Brain

Studies on unique stroke risk factors among women and gender disparities in stroke care are featured in a special issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

According to an editorial accompanying the special issue, stroke among women is the third leading cause of death, a leading cause of disability and an ongoing epidemic, with women accounting for more than 60 percent of all stroke deaths in the United States.

PASADENA, Calif.--Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have uncovered the Transformer like properties of molecules responsible for carrying and depositing proteins to their correct locations within cells. The research could eventually lead to novel treatments for diseases that result from flaws in protein delivery as well as the development of new types of antibiotics.

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy, older adults who participated in a computer-based training program to improve the speed and accuracy of brain processing showed twice the improvement in certain aspects of memory, compared to a control group.

"What's unique in this study is that brain-processing activities seemed to help aspects of memory that were not directly exercised by the program -- a new finding in memory research," says Glenn Smith, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic neuropsychologist and lead researcher on the study.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The simple intervention of providing women who are having unprotected sex with a home pregnancy test could have a substantial impact on the health of potential newborns, according to a Michigan State University study.

In research published this month in the February edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, MSU's Mary Nettleman found that significantly more women who had a home pregnancy test at home not only suspected they could be pregnant but also took tests much more frequently.

Ask anyone working on a project, and the biggest complaint one hears is "There's not enough time."

But instead of more time, maybe what they need is a change of perception.

"Research has shown that it's not necessarily the time pressure, but it's the perception of that time pressure that affects you," says Michael DeDonno, a doctoral student in psychology at Case Western Reserve University. "If you feel you don't have enough time to do something, it's going to affect you."

Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC (Feb 10, 2009) The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), in collaboration with the U.S.

Athens, Ga. – A genetic risk factor that increases the likelihood that youth will engage in substance use can be neutralized by high levels of involved and supportive parenting, according to a new University of Georgia study.

The study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, is the first to examine a group of youth over time to see how a genetic risk factor interacts with a child's environment to influence behavior.

Another reason not to eat pate de foie gras is discussed by Michael Greger of The Humane Society of the United States, Washington DC in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health.

Harmful proteins fragments known as amyloid fibrils associated with damage to brain cells in Alzheimer's disease and to pancreatic cells in Type II diabetes can be present in the meat of poultry and mammals. These amyloids are not destroyed even with high-temperature cooking process.

Research from the University of Exeter reveals for the first time, that changes in brain activity, triggered by physical exercise, may help reduce cigarette cravings. Published in the journal Psychopharmacology, the study shows how exercise changes the way the brain processes information among smokers, thereby reducing their cravings for nicotine. For the first time, researchers used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to investigate how the brain processes images of cigarettes after exercise.

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Using special MRI methods, researchers have identified a pattern of regional brain atrophy in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that indicates a greater likelihood of progression to Alzheimer's disease. The findings are published in the online edition of Radiology.

Learning their community language outside the home enhances minority ethnic children's development, according to research led from the University of Birmingham. The research, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, found that attending language classes at complementary schools has a positive impact on students.

Our Aging Ears and Brains: Why Listening in Background Noise Gets Tougher as We Age

Researchers at Canada's largest children's rehabilitation hospital have developed a technique that uses infrared light brain imaging to decode preference – with the goal of ultimately opening the world of choice to children who can't speak or move.

BETHESDA, Md. (Feb. 10, 2009) − Liver cirrhosis is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, taking 25,000 lives per year. It is often the result of alcohol over-consumption or exposure to hepatitis C, either of which can damage the liver and prevent it from filtering toxins. These toxins then accumulate in the blood stream and eventually reach the brain where they disrupt neurological and mental performance, a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy.

Autism Consortium Scientists Publish Study Defining Mechanismand Potential Treatment for Rett Syndrome, Leading Cause of Autism in Girls

- Clinical trial to test molecule in humans is being planned -- Data in PNAS reveals therapeutic that could apply to other forms of autism -