A recent study published in PNAS U.S.A. utilized functional MRI to examine the brain activity of awake, mildly sedated zebra finches during song stimulation. The research found that the right side of the birds' brains discriminated sounds better, suggesting a possible link between bird song and human speech disorders like stuttering.
Dr. Joseph Fins, a leading expert in medical ethics, has received the Robert Wood Johnson Investigator Award to study brain injury care and develop innovative models of treatment. The project aims to improve clinician-family communication and inform educational standards for professionals.
Scientists have discovered a mechanism that can organize the activity of cells involved in short-term recall known as working memory. The study found that inhibitory neurons play a key role in coordinating this process, which could lead to improved treatment options for individuals with schizophrenia.
Researchers found that integrating rapid syphilis testing into prenatal HIV testing programs in Haiti can prevent over 2,000 cases of stillbirth, neonatal death or congenital syphilis. The approach proved to be the best strategy due to its simplicity and ease of administration.
The Dyson Foundation has awarded $5 million to support the development of a state-of-the-art eye care facility at Weill Cornell Medical College. The new floor is expected to open in spring 2008 and will provide advanced treatment options for patients, honoring Dr. Jackson Coleman's legacy.
A study by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers found that immune antibodies penetrate neurons and reduce levels of Alzheimer's-linked amyloid peptides, offering new hope for immunotherapy against the disease. The discovery could also advance treatment for other immune diseases.
Dr. Steven S. Gross receives the 2007 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award for his work on nitric oxide and its role in vascular complications of diabetes. The $2.5 million grant will support research into potential pharmaceutical targets.
The study suggests that assigning each staff member a specific time for inoculation is the most effective method to ensure healthcare workers stay healthy and patients receive optimal care. This approach resulted in wait times of only slightly more than two minutes, even with low compliance levels.
Researchers found that value judgments in framing research questions, identifying problems, and designing studies can lead to better research outcomes. Medical researchers may unconsciously make these value-laden decisions, mistakenly believing they automatically introduce bias.
Researchers are using a virtual reality simulation called Virtual Iraq to better understand how symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develop. The study found that participating veterans with PTSD experience increased physiological arousal, anxiety, and suppressed memories after viewing the simulation.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and Yale University discovered that dynamin 1 is not essential to all synaptic transmission, but rather acts more subtly during moments of high activity. This finding has significant implications for understanding neurological injury and disease.
Researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell developed a simple and effective technique to reconstruct key anatomical structures that ensure continence. The procedure added only two to five minutes to standard robotic prostatectomy and achieved a 95% continence rate among patients 16 weeks after their surgeries.