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Brain News Stories
Current Brain News Events, Discoveries and Articles

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Well-connected brains make you smarter in older age
Brains that maintain healthy nerve connections as we age help keep us sharp in later life, new research funded by the charity Age UK has found. (2012-05-24)

Study supports urate protection against Parkinson's disease, hints at novel mechanism
Use of the antioxidant urate to protect against the neurodegeneration caused by Parkinson's disease appears to rely on more than urate's ability to protect against oxidative damage. (2012-05-24)

No new neurons in the human olfactory bulb
Research from Karolinska Institutet shows that the human olfactory bulb - a structure in the brain that processes sensory input from the nose - differs from that of other mammals in that no new neurons are formed in this area after birth. (2012-05-24)

Stem cell research paves way for progress on dealing with Fragile X retardation
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have achieved, for the first time, the generation of neuronal cells from stem cells of Fragile X patients. (2012-05-23)

GPS for the brain: UGA researchers develop new brain map
University of Georgia researchers have developed a map of the human brain that shows great promise as a new guide to the inner workings of the body's most complex and critical organ. (2012-05-23)

Neuron-nourishing cells appear to retaliate in Alzheimer's
When brain cells start oozing too much of the amyloid protein that is the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, the astrocytes that normally nourish and protect them deliver a suicide package instead, researchers report. (2012-05-23)

Dartmouth researchers are learning how exercise affects the brain
Exercise clears the mind. It gets the blood pumping and more oxygen is delivered to the brain. This is familiar territory, but Dartmouth's David Bucci thinks there is much more going on. (2012-05-21)

Acid in the brain
University of Iowa neuroscientist John Wemmie, M.D., Ph.D., is interested in the effect of acid in the brain. His studies suggest that increased acidity or low pH, in the brain is linked to panic disorders, anxiety, and depression. (2012-05-21)

Oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism
Preliminary results from an ongoing, large-scale study by Yale School of Medicine researchers shows that oxytocin - a naturally occurring substance produced in the brain and throughout the body- increased brain function in regions that are known to process social information in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). (2012-05-21)

Treatment of childhood OSA reverses brain abnormalities
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children normalizes disturbances in the neuronal network responsible for attention and executive function, according to a new study. (2012-05-21)