Washington, Feb 19 : A team researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has found that people who have parents diagnosed with Alzheimer''s disease or dementia are significantly more likely than others to experience memory loss.

The study found that this is true even in middle-aged persons who do not have a diagnosis of clinical stroke or dementia.

For the study, researchers studied 715 participants (372 women, 343 men) of Framingham Heart Study (FHS) (average age 59) using standardized cognitive tests and MRI brain scans.

Washington, Feb 19 : Scientists can now easily tell what's going on in a person's mind, thanks to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that can accurately reveal what people are thinking.

In a new study, led by neuroscientist Frank Tong of Vanderbilt University, volunteers were shown two different patterns and were then asked to picture one or the other.

Using fMRI brain scans, the researchers predicted with 80 percent accuracy which of the two patterns each person was actively holding in memory 11 seconds later.

fMRI images reveal which groups of neurons are active by measuring blood flow.

Washington, Feb 19 : Here's another reason for egg lovers to savour their favourite food - it helps lower high blood pressure.

Canadian researchers have found that egg proteins can help reduce BP in hypertensive patients.

Earlier studies have suggested that eggs provide high-quality protein for growth, muscle strength and energy and promote weight.

Its key nutrients also help reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects and promote eye health.

Washington, Feb 19: A new study, conducted on mice, has shown that a drug used in a type of hereditary metabolic disorder could improve the memory of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers of the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra have shown that the drug sodium phenylbutyrate, prescribed until now for patients with alterations in the urea cycle, eases the fusion of proteins responsible for neuron connections, thus increasing the learning capacity of the mice involved.

Washington, Feb 19 : A fermented food made from boiled soybeans, which is popular in Asian countries for its ability to protect against heart attacks, has shown promise in preventing the formation of amyloid proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease, say Taiwan researchers.

The study, led by Rita P. Y. Chen has revealed that people in Asia have been eating natto, a vegan food, for more than 1,000 years.

Natto contains an enzyme, nattokinase, which has effects similar to clot-busting drugs used in heart disease.

Melbourne, Feb 19 : In a major breakthrough towards rebuilding broken bones, Aussie scientists have created a synthetic biomaterial that encourages the body to create bone on its own.

The biomaterial created by researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Stryker Australia could probe top be an answer to successful bone grafts and treating bone disease.

Dr Cameron Lutton of QUT said that the biomaterial activates the initial stages of bone healing by encouraging the body''s natural clotting process, thus promoting bone growth.

"The biomaterial interacts with blood and mimics early bone healing events," ABC Online quoted Lutton as saying.