Aids: HIV Virus Hides in the Brain

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[24/08/2010] Studies of the spinal fluid of patients given anti-HIV drugs have resulted in new findings suggesting that the brain can act as a hiding place for the HIV virus.  Aids: HIV Virus Hides in the Brain - read more

Brain Structure’s Key Player: Gene's Role for a Lifetime of Memories

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[19/08/2010] St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists identify a novel feedback mechanism that regulates differentiation of adult neural stem cells Brain Structure’s Key Player: Gene's Role for a Lifetime of Memories - read more

Better Cognitive Function: With the Help of Moderate Drinking?

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[19/08/2010] A large prospective study of 5033 men and women in the Tromsø Study in northern Norway has reported that moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive tests.  Better Cognitive Function: With the Help of Moderate Drinking? - read more

Health: Brain Responds Same to Acute And Chronic Sleep Loss

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[11/08/2010] Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that five nights of restricted sleep – four hours a night – affect the brain in a way similar to that seen after acute total sleep deprivation. Health: Brain Responds Same to Acute And Chronic Sleep Loss - read more

New Study: Genetic Differences Make Some People Susceptible to Meningitis

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[10/08/2010] The research is the largest ever genetic study of meningitis and septicaemia caused by meningococcal bacteria. It suggests that people who develop these diseases have innate differences in their natural defences that leave them unable to attack meningococcal bacteria successfully.  New Study: Genetic Differences Make Some People Susceptible to Meningitis - read more

MS Theory: Study Questions How MS Arises

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[05/08/2010] Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have performed a study that indicates that neither blood flow nor the flow of spinal fluid in the brain contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis, MS. The findings run directly counter to a much-discussed and widely spread Italian theory. MS Theory: Study Questions How MS Arises - read more

Dementia: More Education Lowers Risk

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[26/07/2010] A team of researchers from the UK and Finland has discovered why people who stay in education longer have a lower risk of developing dementia – a question that has puzzled scientists for the past decade. Dementia: More Education Lowers Risk - read more

Brain: Sirtuin1 May Boost Memory

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[12/07/2010] The same molecular mechanism that increases life span through calorie restriction may help boost memory and brainpower, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report. Brain: Sirtuin1 May Boost Memory - read more

Glioblastoma: Neural Stem Cells Attack

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[07/07/2010] In their latest research, scientists of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, have demonstrated how the brain’s own stem cells and precursor cells control the growth of glioblastomas.  Glioblastoma: Neural Stem Cells Attack - read more

Older People: Age Doesn't Necessarily Affect Decision-making

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[02/07/2010] Many people believe that getting older means losing a mental edge, leading to poor decision-making. But a new study from North Carolina State University shows that when it comes to making intuitive decisions – using your "gut instincts" – older adults fare as well as their juniors. Older People: Age Doesn't Necessarily Affect Decision-making - read more

Psychology: Is Your Left Hand More Motivated Than Your Right Hand?

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[01/07/2010] Motivation doesn't have to be conscious; your brain can decide how much it wants something without input from your conscious mind. Now a new study shows that both halves of your brain don't even have to agree. Motivation can happen in one side of the brain at a time. Psychology: Is Your Left Hand More Motivated Than Your Right Hand? - read more

Children: Incidental Findings – Dilemma for Doctors and Patients

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[16/06/2010] Paediatricians whose patients undergo "routine" brain MRIs need a plan to deal with findings that commonly reveal unexpected-but-benign anomalies that are unlikely to cause any problem, reports a research team led by Johns Hopkins Children's Centre investigators.  Children: Incidental Findings – Dilemma for Doctors and Patients - read more

Remisssion Likely: Idiopathic Childhood-Onset Epilepsy

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[14/06/2010] A study conducted by researchers in the Netherlands confirmed that children with idiopathic new-onset epilepsy have a significantly higher rate of remission than those with remote symptomatic epilepsy.  Remisssion Likely: Idiopathic Childhood-Onset Epilepsy - read more

Children: Regular bedtimes linked to better language, reading and math skills

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[07/06/2010] Study highlights the importance of a consistent bedtime reinforced by intentional parenting practices for a child's overall cognitive development.  Children: Regular bedtimes linked to better language, reading and math skills - read more

Congenital heart disease: First common gene found

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[01/06/2010] Researchers have discovered a genetic variant on chromosome 5 that strongly raises the risk of congenital heart disease.  Congenital heart disease: First common gene found - read more

