(AP) -- The elderly fear breaking a hip when they fall, but a government study indicates that hitting their head can also have deadly consequences: Brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls.
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Rapid changes in key Alzheimer's protein described in humans
For the first time, researchers have described hour-by-hour changes in the amount of amyloid beta, a protein that is believed to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease, in the human brain. A collaborative team of scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Milan report their results this week in
Science.
Pill ingredient could prevent brain damage after head injury
A common component of the contraceptive pill (progesterone) could improve the neurologic outcome for patients with severe head injuries, according to a study published in BioMed Central’s open access journal
Critical Care.
When your brain talks, your muscles don't always listen
Have your neurons been shouting at your muscles again? It happens, you know. As we grow older, neurons--the nerve cells that deliver commands from our brains--have to "speak" more loudly to get the attention of our muscles to move, according to University of Delaware researcher Christopher Knight, an assistant professor in UD's College of Health Sciences.
Growth of spinal nerves is improved
Nerves that control the highest level of voluntary movements have been isolated and secrets of their growth revealed for the first time.
New robots help patients walk, touch, feel
CHICAGO, June 29 (AFP) - A 500-pound (225-kilogram) robot that follows a stroke patient down a hallway and catches him when he falls.
A machine that suspends a gunshot wound victim over a treadmill and teaches her legs how to walk again.
A virtual reality game that helps people with Parkinson's disease grasp coffee cups.
Scientists adapt economics theory to trace brain's information flow
Scientists have used a technique originally developed for economic study to become the first to overcome a significant challenge in brain research: determining the flow of information from one part of the brain to another.
A fine balance
Once a toddler has mastered the art of walking, it seems to come naturally for the rest of her life. But walking and running require a high degree of coordination between the left and right sides of the body. Now researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have shown how a class of spinal cord neurons, known as V3 neurons, makes sure that one side of the body doesn't get ahead of the other.
Research team discovers brain pathway responsible for obesity
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, for the first time, have found a messaging system in the brain that directly affects food intake and body weight.