UCLA researchers in their classifying attempt. The study provides an important proof of principle that functional motor circuits can be created outside of the body using stem cell-derived neurons and muscle cells, and that the level of communication, or synaptic ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/communication-amid-stem-cell-derived-motor-neurons-and-muscle-cells-measured-by-ucla-scientists-101007-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/human-brain-evolution-was-instantly-propelled-by-extra-gene-101002-1.htm Partial, replica of a gene seems to be accountable for the crucial features of the human brain that differentiates humans from their closest primate kin. The momentous gene duplication event occurred about two or three million years ago, at a critical transition in the evolution of the human lineage, according to a pair of studies published early online in the journal iCell/i, a Cell Press publication, on May 3rd. The studies are the first to explore the evolutionary history and function of any uniquely human gene duplicate....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/human-brain-evolution-was-instantly-propelled-by-extra-gene-101002-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/our-understanding-of-memories-sharpened-by-neuro-researchers-100897-1.htm Thanks to research led by Prof. Jean-Claude Lacaille of the University of Montreal's Department of Physiology scientists now have a better understanding of how precise memories are formed. Lacaille said, "In terms of human applications, these findings could help us to better understand memory impairments in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease." The study looks at the cells in our brains, or neurons, and how they work together as a group to form memories. Chemical receptors ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/our-understanding-of-memories-sharpened-by-neuro-researchers-100897-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/early-diagnostic-clues-for-alzheimers-disease-using-brain-imaging-technology-100871-1.htm A non-invasive brain imaging technique developed by researchers measures the brain changes. This provides early diagnostic clues for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Their work is reported in the iJournal of Alzheimer's Disease/i. "Alzheimer's disease has become a silent tsunami in the aging population," says Dr. Mandal, who is associated with the National Brain Research Center, Gurgaon, India, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "This discovery of a diagnostic technique that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/early-diagnostic-clues-for-alzheimers-disease-using-brain-imaging-technology-100871-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/immune-cells-follow-a-contain-and-alert-approach-when-protecting-brain-100843-1.htm Immune cells protecting the brain follow a two-tiered approach by first containing the infected cells and at the same time alerting the neighboring uninfected cells about the presence of the pathogen, a new study by University of Michigan Health System researchers revealed. For the first time, the scientists managed to capture that reaction in action, showing how certain immune cells locked onto a model of virus-infected brain cells, while also sending signals to neighboring uninfected cells to let them know about the immune attack....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/immune-cells-follow-a-contain-and-alert-approach-when-protecting-brain-100843-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-systems-disrupted-in-autistic-brain-discovered-100835-1.htm Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have identified the genetic systems disorganized in autistic brain. The Hebrew University research, conducted by Dr. Sagiv Shifman and his doctoral student Eyal Ben-David of the Department of Genetics at the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, has potential implications for early diagnosis as well as for treatment of autism in the future. The study was recently published in the journal PLoS Genetics/i/a. Autism spectrum disorders ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-systems-disrupted-in-autistic-brain-discovered-100835-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-stimulation-technology-to-ease-migraine-pain-100809-1.htm New brain stimulation technology helps ease migraine attacks from occurring, say researchers. Their technique, using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), applies a mild electrical current to the brain from electrodes attached to the scalp. "We developed this technology and methodology in order to get the currents deep into the brain," said Dr. Marom Bikson, associate professor of biomedical engineering in CCNY's Grove School of Engineering, The researchers aimed to tap ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-stimulation-technology-to-ease-migraine-pain-100809-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/how-brain-cancer-cells-migrate-and-invade-new-clues-100804-1.htm A protein that transports sodium, potassium and chloride has been discovered by Johns Hopkins researchers and the finding may hold clues to how glioblastoma, the most common and deadliest type of brain cancer, moves and invades nearby healthy brain tissue. The findings, reported in the journal iPLoS Biology/i, also suggest that a cheap FDA-approved drug already on the market could slow movement of glioblastoma cells, and contain their spread. "The biggest challenge in brain cancer is the migration of cancer cells....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/how-brain-cancer-cells-migrate-and-invade-new-clues-100804-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-pesticide-exposure-and-brain-changes-100741-1.htm Prenatal exposure to pesticide harms kids' brain, reveals study. The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined New York City pregnant mothers who were tested for exposure to chlorpyrifos, or CPF, which is widely used for pest control in farms and public spaces. The women in the study, which included 369 subjects total, took part prior to 2001 when CPF was banned from household use in the United States, though the chemical continues to be used worldwide in agriculture....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-pesticide-exposure-and-brain-changes-100741-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/onset-of-huntington-disease-predicted-by-striatal-brain-volume-100725-1.htm Huntington disease (HD) is caused by a defect on chromosome four and is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder. Most individuals begin experiencing symptoms in their 40s or 50s, but studies have shown that significant brain atrophy occurs several years prior to an official HD diagnosis. As a result, the field has sought a preventive treatment that could be administered prior to the development of actual symptoms that might delay the onset of illness. Using data from the ongoing PREDICT-HD study and led by Dr....