Schizophrenia: Blood flows differently

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[31/05/2010] Researchers of the University Bonn in Germany have used a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique called continuous arterial spin labelling (CASL) to map cerebral blood flow patterns in schizophrenic patients quickly and without using radiation or contrast agents.  Schizophrenia: Blood flows differently - read more

Strokes: Decreasing Among Whites, But Not Blacks

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[27/05/2010] Tracking 1.3 million people in the USA, researchers found that stroke incidence fell significantly in whites between 1999 and 2005, but not among blacks. Strokes: Decreasing Among Whites, But Not Blacks - read more

Implant: New Device Adapts to Brain’s Surface

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[22/04/2010] A new brain implant that essentially melts into place, fitting to the brain's surface, could pave the way for better devices to monitor and control seizures, and to transmit signals from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord. Implant: New Device Adapts to Brain’s Surface - read more

Survival: New Molecular Subtype of Brain Cancer

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[21/04/2010] A study may lead to better insight into the clinical outcome for some patients with a particularly aggressive type of brain cancer. The research may also provide a framework for development of targeted drug treatments. Survival: New Molecular Subtype of Brain Cancer - read more

Brain Cancer: Tumour Cells Need Different Treatment

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[15/04/2010] Cancer cells leftover in the brain after surgery have different properties than the cells in the centre of the tumour, researchers found out. They also react differently to radiation therapy and chemotherapeutic substances. Brain Cancer: Tumour Cells Need Different Treatment - read more

Brain Doping: Potential Realized, Danger Not Averted

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[01/04/2010] Higher, faster, farther. It’s not just athletes who occasionally give their performance a little kick, but also students and professionals. They want to improve their concentration with pills, which are actually intended for sick people - and possibly become addicted. Brain Doping: Potential Realized, Danger Not Averted - read more

Behavioral Addictions: “The Affected Person Experiences a Dopamine Shower“

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[01/04/2010] They cannot take a break and are afraid of a vacation: Workaholics. They are addicted to work like others to heroin. Behavioral addictions such as these are still not officially recognized. MEDICA.de talked with Kai Müller of the Health Care Center for Gambling Addiction at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz about illnesses which don’t exist on paper and an entry way for such dependencies.  Behavioral Addictions: “The Affected Person Experiences a Dopamine Shower“ - read more

Children: Anaesthesia Can Affect Ability to Learn

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[11/03/2010] There is a link between repeated anaesthesia in children and memory impairment, though physical activity can help to form new cells that improve memory, new research reveals. Children: Anaesthesia Can Affect Ability to Learn - read more

Stroke Care: Many Americans More Than an Hour Away

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[04/03/2010] Forty-five percent of Americans – 135 million people -- are more than an hour away from primary stroke centres, the facilities that are best equipped to care for them if they are stricken by the condition, according to a new study. Stroke Care: Many Americans More Than an Hour Away - read more

Brain: How Nerve Cells Grow

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[24/02/2010] Brain researcher Hiroshi Kawabe has discovered the workings of a process that allows nerve cells in the brain to grow and form complex networks. Brain: How Nerve Cells Grow - read more

Stroke: Recent Immigrants May Have Lower Risk

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[04/02/2010] New immigrants to North America may be less likely to have a stroke at a young age than long-time residents, according to a new study. Stroke: Recent Immigrants May Have Lower Risk - read more

Brain: Elderly Make Good Use of Useless Information

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[28/01/2010] A study has found evidence that the older brain's weakened ability to filter out irrelevant information may actually give aging adults a memory advantage over their younger counterparts. Brain: Elderly Make Good Use of Useless Information - read more

Children: Mixed-handed More Likely to Have Problems

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[26/01/2010] Children who are mixed-handed, or ambidextrous, are more likely to have mental health, language and scholastic problems in childhood than right- or left-handed children.  Children: Mixed-handed More Likely to Have Problems - read more

Autism: Brain Imaging May Help Diagnose

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[15/01/2010] Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) process sound and language a fraction of a second slower than children without ASDs, and measuring magnetic signals that mark this delay may become a standardized way to diagnose autism. Autism: Brain Imaging May Help Diagnose - read more

Headaches: Why Light Worsens Migraine

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[13/01/2010] Scientists have identified a new visual pathway that underlies sensitivity to light during migraine. Headaches: Why Light Worsens Migraine - read more

