In animals, the brain (enkephale) (Greek for “in the skull”), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behavior. The brain is located in the head, protected by the skull and close to the primary sensory apparatus of vision, hearing, equilibrioception (balance), sense of taste, and olfaction (smell).
Single antibody shrinks variety of human tumors transplanted into mice, Stanford study shows – Human tumors transplanted into laboratory mice disappeared or shrank when scientists treated the animals with a single antibody. This antibody works by masking a protein flag on cancer cells that protects them from macrophages and other cells in the immune system.
Clinical trial examines antioxidant effects for Alzheimer’s disease on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers – An antioxidant combination of vitamin E, vitamin C and a-lipoic acid (E/C/ALA) was not associated with changes in some cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers related to Alzheimer disease in a randomized controlled trial, revealed by researchers.
Sobered up using LSD — Journal of Psychopharmacology article examines intriguing evidence on the psychedelic drug – Forty years ago, LSD was used in the treatment of alcoholics – with good results. Perhaps it’s time to look at it again? In the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, researchers in many places in the world experimented with LSD in the treatment of various disorders, including alcoholism. Not all experiments were scientifically tenable by today’s standards, but some were.
Reversing Alzheimer’s gene ‘blockade’ can restore memory, other cognitive functions — Neuroscientists show that HDAC2 enzyme could be a good target for new drugs – MIT neuroscientists have shown that an enzyme overproduced in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients creates a blockade that shuts off genes necessary to form new memories. Furthermore, by inhibiting that enzyme in mice, the researchers were able to reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Fish oil omega-3 fatty acids linked to brain health — A Diet Rich in Fish May Help the Aging Brain – A diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients commonly found in fish, may cause your brain to age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking abilities. Omega-3 fatty acids include the nutrients called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
Research: Differential risk of death in older nursing home residents prescribed specific antipsychotic medications: Population-based cohort study – Nursing home residents over the age of 65 who take certain antipsychotic medication for dementia are at an increased risk of death, suggests a research paper published in BMJ. Haloperidol had double the risk of mortality amongst other drugs for the condition, say researchers.
Drug quickly reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice — Case Western Reserve researchers discover FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain and reverses cognitive defects – Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The research shows that use of a drug in mice appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Parkinson’s disease: Study of live human neurons reveals the disease’s genetic origins — UB researchers identify how the parkin gene works and how mutations cause Parkinson’s disease – Parkinson’s disease researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause the disease, which afflicts at least 500,000 Americans and for which there is no cure. The results are published in the current issue of Nature Communications.
2-arm blood pressure check indicator for risk from heart disease or death – Doctors ‘should check blood pressure on both arms’ – Measuring blood pressure in both the right and left arm may be an effective way of catching a silent but serious disease of the blood vessels – peripheral artery disease. So, next time you get your blood pressure checked, ask your health provider to take measurements on both arms.
In the brain, an earlier sign of autism – Earlier sign of autism can be noticed in 6 months old infants – In their first year of life, babies who will go on to develop autism already show different brain responses when someone looks at or away from them. Although the researchers are careful to say that the study, reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, is only a first step toward earlier diagnosis, the findings do suggest that direct brain measures might help to predict the future development of autism symptoms in infants as young as six months.
Lifelong brain-stimulating habits linked to lower Alzheimer’s protein levels – Individuals who keep their brains active throughout life with cognitively stimulating activities such as reading, writing and playing games appear to have reduced levels of the ?-amyloid protein, which is the major part of the amyloid plaque in Alzheimer disease.
Cognitive decline can begin as early as age 45, warn experts — Research: Timing of onset of cognitive decline: Results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study – The brain’s capacity for memory, reasoning and comprehension skills (cognitive function) can start to deteriorate from age 45. But, previous research suggests that cognitive decline does not begin before the age of 60, but this view is not universally accepted.
