Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a unique and versatile medical imaging diagnostic tool. Using MRI, physicians obtain highly refined images of the body’s interior. Strong magnetic fields and pulses of radio waves manipulate the body’s natural magnetic, producing images not possible with other diagnostic imaging methods.
Brain imaging study of preschoolers with ADHD detects brain differences linked to symptoms — Smaller brain volumes associated with severity of ADHD symptoms – Brain development appear to play an important role among children presenting with early onset symptoms of ADHD (Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Researchers found reduced caudate volumes in affected children compared to the children who did not present with ADHD symptoms.
Blast-related injuries detected in the brains of US military personnel – An advanced imaging technique has revealed that some U.S. military personnel with mild blast-related traumatic brain injuries have abnormalities in the brain that have not been seen with other types of imaging. The abnormalities were found in the brain’s white matter, the wiring system that nerve cells in the brain use to communicate with each other.
No pain, big gain — Treatment of chronic low back pain can reverse abnormal brain activity and function – It likely comes as no surprise that low back pain is the most common form of chronic pain among adults. Lesser known is the fact that those with chronic pain also experience cognitive impairments and reduced gray matter in parts of the brain associated with pain processing and the emotional components of pain, like depression and anxiety.
Our own status affects the way our brains respond to others – Our own social status influences the way our brains respond to others of higher or lower rank, according to a new study reported online on April_28 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.
Swine flu vaccine causing sudden sleep disorder narcolepsy in children – A swine flu vaccine which has been given to thousands of children in Britain may cause the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness and nodding off suddenly without warning.
Using EEGs to diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infants — Machine-learning system finds differences in brain connectivity – A computational physicist and a cognitive neuroscientist at Children’s Hospital Boston have come up with the beginnings of a noninvasive test to evaluate an infant’s autism risk.
Antipsychotics for Schizophrenia Associated With Subtle Loss in Brain Volume – Patients with schizophrenia who take antipsychotic medications appear to lose a small but measurable amount of brain tissue over time, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
University of Utah and Harvard researchers take major step toward first biological test for autism – Researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital and the University of Utah have developed the best biologically based test for autism to date. The test was able to detect the disorder in individuals with high-functioning autism with 94 percent accuracy.
Daily dose of beet juice promotes brain health in older adults – Drinking beet juice can increase blood flow to the brain in older adults ? a finding that could hold great potential for combating the progression of dementia.
Concussions in young athletes on the rise — New study from Hasbro Children’s Hospital reports on youth sports-related concussions – A new study from Hasbro Children’s Hospital finds visits to emergency departments for concussions that occurred during organized team sports have increased dramatically over a 10-year period, and appear to be highest in ice hockey and football.
Novel ‘antisense’ therapies protect primates from lethal Ebola and Marburg viruses – Treatments targeting specific viral genes protected monkeys infected with deadly Ebola or Marburg viruses, revealed in a new research.
Blood flows differently through the brains of schizophrenic patients – Researchers in Germany have used a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique called continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) to map cerebral blood flow patterns in schizophrenic patients quickly and without using radiation or contrast agents. Their findings appear in the online edition and July printed issue of the journal Radiology.