Diagnosis: Subjective Memory Loss Hints At Dementia

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[08/01/2010] Forgot where you put your keys? Having trouble recalling your colleague’s name? If so, this may be a symptom of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), the earliest sign of cognitive decline. Diagnosis: Subjective Memory Loss Hints At Dementia - read more

Prostheses: „Further Optimising the Natural Motion Sequence“

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[08/01/2010] Today serious sport and disability do not exclude themselves anymore. Athletes with prostheses can achieve quite similar results in competitions as their colleagues without artificial bodily parts – thanks to modern technology. However, in future prostheses could do even more.   Prostheses: „Further Optimising the Natural Motion Sequence“ - read more

Surgery: Bedside Skills Trump Technology

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[22/12/2009] Researchers found that physicians' bedside exams did a better job than Computer Tomography (CT) scans in predicting which patients would need to return to the operating room to treat complications such as bleeding. Surgery: Bedside Skills Trump Technology - read more

Artificial Coma: „A State Between Almost Awake and Deep Sleep“

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[01/09/2009] Very often, when a famous person falls very ill, it is this term that circulates in the media: Ariel Sharon or Felipe Massa, for example, have both been put into an artificial coma trying to save their lives. However, many people do not really know what this kind of coma is - including scientists.  Artificial Coma: „A State Between Almost Awake and Deep Sleep“ - read more

Alzheimer's: When One Forgets That One Forgets

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[01/06/2009] Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is important because drugs can decelerate the process in the beginning of the disease. However, the problem is that patients do not recognise their illness. And even medical staff often does not react if the first symptoms appear.  Alzheimer's: When One Forgets That One Forgets - read more

Clock in the Head: „There Is no Wrong Rhythm just a Different One“

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[01/06/2009] They are called owls and larks. The first ones only fall asleep at dawn whereas the latter are already up before sunrise. Recently, researchers have found an explanation inside the brain why the body clock ticks so differently. Clock in the Head: „There Is no Wrong Rhythm just a Different One“ - read more

Neuroprosthetics: „There Is no Need to Outline any Horror Scenarios“

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[08/01/2009] Juice in the head: Neuroprosthetics which are connected to nerve endings in the brain electrically stimulate certain brain regions. Thus, the implants are supposed to reduce the effects of Parkinson’s or to help with depressions or the Tourette syndrome. Nevertheless, many people feel uneasy about the idea that a machine perches in their head possibly influencing their behaviour.   Neuroprosthetics: „There Is no Need to Outline any Horror Scenarios“ - read more

Brain: Less Satisfaction Signalled For Obese

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[20/10/2008] Obese individuals may overeat because they experience less satisfaction from eating food due to a reduced response in their brains' reward circuitry, according to a new study.  Brain: Less Satisfaction Signalled For Obese - read more

Diagnosis: 3-D MRI Finds High-Risk Carotid Disease

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[16/09/2008] Researchers have used three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3-D MRI) to accurately detect bleeding within the walls of diseased carotid arteries, a condition that may lead to a stroke.  Diagnosis: 3-D MRI Finds High-Risk Carotid Disease - read more

Behaviour: Glimpse of Alcohol's Effect on Brain

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[30/04/2008] New brain imaging research shows that, after consuming alcohol, social drinkers had decreased sensitivity in brain regions involved in detecting threats, and increased activity in brain regions involved in reward.  Behaviour: Glimpse of Alcohol's Effect on Brain - read more

Stroke: New 3-D Ultrasound Could Improve Diagnosis

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[25/04/2008] Using 3-D ultrasound technology they designed, Duke University bioengineers can compensate for the thickness and unevenness of the skull to see in real-time the arteries within the brain that most often clog up and cause strokes.  Stroke: New 3-D Ultrasound Could Improve Diagnosis - read more

Brain Cancer: Early Detection by Special MRI

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[25/03/2008] A special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can depict changes in blood volume in the brain that often precede cancerous transformation of brain tumors, according to a new study.  Brain Cancer: Early Detection by Special MRI - read more

MRI: Obese People Eat with Their Eyes

( Source: MEDICA.de )

[19/03/2007] Seeing food with a high content of calories triggers a neural activation in the brain of obese people. This activation does not occur in normal-weight people, a study has shown.  MRI: Obese People Eat with Their Eyes - read more