Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Largest ever study looks at genetic sequences of people with epilepsy

Researchers and patients from Austin Health and the University of Melbourne have been involved in the largest ever study looking at the genetic sequences of people with epilepsy.

1 Aug 2019

Evidence shows ketamine is not opioid and can treat depression easily

Ketamine’s reputation as an antidepressant is restored; it’s not an opioid.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 1 Aug 2019

Stevens researchers track how the brain behaves upon impact leading to concussion

Play contact sports for any length of time and at one point or another you're probably going to have your 'bell rung' by a powerful blow to the head from a hard hit or fall. Rising awareness of the severe, abiding repercussions of strong impacts to the head--concussions, mild traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders--have led scientists to focus on what exactly happens inside a skull during a big hit.

1 Aug 2019

Study finds worrisome increase in medical imaging during pregnancy

Use of medical imaging during pregnancy increased significantly in the United States, a new study has found, with nearly a four-fold rise over the last two decades in the number of women undergoing computed tomography CT scans, which expose mothers and fetuses to radiation. Pregnant women are warned to minimize radiation exposure.

1 Aug 2019

First-of-its-kind study in space station seeks to find causes of major diseases

High above the Earth, researchers are conducting a first-of-its-kind study to help patients with Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis on the planet below. The International Space Station experiment is looking for what triggers these diseases by studying how nerve and immune brain cells interact.

1 Aug 2019

Low or high levels of hemoglobin may increase risk of dementia

Having either low or high levels of hemoglobin in your blood may be linked to an increased risk of developing dementia years later, according to a study published in the July 31, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Aug 2019

New twist on century-old plastic surgery technique helps repair patient's skull base

A Rutgers-led team of surgeons developed a groundbreaking procedure based on a century-old plastic surgery technique, to save the life of a patient who suffered complications following the removal of a cancerous tumor inside his skull.

1 Aug 2019

Mice brain study reveals secrets about Alzheimer’s

Researchers from University of California, Irvine have found the key responses of brain cells to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and say that this could help them understand the chronic debilitating and progressive neurodegenerative disease better in future.

1 Aug 2019

Liver function may be important in Alzheimer’s disease risk

A new study shows a strong link between altered liver function and the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This correlates with recent data on the role played by diseases affecting the systemic metabolism, such as diabetes and high blood cholesterol, in disruptions of brain function as in AD.

31 Jul 2019

Important steps to slow down Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common type of dementia. It slowly kills brain cells and is the fifth-leading cause of death for Americans age 65 and over.

31 Jul 2019

Enhanced rehab helps older patients recover more fully from ailments

Goal-oriented, motivational physical and occupational therapy helps older patients recover more fully from broken hips, strokes and other ailments that land them in skilled nursing facilities for rehabilitation, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

31 Jul 2019

Research uncovers novel connections between liver dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease

New research from the Alzheimer's Disease Metabolomics Consortium and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative has uncovered novel connections between liver dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease, paving a new path toward a systems level view of Alzheimer's relevant for early detection and ultimately for prevention.

31 Jul 2019

Early neuroimaging essential for Zika-exposed infants

Seventy-one of 110 Brazilian infants at the highest risk for experiencing problems due to exposure to the Zika virus in the womb experienced a wide spectrum of brain abnormalities, including calcifications and malformations in cortical development, according to a study published July 31, 2019 in JAMA Network Open.

31 Jul 2019

Scientists gain insights into how the brain perceives different odors

Scientists have looked deep into the brain to understand the relationships between the synapses of olfactory nerves and the functions of inhibitory interneurons.

31 Jul 2019

Autonomic nervous system of babies functions well regardless of mode of delivery, study finds

Late in pregnancy, the human body carefully prepares fetuses for the rigors of life outside the protection of the womb. Levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, ramp up and spike during labor.

31 Jul 2019

Johns Hopkins researchers use nanotechnology to repair faulty brain circuits

Working with mouse and human tissue, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report new evidence that a protein pumped out of some — but not all — populations of “helper” cells in the brain, called astrocytes, plays a specific role in directing the formation of connections among neurons needed for learning and forming new memories.

31 Jul 2019

Astrocytic MORs in the hippocampus responsible for conditioned place preference

If somebody asks me "are you a coffee addict?" I may say, "Yeah it seems like, but on the one condition, only in my office." I don't have that much craving for coffee at home, but just being in the office, where I used to drink coffee all the time seeking to get caffeine jitters, seems to trigger my caffeine-addicted brain.

31 Jul 2019

New study helps better understand molecular basis of diseases affecting motor control

Neuroscientists at the University of Sussex have revealed that complex movements, such as those that maintain our posture, can be controlled by a simple genetic system, providing a framework to better understand the molecular basis of diseases that affect motor control, like Huntington's and Parkinson's.

31 Jul 2019

Traditional measures overlook socioeconomic costs associated with dementia

A new research review highlighting the hidden costs of dementia suggests that traditional measures only show the 'tip of the iceberg' of the cost impact on society.

31 Jul 2019

Study investigates whether patients with ADPKD should be screened for brain aneurysms

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is characterized by progressive development of kidney cysts, as well as abnormalities outside the kidneys, including brain aneurysms or weaknesses in blood vessels in the brain that balloon and fill with blood and may later rupture.

31 Jul 2019