Scientists Find Fever Trigger in Mice

(NEWSER) - Scientists are taking a new approach to autism research using magnetic field generators that test the brain’s reflexes, the Boston Globe reports. Much like tapping a patient on the knee to gauge a physical reaction, trans-cranial magnetic stimulation triggers activity in specific areas of the brain through a charged paddle applied to the head. Researchers hope patients' reactions will offer new clues about the disease. More»

Diagnosis could allow for treatment to slow disease's progression

(AP) - A research institute devoted to Alzheimer's and related diseases has teamed up with a major maker of diagnostic tests to speed development of what could be the first test to detect Alzheimer's in its early stages. If all goes well, the first commercial version of the test could be available in 12 to 18 months, possibly enabling patients to try to slow progression of the disease. More»

Case brings hope, raises questions

(NEWSER) - Electric stimulation may help improve the brain function of patients in a minimally conscious state, a case study reported in Nature reveals. A 38-year-old man who was mute and barely conscious for nearly 6 years is able to name objects, perform precise movements, and eat without the aid of a feeding tube after doctors used electrodes implanted in his brain to stimulate what's called the central thalamus. More»

Computers track brain activity as words are heard

(NEWSER) - Scientists have taken a big step toward being able to decode our thoughts. Researchers working with brain surgery patients taught computers to decipher the brain activity that takes place when words are heard. The brain, they found, breaks sounds down into their consistent acoustic frequencies. Using that computer model, they were then able to correctly guess which word volunteers had chosen from a list and were thinking of, the BBC reports. More»

Scientists have already determined that it could go airborne

(NEWSER) - Researchers have temporarily shut down their investigations into a new, potentially devastating form of bird flu, giving in to widespread fear that terrorists might get their hands on the mutated virus. The researchers at Erasmus Medical College in the Netherlands have already determined that the strain, dubbed H5N1, is transmissible through the air between ferrets, which are considered good stand-ins for humans in flu transmission studies, Reuters reports. More»