The brain controls the central nervous system, and when the internal circuitry stops working correctly, the results can be devastating. Learn about Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and other conditions.
As a large silver balloon floated its way over Colorado, millions of Americans spent hours glued to their televisions wondering if 6-year-old Falcon Heene, assumed to be inside the contraption, was alive.
Michelle Mack has turned medical thinking upside down.
Alcohol, a drug that is a major cause of accidents, may actually protect the brain from a life-threatening injury when an accident does occur, according to a study published this week in Archives of Surgery.
Matthew Sanchez had rarely seen his father cry. But when Rudjard Hayes looked at the X-rays of his son's spine after a high school football accident, he held his wife close and broke down, not knowing that his son could see him.
When cancer invades the brain, the prognosis is usually grim. Despite his treatment at highly regarded medical centers, Edward "Ted" Kennedy, who served as a Democratic senator from Massachusetts for nearly 47 years, died just over a year after his surgery.
She was called "the littlest refusenik," one of the many Soviet Jews denied permission to leave the Soviet Union because her father had been exposed to government secrets.
Ever find yourself chatting via instant messaging while checking your e-mail and surfing the Web? Well, don't pat yourself on the back for your super-productive behavior.
For Brad Cohen, the barking and squealing noises he could not control began in the fifth grade.
You're in a room with 10 other people who seem to agree on something, but you hold the opposite view. Do you say something? Or do you just go along with the others?
From supermarkets to the office supply store, it's hard to miss those tiny bottles of 5-hour Energy.
Want to keep your wits sharp as the years go by? You're not alone. Most people are worried about losing their memory as they age, and a new study shows it's a valid concern: In fact, at 53 percent -- more than half of all people -- have at least a minor mental decline in their 70s and 80s, and about 16 percent develop more serious problems with memory and other mental functions as they age.
What was the name of that guy with that stuff in that place with those things? Don't you remember?
If you're looking to curb your appetite and improve your memory, you're probably exercising, eating healthier foods and trying to get some sleep.
Besides charting the nature of space and time and penning the bestseller "A Brief History of Time," Stephen Hawking has another distinction: He beat the life-expectancy odds for people with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Connie and Donald McCracken were watching CNN one evening last week when they learned of the tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson from a head injury. Immediately, their minds turned to their 7-year-old daughter, Morgan, who was upstairs getting ready for bed.
Every week, Jackie Kaminer of Roswell, Georgia, buys fish for dinner at the local market. Although she knows it's full of nutrients -- including good-for-your-heart omega-3 fatty acids -- she's careful of the types of fish she brings home.
When Julian Asher listens to an orchestra, he doesn't just hear music; he also sees it. The sounds of a violin make him see a rich burgundy color, shiny and fluid like a red wine, while a cello's music flows like honey in a golden yellow hue.
We all make bad decisions sometimes. In some contexts, to a certain extent, psychologists know why.
A blow to the head that at first seems minor and does not result in immediate pain or other symptoms can in fact turn out to be a life-threatening brain injury, experts tell CNN.
Children and teens who have a parent with bipolar disorder are 14 times more likely than their peers to have bipolar-like symptoms themselves, and are two to three times more likely to be found to have an anxiety or mood disorder, such as depression, according to a report in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The government is warning that taking the psoriasis drug Raptiva could result in serious brain infection and even death.
Brain scans may identify which patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, are likely to progress to Alzheimer's disease, and who will probably not develop the disease, according to a new study. The findings, published in April 2009 issue of the journal Radiology, could help in developing new drugs for Alzheimer's. More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, about 3.5 million have mild cognitive impairment.
Key structural changes have been identified in the brain images of some patients with mild cognitive impairment which could help determine who's at greatest risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
Years ago, a frustrated boy with a violent temper attacked his own mother with a hammer (his older brother restrained him). He stabbed a schoolmate over a dispute about which radio station to listen to; the knife blade luckily hit a belt buckle.
Ever wonder how your fingers can tell that silk feels different from paper, which feels different from wood?
Placebos, or "sugar pills," have been used in medicine since ancient times. Today, most placebos are given in clinical trial studies for new drugs. A study in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that 45 percent of Chicago, Illinois, internists report they have used a placebo for patients at some time during their clinical practice. Only 4 percent of those admitted they were giving a placebo.
For years after his NFL career ended, Ted Johnson could barely muster the energy to leave his house.
Susan Craig's brother Roger died of a pulmonary embolism in 2007, at age 38. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in high school, he had been on antipsychotic drugs for years. At the time of his death, he was carrying 280 pounds on his 6-foot-4-inch frame.
People with Parkinson's disease who have a pacemaker-like device implanted in the brain spend an extra four-plus hours a day free of tremors and involuntary movements than they do on medication, according to the largest study of the treatment, which is known as deep brain stimulation.
