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).
Obesity, overweight during pregnancy may be more likely to have fatter children susceptible to chronic health problems. – Mothers-to-be beware. Women who are overweight during pregnancy may be more likely to have fatter children susceptible to chronic health problems, University of New South Wales (UNSW) research shows.
When it comes to Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure from polycarbonate plastic bottles, it?s not whether the container is new or old but the liquid?s temperature that has the most impact on how much BPA is released, according to University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists. – Liquid’s temperature that has the most impact on how much Bisphenol A (BPA) is released from polycarbonate plastic bottles, and it does not matter whether the container is new or old, revealed by researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC).
Babies conceived during a period of famine are at risk of developing addictions later in life, according to new research published in the international journal Addiction. – Babies conceived during a period of famine are at risk of developing addictions later in life, and a range of chronic disorders including physical conditions such as coronary heart disease, and psychiatric ones such as schizophrenia and clinical depression.
Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery may evoke detailed autobiographical memories. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, which is used to treat Parkinson?s disease and other movement disorders, is now being studied for its potential to treat a variety of conditions. – A new study found that hypothalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery performed in the treatment of a patient with morbid obesity unexpectedly evoked detailed autobiographical memories.
The burden of financing and providing medical care for persons older than 65 in the United States having diagnosed diabetes is growing rapidly as a result of increased incidence and, especially, prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, decreased mortality, and overall lack of improvement in rates of complications in persons having diagnosed diabetes. – The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is growing worldwide. Consequently, there has been increased emphasis on primary and secondary prevention of diabetes. The annual number of Americans older than 65 newly diagnosed with diabetes increased by 23 percent between 1994 to 1995 and 2003 to 2004, according to a report in the January 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Sleep’s main function is to keep our brains and all its synapses lean and efficient. Brain is more strong during waking hours, weaken during sleep. – Most people know it from experience: After so many hours of being awake, your brain feels unable to absorb any more, and several hours of sleep will refresh it. Now new research from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health clarifies this phenomenon, supporting the idea that sleep plays a critical role in the brain’s ability to change in response to its environment. This ability, called plasticity, is at the heart of learning.
Australian Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) recently advised that the incoming Government has put the GP MRI initiative on hold pending a review. – The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has written to Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, urging her to implement the previous Government’s policy to allow GPs to order Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans for their patients. Prior to last year’s election, it was announced that GPs would be able to directly refer patients for a Medicare-funded MRI scan of the knee or, where Multiple Sclerosis is suspected, of the brain.
UCI study identifies the specific role for gene linked to cortical development, cerebral cortex points to potential stem cell treatments. – University of California, Irvine researchers have identified a gene that is specifically responsible for generating the cerebral cortex, a finding that could lead to stem cell therapies to treat brain injuries and diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer’s.
A large US study suggests that statin, cholesterol lowering drug use does not lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). – Taking statins, which are cholesterol-lowering drugs, offers no protection against Alzheimer’s disease, revealed by US researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Kimberly Huber investigated how Fragile X syndrome affects communication between cells in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is involved in learning and memory. Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism. – Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are uncovering how brain cells are affected in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism.
