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.

Pink noise enhances deep sleep for people with mild cognitive impairment

Gentle sound stimulation played during specific times during deep sleep enhanced deep or slow-wave sleep for people with mild cognitive impairment, who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

28 Jun 2019

Pharmaceutical products made of solid gold

Over the past twenty years, the use of nanoparticles in medicine has steadily increased. However, their safety and effect on the human immune system remains an important concern.

28 Jun 2019

Anti-aging protein hormone Klotho shown to be neuroprotective in ALS model

Increasing the levels of the anti-aging protein hormone Klotho improves the neurological deficits and prolongs life span in an experimental model with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

28 Jun 2019

Salk study unravels how the brain encodes color and shape

There are hundreds of thousands of distinct colors and shapes that a person can distinguish visually, but how does the brain process all of this information? Scientists previously believed that the visual system initially encodes shape and color with different sets of neurons and then combines them much later.

28 Jun 2019

New strategy may strengthen gut-brain communication

Scientists have developed a strategy that raises the volume of gut-body communication, paving the way for new interventions to improve human health.

28 Jun 2019

Promising new approaches in the fight against brain metastasis

Research is currently pursuing several highly promising approaches in the fight against cancers that give rise to metastases in the brain.

28 Jun 2019

Scientists discover pathway that prevents buildup of Alzheimer's protein

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered a pathway that functions like a car wash to prevent the buildup of a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. The report appeared online today in the journal Cell.

28 Jun 2019

High-fat, low-carbohydrate diet may improve brain function and memory in older adults

In a pilot study of 14 older adults with mild cognitive problems suggestive of early Alzheimer's disease, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet may improve brain function and memory.

28 Jun 2019

Sleep quality could be indicator for later Alzheimer’s disease finds study

A new study from the researchers at the University of California, Berkeley has shown that progressively declining quality of sleep among those in their 50s and 60s could be indicative of protein tangles within their brains that could lead to later development of Alzheimer’s disease.

28 Jun 2019

New technology helps clinicians 'see' and map patient's pain in real-time

Many patients, especially those who are anesthetized or emotionally challenged, cannot communicate precisely about their pain.

28 Jun 2019

Music can help develop speech and language skills in hearing-impaired children

Finnish researchers have compiled guidelines for international use for utilising music to support the development of spoken language.

27 Jun 2019

Scientists reveal insights into how a common Alzheimer's risk gene disrupts brain cells

Insights into how a gene that increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease disrupts brain cells have been revealed by scientists.

27 Jun 2019

Sleep decline in one's 50s, 60s increases risk of Alzheimer's disease

People who report a declining quality of sleep as they age from their 50s to their 60s have more protein tangles in their brain, putting them at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, according to a new study by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley.

27 Jun 2019

Compelling New Evidence Further Suggests Parkinson’s Disease Begins in the Gut

A new mouse study has revealed more evidence that Parkinson’s disease originates in the gut before traveling to the brain via the body’s neurons.

27 Jun 2019

Researchers discover 'mystical' psychedelic compound in normal brains

In the past few years, thrill-seekers from Hollywood, Silicon Valley and beyond have been travelling to South America to take part in so-called Ayahuasca retreats.

27 Jun 2019

More seniors are dying in falls. Doctors could do more to reduce the risk.

Older adults worried about falling typically receive general advice: Take an exercise class. Get your vision checked. Stop taking medications for sleep. Install grab bars in the bathroom.

27 Jun 2019

Study: One-fifth of hematological cancer patients suffer blood clots or bleeding

New Danish research may help direct focus towards the serious complications that on average every fifth hematological cancer patient suffers.

27 Jun 2019

Concussion increases risk for injuries in college football players after they return to sport

College football players who have had a concussion are at high risk for sustaining a core or lower-extremity injury or another concussion, even if they are symptom-free, suggests a study being presented at the National Athletic Trainers' Association 70th Clinical Symposia & AT Expo.

27 Jun 2019

Study finds link between high BMI and lower risk of ALS

People who have a high body mass index or who gain weight as they get older may have a lower risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a large study published in the June 26, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Jun 2019

New approach to post-stroke rehabilitation proposed

The existing approach to brain stimulation for rehabilitation after a stroke does not take into account the diversity of lesions and the individual characteristics of patients' brains.

27 Jun 2019