Long-term outcome research indicates that deep brain stimulation holds promise for the treatment of intractable major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, a frequent companion illness. The technique targets a specific node in the cerebral cortex. When that one region is stimulated, the effects spread throughout the frontal lobe of the brain.
Sen. Edward Kennedy announced in May 2008 that he was suffering from a brain tumor, a malignant glioma, in his left parietal lobe. He had surgery at Duke University in June 2008.
Video games activate reward the regions of the brain in men more than women, according to a Stanford University study published online in February 2008 in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Age-related macular degeneration is a baby-boomer disease that, according to the American Medical Association, affects more than 10 million Americans. It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over age 65. A study published in the July 2007 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology found that current smokers are four times more likely to develop this eye problem than nonsmokers.
For the 150,000 American women entering menopause each month, the mood swings, hot flashes and libido changes that often accompany a drop in estrogen can leave them feeling like they need help. In the past, hormone replacement therapy was often used to help ease symptoms, but compelling research has shown a significant drop in breast cancer cases among women over 50 after they stopped hormone therapy. This leaves many women asking, how do I manage menopause?
A May 2008 study in the Journal of Neuroscience finds that losing just one night of sleep makes the brain unstable and prone to sudden shutdowns.
A National Institutes of Health study from November 2007 found that in youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the brain matures in a normal pattern. However, it is delayed three years in some regions, on average, compared with youth without the disorder. The researchers used a new image analysis technique that allowed them to pinpoint the thinning and thickening of sites in the cortex of the brains of hundreds of children and teens with and without the disorder. The findings bolster the idea that ADHD results from a delay in the maturation of the cortex.
Thomas Cuddy enlisted in the U.S. Army 28 years ago, but he's facing his greatest battle now that he's out.
Stress-induced analgesia occurs when an injured person can ignore the pain of an injury because of other stressful situations going on at the same time. For example, if you bang your shin while hiking, it stops hurting if you see a mountain lion. Researchers say a stress hormone, noradrenaline, also known as norepinephrine, which floods the bloodstream during stressful events, numbs the brain's pain-processing pathway. Previous studies have shown that adrenaline is also part of the reason that certain forms of stress can boost the immune system and help fight off the flu. A study on rats explains how someone injured in a car wreck can still manage to save other people.
Botox is considered a poison with a purpose. Millions of Americans use it to help smooth their wrinkles. As more people use Botox as the ultimate wrinkle remover, doctors are realizing that its benefits go far deeper than the skin. Now it's being used to help stroke victims. A study showing these benefits was released in October 2005.
A Mayo Clinic study, announced in January 2008, details an unprecedented method to predict brain aging disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, called ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Investigators identified several gene mutations that predicted which people are at high risk for ALS and Parkinson's, which afflicts a million Americans. People with one set of genetic mutations were 2,000 times more likely than normal to develop ALS. Those with the other set are 400 times more likely than normal to suffer from Parkinson's disease. Researchers say this approach may be used to predict other complex diseases such as Alzheimer's, strokes, diabetes and cancer. They say, for example, if a test is developed that predicts someone is at high risk for diabetes, that person can change his or her behavior through exercise and diet to prevent the disease.
A five-minute eye exam costing about $150 for both eyes might prove to be an inexpensive and effective way to gauge and track the neurological disease multiple sclerosis, potentially complementing costly magnetic resonance imaging to detect brain shrinkage, a characteristic of the disease's progression. The current standard is MRI testing, which takes at least an hour and costs about $1,200. The research was done at Johns Hopkins University and was published in the October 16, 2007, issue of the journal Neurology.
A 2007 study indicates that women who have migraines with auras are at increased risk for stroke. The study, led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, looked at 1,000 African-American and white women from ages 15 to 49 and was published in the journal Stroke in August 2007.
The popular herb ginkgo biloba does not reduce the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of more than 1,500 elderly patients who took the supplement. Often touted as a way to preserve aging memories, no large-scale, randomized clinical trial -- until now -- has thoroughly evaluated the safety and effectiveness of ginkgo biloba extract as a way to prevent dementia.
Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
About 90 percent of U.S. kids ages 8 to 16 play video games, and they spend about 13 hours a week doing so (more if you're a boy). Now a new study suggests virtual violence in these games may make kids more aggressive in real life.
About 90 percent of U.S. kids ages 8 to 16 play video games, and they spend about 13 hours a week doing so (more if you're a boy). Now a new study suggests virtual violence in these games may make kids more aggressive in real life.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, 65, released his medical records Monday, detailing the treatment of two brain aneurysms in 1988 and other, mostly minor medical problems.
Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth.
Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth.
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