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Scientists reverse alcohol-seeking behavior in rats with flip of a switch

Scientists at Scripps Research have found that they can reverse the desire to drink in alcohol-dependent rats--with the flip of a switch.

19 Mar 2019

Gene medication shows promise to treat spinal cord injuries

The two-gene medication has been proven to recover motor functions in rats. After several months of treatment, rodents were able to use previously paralyzed limbs. Researchers at Kazan Federal University are now seeking pre-clinical trial investment.

18 Mar 2019

MSU professor wins prestigious award for brain research

Some electrical engineers design the giant dynamos and transmission lines that power society. Others apply their prowess to electronics in cars and televisions, or -- still smaller -- the microprocessors in phones and watches.

15 Mar 2019

New therapy could help prolong useful vision and delay total blindness

Millions of Americans are progressively losing their sight as cells in their eyes deteriorate, but a new therapy developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, could help prolong useful vision and delay total blindness.

14 Mar 2019

Scientists create process for classifying neurons in mouse brain

It's been estimated that the human brain contains roughly 100 billion neurons, together completing countless tasks through countless connections.

14 Mar 2019

Blunting emotional component associated with pain

Chronic pain involves more than just hurting. People suffering from pain often experience sadness, depression and lethargy. That's one reason opioids can be so addictive -- they not only dampen the pain but also make people feel euphoric.

13 Mar 2019

New evidence found for role of human hippocampus in future planning

A team of scientists reports finding the first evidence that the human hippocampus is necessary for future planning. Its findings, published in the journal Neuron, link its long-established role in memory with our ability to use our knowledge to map out the future effects of our actions.

13 Mar 2019

Research team identifies potential target protein aggregates for treating Alzheimer's disease

The aggregation of alpha-synuclein proteins in Parkinson's disease and tau proteins in Alzheimer's disease is intimately linked to the progression of these neurodegenerative diseases. These aggregates propagate from one neuronal cell to another, attaching themselves to the cells.

8 Mar 2019

Study unravels microscopic mysteries in the brains of C. elegans

It's the small pieces that make the big picture, and in this case, the pieces can't be seen by the naked eye. New research at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate Universit used microscopy techniques to piece together the brain of the millimeter-long Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing that their neurons fire action potentials - a spike in voltage due to neurons sending sensory information in the cell membrane.

5 Mar 2019

FutureNeuro collaborates with UCB to inform improvements in epilepsy treatment

FutureNeuro, the SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, based at RCSI, has partnered with global biopharmaceutical company, UCB, to unlock the power of healthcare data to inform improvements in clinical care of people with epilepsy.

5 Mar 2019

Researchers discover mechanism for how male sex steroids sculpt brain development

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a mechanism for how androgens -- male sex steroids -- sculpt brain development. The research, conducted by Margaret M. McCarthy, Ph.D., who Chairs the Department of Pharmacology, could ultimately help researchers understand behavioral development differences between males and females.

4 Mar 2019

Scientists use pulsed infrared light lasers to focus on the action of drugs

Having absolute control of the activity of a molecule in an organism. Deciding when, where and how a drug is activated. These are some of the goals expected to be reached with the so-called photoswitchable molecules, compounds that, in the presence of certain light waves, change their properties.

1 Mar 2019

Breakthrough software tool tracks activity of neurons in real time

Tracking the firings of individual neurons is like trying to discern who is saying what in a football stadium full of screaming fans. Until recently, neuroscientists have had to tediously track each neuron by hand.

28 Feb 2019

New research finds alterations in brain connectivity in OCD patients

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by alterations in brain connectivity, i.e., patients present a dysfunction related to the synchronization of activity between different groups of neurons, as evidenced by recent research.

28 Feb 2019

Study provides new understanding of how the nose adapts to smells

Our noses may be able to adapt themselves to tell the brain, as efficiently as possible, about the most typical smells in our environment, suggests new research published in eLife.

27 Feb 2019

Researchers describe neural mechanisms responsible for local search in hungry worms

Perpetually hungry, worms are strategic when it comes to searching for food. The microscopic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans, is known to spend up to 20 minutes seeking out snacks in its immediate surroundings before endeavoring to look elsewhere.

27 Feb 2019

Newly developed probe looks, acts, and feels so much like real neuron

Like a well-guarded fortress, the human brain attacks intruders on sight. Foreign objects, including neural probes used to study and treat the brain, do not last long.

26 Feb 2019

Using CRISPR to regulate genes in the rat brain

Neuroscientists have used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to regulate genes in the rat brain. Described in eNeuro, this technique paves the way for researchers to probe genetic influences on brain health and disease in model organisms that more closely resemble human conditions.

From Society for Neuroscience 25 Feb 2019

Neuron-derived estrogen key to making memories

Estrogen in the brain is important to keep neurons communicating and memories being made, scientists report.

25 Feb 2019

Novel MRI sensor can peer deep into the brain to detect intracellular calcium activity

Calcium is a critical signaling molecule for most cells, and it is especially important in neurons. Imaging calcium in brain cells can reveal how neurons communicate with each other; however, current imaging techniques can only penetrate a few millimeters into the brain.

22 Feb 2019