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/onset-of-huntington-disease-predicted-by-striatal-brain-volume-100725-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-drug-abuse-and-brain-networks-100704-1.htm Some teenagers are at a higher risk for drug use because their brains work differently, reports study published in Nature Neuroscience. This discovery helps answer a long-standing chicken-or-egg question about whether certain brain patterns come before drug use-or are caused by it. "The differences in these networks seem to precede drug use," says Garavan, Whelan's colleague in UVM's psychiatry department, who also served as the principal investigator of the Irish component of a large ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-drug-abuse-and-brain-networks-100704-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/oestrogen-hormone-may-possess-protective-ability-post-traumatic-brain-injury-100687-1.htm Scientists have probed into the biomarkers and novel therapies for traumatic brain injury, in a new study. With more than 1.7 million people sustaining a traumatic brain injury each year, the need to identify processes to limit inflammation and subsequent damage is critical. Approximately 275,000 people are hospitalised annually with traumatic brain injury, leaving 85,000 with long-term disabilities and taking the lives of more than 50,000. More than 5 million people live with disabilities ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/oestrogen-hormone-may-possess-protective-ability-post-traumatic-brain-injury-100687-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ad-campaigns-may-be-more-effective-by-accessing-brain-responses-100650-1.htm American researchers suggest that companies may streamline their advertising campaigns to be more effective by accessing brain responses of individuals. UCLA neuroscientists reported using brain data to predict how large populations will respond to advertisements. Thirty smokers who were trying to quit watched television commercials from three advertising campaigns, which all ended by showing the phone number of the National Cancer Institute's smoking-cessation hotline. They were asked ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ad-campaigns-may-be-more-effective-by-accessing-brain-responses-100650-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/mimicking-brain-protein-could-lead-to-faster-stroke-recovery-100612-1.htm A new study conducted by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine has found that new nerve cells can be generated among mice with strokes by using a compound that replicates a key activity of a protein present in the brain which could lead to faster recovery of athletic abilities. These results are promising, because the compound wasn't administered to the animals until a full three days after they had suffered strokes, said the study's senior author, Marion Buckwalter, MD, PhD, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/mimicking-brain-protein-could-lead-to-faster-stroke-recovery-100612-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cocaine-use-accelerates-brain-aging-100593-1.htm Brains of chronic cocaine users age faster than non-drug users, shows study. A new research by scientists at the University of Cambridge found that age-related loss of grey matter in the brain is greater in people who are dependent on cocaine than in the healthy population. For the study, the researchers scanned the brains of 120 people with similar age, gender and verbal IQ. Half of the individuals had a dependence on cocaine while the other 60 had no history of substance abuse disorders....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cocaine-use-accelerates-brain-aging-100593-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-surgery-not-being-widely-used-for-epilepsy-treatment-100573-1.htm A new study by researchers from University of California, San Francisco has revealed that doctors are not opting for brain surgery in treating uncontrolled epilepsy even though studies have shown that they can be very effective. The study, published this month in the journal iNeurology/i, showed that the number of Americans having the surgery has not changed in the decade since release of the effectiveness study, though surgical treatment is now uniformly encouraged by neurology and neurosurgery professional societies....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-surgery-not-being-widely-used-for-epilepsy-treatment-100573-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-test-to-monitor-brain-health-100553-1.htm New monitoring method and blood test may help detect a child's brain during heart surgery, suggests research. Brain injury occurs in 30 percent to 70 percent of infants and children undergoing repair of congenital heart defects. A congenital heart defect is a heart abnormality present at birth. Out of 1,000 live births in the United States, about 8 babies will have some kind of heart defect. Previously, there has been no way to detect brain injury during surgery as it happens. This ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-test-to-monitor-brain-health-100553-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-stem-cell-in-brain-that-may-cure-diseases-and-heal-brain-injury-identified-100525-1.htm A new stem cell in the adult brain has been discovered by scientists that can hopefully be used to develop methods that can repair diseases and injury to the brain. These cells can proliferate and form several different cell types - most importantly, they can form new brain cells. Analysing brain tissue from biopsies, the researchers at the Lund University for the first time found stem cells located around small blood vessels in the brain. The cell's specific function is still unclear, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-stem-cell-in-brain-that-may-cure-diseases-and-heal-brain-injury-identified-100525-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-clock-cell-changes-cause-sleep-problems-in-elderly-people-100522-1.htm New research in the April 25 issue of The iJournal of Neuroscience/i reveals older animals display cellular changes in the brain "clock" that sets sleep and wakeful periods. The findings may help explain why elderly people often experience trouble sleeping at night and are drowsy during the day. Like humans, mice experience shifts in daily activities and sleep patterns as they age. To find out why, researchers directed by Johanna Meijer, PhD, at the Leiden University Medical Center in the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-clock-cell-changes-cause-sleep-problems-in-elderly-people-100522-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-affects-brain-100512-1.htm Differing brain responses were seen in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Additionally, the extent of this lowered activation was associated with each patient''s measured level of fatigue. The basal ganglia are at the base of the brain and are associated with a variety of functions, including motor activity and motivation. Diseases affecting basal ganglia are often associated with fatigue. These results shed more light on this mysterious condition, information that researchers hope may eventually ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-affects-brain-100512-1.htm