brain

A compound in olive oil targets and blocks toxic proteins that damage brain cells and cause memory loss in Alzheimer's disease victims, U.S. researchers said. The compound, oleocanthal, alters the structures of the proteins, ADDLs, said William L. Klein of Northwestern University and Paul A.S. Breslin of Monell Chemical Senses Center. "Binding of ADDLs is thought to be a crucial Read more...

Fat molecules from some foods can change brain chemistry in a short time, causing appetite-suppressing signals to be ignored, U.S. researchers say. Dr. Deborah Clegg, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues attempted to isolate the effects of fat on animals' brains by exposing them to fat in different ways: by Read more...

Those with Alzheimer's disease or obsessive-compulsive disorder may be trapped in routines and kept from adapting to new environments, U.S. researchers say. Senior author Michael Platt Duke of University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., says brain scans in monkeys indicated nerve cells in the part of the brain known as the posterior cingulate cortex fire up more strongly when the monkeys Read more...

A defense attorney who was cross-examining a pathologist asked, "Since you didn't listen for a heartbeat and you didn't check for breathing, how were you sure the man was really dead when you signed the death certificate?" "Well, let me put it this way," said the pathologist. "The man's brain was sitting in a jar on my desk. But I guess it's possible he could be out Read more...

Sunscreen could be linked to brain diseases such as dementia, scientists fear. Two researchers are to launch a three-year study to determine whether engineered nanoparticles in sun cream pose a risk to the people who use it. The University of Ulster team are part of a worldwide project examining whether nanoparticles can induce diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Professor Read more...

Along with a risk of hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, scientists have come up with another reason to avoid obesity: Brain shrinkage. A UCLA study released last week shows the brains of obese older adults are on average 8 percent smaller than their more fit counterparts. "If you can do anything about obesity, know that you are not only saving your waistline, but saving the life Read more...

Everywhere we turn, we hear information about the benefits of exercise in building stronger bones and muscles and reducing the incidence of illnesses from diabetes to heart disease. A growing body of research however, is demonstrating that exercise is not just good for your body -- it's good for your brain. Physical activity can be beneficial to stroke victims, people suffering from Read more...

WASHINGTON -- Got an itch to scratch? Scientists have pinpointed a key group of cells that sends itch-alerts to the brain. When researchers at Washington University in St. Louis knocked out those cells in mice, it alleviated their itchiness without affecting their ability to sense pain -- work that opens a possible new target for creating better itch relievers. Don't underestimate that need. Read more...

Northeast Ohio researchers are trying to prove Parkinson's disease patients can pedal their way past the tremors and other problems that often accompany their condition. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic and Kent State University are studying whether assisted exercise on a bicycle helps people with Parkinson's feel better. The initial results are promising. A study to be published Read more...

Glenn Burgeson of Bluffton has suffered from Parkinson's disease for 20 years. A brain disorder, Parkinson's disease can cause shaking, rigidity, slow movement and difficulty with balance. But Burgeson has found something that has helped him cope with the disease -- yoga. He and his wife, Mary Ann, coordinators of the Hilton Head Island Parkinson's Support Group in Hilton Head, S.C., started Read more...