http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. A paper published this month in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet Neurology suggests that a broad spectrum of developmental and psychiatric disorders, ranging from autism and intellectual disability to schizophrenia, should be conceptualized as different manifestations of a common underlying denominator, 'developmental brain dysfunction,' rather than completely independent conditions with distinct causes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-genetic-evidence-continuum-neurodevelopmental-psychiatric.html Genetics Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:21:02 EST news284368851 President John F. Kennedy's mission in 1960 was to land a man on the moon. President Bill Clinton made cracking the human genome one of his top priorities. Now, President Barack Obama says a detailed map of the human brain is necessary to understand how it works and what needs to be done when it's not working properly. The president is expected to unveil his plans for an estimated $3 billion, decade-long commitment to the Brain Activity Map project next month in his 2014 budget proposal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-obama-human-brain-equivalent-moon.html Neuroscience Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:23:30 EST news283422202 A team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College has discovered that amyloid peptides are harmful to the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood in Alzheimer's disease—thus accelerating cognitive decline by limiting oxygen-rich blood and nutrients. In their animal studies, the investigators reveal how amyloid-β accumulates in blood vessels and how such accumulation and damage might be ultimately prevented. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-blood-vessels-amyloid-worsen-cognitive.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:00:34 EST news279197409 Cooling patients resuscitated after sudden cardiac arrest to lower body temperatures may be associated with increased survival and better functional ability, according to late-breaking clinical trial research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-cooling-cardiac-patients-body-temps.html Cardiology Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:52:49 EST news271500737 Inflammation and cell stress play important roles in the death of insulin-secreting cells and are major factors in diabetes. Cell stress also plays a role in Wolfram syndrome, a rare, genetic disorder that afflicts children with many symptoms, including juvenile-onset diabetes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-treatment-diabetes-wolfram-syndrome.html Inflammatory disorders Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:44:11 EST news263562230 Impaired social function is a cardinal symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). One of the brain circuits that enable us to relate to other people is the "mirror neuron" system. This brain circuit is activated when we watch other people, and allows our brains to represent the actions of others, influencing our ability to learn new tasks and to understand the intentions and experiences of other people. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-mirror-brain-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:06:37 EST news249912274 People with depression have hyperactive brain activity, according to a study published online Tuesday that offers new insight into the brain dysfunction that causes depression. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-brain-hyperconnectivity-linked-depression.html Neuroscience Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:10:01 EST news249217008 Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism associated with type 2 diabetes. This brain dysfunction is a known risk factor for dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. The research is published online in Nutritional Neuroscience. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-decaffeinated-coffee-memory-function-brain.html Neuroscience Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:29:49 EST news247289373 A new clue to understanding one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease was unveiled in an article published Sunday (Aug. 14) in Nature Neuroscience online. Kara Pratt, a new faculty member in the University of Wyoming Neuroscience Center , is the study's lead investigator. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-link-alzheimer-lack-specific-protein.html Neuroscience Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:39:09 EST news232709935 Addiction isn't just about willpower. It's a chronic brain disease, says a new definition aimed at helping families and their doctors better understand the challenges of treating it. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-addiction-brain-disorder-bad-behavior.html Medical research Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:22:01 EST news232683700 An existing anti-seizure drug improves memory and brain function in adults with a form of cognitive impairment that often leads to full-blown Alzheimer's disease, a Johns Hopkins University study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-drug-brain-function-condition-alzheimer.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:57:45 EST news230374607