http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news from University of Western Ontario (Medical Xpress)—Western researchers have used neuroimaging to read human thought via brain activity when they are conveying specific 'yes' or 'no' answers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-neuroscientists-yes-no-brain.html Neuroscience Thu, 30 May 2013 07:10:18 EST news289116592 (Medical Xpress)—It's likely if you're sick, your doctor is more inclined to prescribe a brand name drug in place of its generic equivalent. Or maybe you would rather pick up some Advil for that headache, instead of the less expensive pharmacy brand of ibuprofen. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-professor-explores-drug-effectiveness.html Medications Mon, 27 May 2013 08:00:01 EST news288859001 Transformative research from Western University has identified new hormones in the body which may suppress breast cancer and stimulate the regression of breast tumors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-breast-cancer-hormone.html Cancer Fri, 24 May 2013 08:30:04 EST news288600254 Breast cancer characterized as "triple negative" carries a poor prognosis, with limited treatment options. In some cases, chemotherapy doesn't kill the cancer cells the way it's supposed to. New research from Western University explains why some cancer cells don't respond to chemotherapy, and identifies a mechanism to rectify that. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-cancer-cells-responsive-chemotherapy.html Cancer Thu, 23 May 2013 17:23:58 EST news288548605 (Medical Xpress)—You may be more than a single number, according to a team of Western-led researchers. Considered a standard gauge of intelligence, an intelligence quotient (IQ) score doesn't actually provide an accurate measure of one's intellect, according to a landmark study – the largest of its kind – led by Adrian Owen of the Brain and Mind Institute at Western. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-debunking-iq-myth.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 07 May 2013 07:30:37 EST news287130628 (Medical Xpress)—A winter after discovering Canada for France, Jacques Cartier's exploration crew started suffering and dying from the dreadful scurvy disease in 1535. But thanks to an Iroquoian healer, they were miraculously cured by a tea made from pine bark. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-bark-cataract.html Ophthalmology Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:00:01 EST news286094970 KISS 1 is a metastasis-suppressor gene which helps to prevent the spread of cancers, including melanoma, pancreatic and ovarian cancers to name a few. But new research from Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry shows that kisspeptins –peptide products of KISS1, actually make some breast cancers worse, with a higher tumor grade and metastatic potential. The research is published online in the journal Endocrinology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-breast-cancer-linked-kisspeptins-inhibit.html Cancer Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:05:00 EST news285343494 A significant number of blind humans, not unlike bats and dolphins, can localize silent objects in their environment simply by making clicking sounds with their mouth and listening to the returning echoes. Some of these individuals have honed this skill to such a degree they are not only able to localize an object, they are able to recognize the object's size and shape – and even identify the material it is made from. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-brain-visual-cues.html Neuroscience Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:14:08 EST news280390423 Thousands of men face a prostate biopsy following higher-than-normal results from their annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, the traditional screening for prostate cancer. But recent studies have shown three in four of these biopsies were unnecessary, leading to 165,000 unnecessary procedures and 6,930 related hospitalizations each year. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-prostate-cancer-treatment.html Cancer Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:10:03 EST news279531666 (Medical Xpress)—Results of a recent clinical study by researchers from Western and the University of Arkansas reveal the presence of a unique blood marker, which may further the understanding of possible gut linked environmental contributors to autism. The findings may also forecast potential blood tests for early screening to identify and potentially treat the condition, even before symptoms present. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-team-potential-blood-autistic-patients.html Autism spectrum disorders Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:37:00 EST news278663797 Researchers at Western University in London, Canada, have identified a new genetic mutation for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), opening the door to future targeted therapies. Dr. Michael Strong, a scientist with Western's Robarts Research Institute and Distinguished University Professor in Clinical Neurological Sciences at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and colleagues found that mutations within the ARHGEF28 gene are present in ALS. When they looked across both familial and sporadic forms of the disease, they found that virtually all cases of ALS demonstrated abnormal inclusions of the protein that arises from this gene. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-genetic-mutation-als.html Genetics Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:19:01 EST news277481869 (Medical Xpress)—New research from Western University provides brain imaging evidence that students well-versed in very basic single digit arithmetic (5+2=7 or 7-3=4) are better equipped to score higher on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), an examination sat by millions of students in the United States each year in preparation for college admission tests.   In findings published today in The Journal of Neuroscience (http://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/1.abstract.pdf) research led by Daniel Ansari, Associate Professor in Western's Department of Psychology and a principal investigator at the Brain and Mind Institute, showed by utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on high school seniors that there was a significant link between their brain responses while solving extremely basic, single digit calculation problems and standard scores on the PSAT. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-neuroscience-reveals-link-basic-math.html Neuroscience Fri, 04 Jan 2013 07:27:11 EST news276506818 After conducting the largest online intelligence study on record, a Western University-led research team has concluded that the notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient or IQ by a singular, standardized test is highly misleading. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-debunk-iq-myth.html Neuroscience Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:00:05 EST news275136671 New research from Western University could lead to better treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and drug addiction by effectively blocking memories. The research performed by Nicole Lauzon, a PhD candidate in the laboratory of Steven Laviolette at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has revealed a common mechanism in a region of the brain called the pre-limbic cortex, can control the recall of memories linked to both aversive, traumatic experiences associated with PTSD and rewarding memories linked to drug addiction. More importantly, the researchers have discovered a way to actively suppress the spontaneous recall of both types of memories, without permanently altering memories. The findings are published online in the journal Neuropharmacology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-block-memories-ptsd-drug-addiction.html Neuroscience Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:51:42 EST news273937881 Researchers at Western University have made a breakthrough that could lead to a better understanding of a common form of arthritis that, until now, has eluded scientists. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-breakthrough-arthritis.html Medical research Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:04:56 EST news273773086