Recommended reading from around the Web

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Gene Therapy Looks Better

Gene Therapy Looks Better
by Guy McKhann, M.D.

Brain in the News | May 2008

Gene therapy has arrived in the form of a treatment that restores sight to those afflicted with a rare genetic form of blindness.

Column

Brain on the Web

May 2008

This month's Web sites feature a radio show, a research lab and a colorful gallery of neurons.

Long-Term Ibuprofen Use Cut Alzheimer's Risk: Study

by Julie Steenhuysen

Reuters | May 5, 2008

People who took ibuprofen painkillers for more than five years had a 40 percent smaller risk of developing Alzheimer's, according to a recent study.

Exercise Your Brain, or Else You’ll ... Uh ...

by Katie Hafner

The New York Times | May 3, 2008

So-called "senior moments" might not be an unalterable fate after all. Recent research suggests that the adult brain may have more plasticity than once thought.

Sex Hormone Helps Prevent Brain Damage After Head Injury

by Ian Sample

The Guardian | May 1, 2008

A hormone found in oral contraceptives could protect cells in the brain following a car crash or sporting accident, according to recent research.

Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower

by Nicholas Bakalar

The New York Times | April 29, 2008

It may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, a new study suggests, refuting the long-held notion that "fluid intelligence" is fixed from birth.

Let There Be Light

by Tina Hesman Saey

Science News | April 28, 2008

Gene therapy has restored some sight to three people with a rare form of blindness called Leber’s congenital amaurosis. Researchers injected into the patients' eyes a virus with a healthy version of the gene whose malfunctioning caused the blindness.

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