brain function

Brain imaging shows that the brains of teens that use marijuana are working harder than the brains of their peers who abstain from the drug.

An anti-inflammatory drug may help restore brain function in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to an animal study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Researchers have now shown that rats transplanted with cells isolated from human nasal polyps have improved brain function following a stroke compared with rats not transplanted with these cells.

A brain network linked to introspective tasks -- such as forming the self-image or understanding the motivations of others -- is less intricate and well-connected in children, scientists have learned.

They also showed that the network establishes firmer connections between various brain regions as an individual matures.

The scientists are working to establish a picture of how these connections and other brain networks normally develop and interact.

Impaired brain function is a prominent and still unsolved problem in AIDS. Shortly after an individual becomes infected with HIV, the virus can invade the brain and persist in this organ for life.

Many HIV-infected individuals experience disturbances in memory functions and movement, which can progress to serious dementia.

How the virus causes brain disease is still unclear.