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UCSF approach may one day be used to create new periods of plasticity in human brain

UCSF scientists report that they were able to prompt a new period of "plasticity," or capacity for change, in the neural circuitry of the visual cortex of juvenile mice. The approach, they say, might some day be used to create new periods of plasticity in the human brain that would allow for the repair of neural circuits following injury or disease.

27 Mar 2010

Modified protein plays a key role in memory processes

How do we process thoughts and store memories? A team of researchers headed by Dr. Nahum Sonenberg of McGill's Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Centre has discovered that brains in mammals modify a particular protein in a unique way, which alters the protein's normal function.

26 Mar 2010

SMA Foundation completes biomarker study for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

The Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of a treatment for SMA, is pleased to announce the completion of a pilot study to identify Biomarkers for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (BforSMA) and the discovery of over 400 candidate biomarkers.

26 Mar 2010

Study offers new insight on how human brain makes moral judgments

A new study from MIT neuroscientists suggests that our ability to respond appropriately to intended harms - that is, with outrage toward the perpetrator - is seated in a brain region associated with regulating emotions.

25 Mar 2010

New research at Tel Aviv University may lay groundwork for retinal implants in people

Television's Six Million Dollar Man foresaw a future when man and machine would become one. New research at Tel Aviv University is making this futuristic "vision" of bionics a reality.

23 Mar 2010

Microglia contribute to loss of neurons linked with Alzheimer's disease

Microglia are the cells responsible for immune surveillance in the brain, and they initiate protective inflammatory reactions in response to tissue damage and infection. An international team under the leadership of LMU neuroscientist Professor Jochen Herms has now shown that these cells may actually make a significant contribution to the loss of neurons associated with Alzheimer's disease.

22 Mar 2010

Research shows phenomenon of brain replay is much more complex

The hippocampus, a part of the brain essential for memory, has long been known to "replay" recently experienced events. Previously, replay was believed to be a simple process of reviewing recent experiences in order to help consolidate them into long-term memory.

18 Mar 2010

Blocking RhoA enzyme increases survival in SMA mouse model

Scientists from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa have identified a promising new approach for developing drugs to treat Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading inherited cause of death in infants and toddlers. Dr. Rashmi Kothary and his doctoral student Melissa Bowerman have found that an enzyme called RhoA is overly active in a mouse model of the disease and blocking this enzyme can greatly increase survival. The study is published in Human Molecular Genetics.

16 Mar 2010

Decision making: Replays in hippocampus part of complex process

Replaying recent events in the area of the brain called the hippocampus may have less to do with creating long-term memories, as scientists have suspected, than with an active decision-making process, suggests a new study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Minnesota Medical School.

12 Mar 2010

Auditory cortex development becomes vulnerable if it does not receive appropriate stimulation at right time

Hearing scientist Daniel Polley, Ph.D., an investigator at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary's Eaton-Peabody Laboratories of Auditory Physiology, has gained new insight into why a relatively short-term hearing deprivation during childhood may lead to persistent hearing deficits, long after hearing is restored to normal.

11 Mar 2010

Study uncovers mechanism facilitating motivation for alcohol after extended abstinence

New research provides exciting insight into the molecular mechanisms associated with addiction and relapse. The study, published by Cell Press in the March 11 issue of the journal Neuron, uncovers a crucial mechanism that facilitates motivation for alcohol after extended abstinence and opens new avenues for potential therapeutic intervention.

11 Mar 2010

Molecular master switch plays a key role in maturation process of brain cells

About four out of every 10 cells in the brain are so-called oligodendrocytes. These cells produce the all-important myelin that coats nerve tracts, ensuring fast, energy-efficient transmission of nerve impulses.

11 Mar 2010

Clinical research trial of new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke passes safety stage

A clinical research trial of a new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke has passed an important safety stage, according to the UC Irvine neurologist who led the effort.

11 Mar 2010

Study suggests mental activity could stave off age-related cognitive and memory decline

UC Irvine neurobiologists are providing the first visual evidence that learning promotes brain health - and, therefore, that mental stimulation could limit the debilitating effects of aging on memory and the mind.

3 Mar 2010

Reversing protein deficiency through gene therapy can improve SMA

Reversing a protein deficiency through gene therapy can correct motor function, restore nerve signals and improve survival in mice that serve as a model for the lethal childhood disorder spinal muscular atrophy, new research shows.

1 Mar 2010

Schizophrenia: Insight into late development of symptoms

In reports of two new studies, researchers led by Johns Hopkins say they have identified the mechanisms rooted in two anatomical brain abnormalities that may explain the onset of schizophrenia and the reason symptoms don't develop until young adulthood. Both types of anatomical glitches are influenced by a gene known as DISC1, whose mutant form was first identified in a Scottish family with a strong history of schizophrenia and related mental disorders. The findings could lead to new ways to treat, prevent or modify the disorder or its symptoms.

26 Feb 2010

Brain implant helps scientists in determining link between brainwave patterns and attention

A paralyzed patient implanted with a brain-computer interface device has allowed scientists to determine the relationship between brain waves and attention.

25 Feb 2010

Tel Aviv University unveils new synthetic supplement to stall age-related memory loss

Those who live in industrialized countries have easy access to healthy food and nutritional supplements, but magnesium deficiencies are still common. That's a problem because new research from Tel Aviv University suggests that magnesium, a key nutrient for the functioning of memory, may be even more critical than previously thought for the neurons of children and healthy brain cells in adults.

23 Feb 2010

Neuroimaging study may lead to new therapeutic treatments for stroke and hearing loss

Duke University Medical Center scientists crowded around a laser-powered microscope in a darkened room to peer into the brain of an anesthetized juvenile songbird right after he heard an adult tutors' song for the first time.

18 Feb 2010

Researchers find new risk factor for early-onset dementia

Examining brain tissue from over 500 individuals in 11 countries, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues found a new risk factor for the second-most-common cause of early-onset dementia after Alzheimer's disease.

16 Feb 2010

Neuron News and Research

UCSF approach may one day be used to create new periods of plasticity in human brain

Modified protein plays a key role in memory processes

SMA Foundation completes biomarker study for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Study offers new insight on how human brain makes moral judgments

New research at Tel Aviv University may lay groundwork for retinal implants in people

Microglia contribute to loss of neurons linked with Alzheimer's disease

Research shows phenomenon of brain replay is much more complex

Blocking RhoA enzyme increases survival in SMA mouse model

Decision making: Replays in hippocampus part of complex process

Auditory cortex development becomes vulnerable if it does not receive appropriate stimulation at right time

Study uncovers mechanism facilitating motivation for alcohol after extended abstinence

Molecular master switch plays a key role in maturation process of brain cells

Clinical research trial of new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke passes safety stage

Study suggests mental activity could stave off age-related cognitive and memory decline

Reversing protein deficiency through gene therapy can improve SMA

Schizophrenia: Insight into late development of symptoms

Brain implant helps scientists in determining link between brainwave patterns and attention

Tel Aviv University unveils new synthetic supplement to stall age-related memory loss

Neuroimaging study may lead to new therapeutic treatments for stroke and hearing loss

Researchers find new risk factor for early-onset dementia

Neuroscience - Second Edition eBook

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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