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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.

Study highlights vital role played by rest in learning new skill

In a study of healthy volunteers, National Institutes of Health researchers found that our brains may solidify the memories of new skills we just practiced a few seconds earlier by taking a short rest. The results highlight the critically important role rest may play in learning.

15 Apr 2019

Research highlights the importance of seeking prompt medical advice following rabies exposure

There is only a short window of opportunity to seek medical help before rabies becomes almost invariably fatal, but people wait an average of 10 days before seeking medical advice following exposure to potentially rabid animals overseas, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Amsterdam, Netherlands (13-16 April).

15 Apr 2019

Less than one hour of brain training leads to strengthening of neural connections

Less than one hour of brain training with neurofeedback leads to a strengthening of neural connections and communication among brain areas.

15 Apr 2019

Hospital ICU patients with non-brain-related injuries may have undetected cognitive deficits

A new study led by Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute has found that most patients entering hospital intensive care units (ICU) for non-brain-related injuries or ailments also suffer from some level of related cognitive dysfunction that currently goes undetected in most cases.

12 Apr 2019

AI-based technique traces the shapes of active neurons faster than a human can

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed an automated process that can trace the shapes of active neurons as accurately as human researchers can, but in a fraction of the time.

12 Apr 2019

Growth hormone acts directly on the brain to conserve energy when the body loses weight

Researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil have discovered that growth hormone (GH), which stimulates skeletal maturation and linear bone growth, as well as helping maintain tissue and organs throughout life, also acts directly on the brain to conserve energy when the body loses weight.

12 Apr 2019

Electrostimulation can improve working memory of people in their 70s, study shows

In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Neuroscience, Rob Reinhart, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University and BU doctoral researcher John Nguyen, demonstrate that electrostimulation can improve the working memory of people in their 70s so that their performance on memory tasks is indistinguishable from that of 20-year-olds.

12 Apr 2019

Potential new therapeutic approach identified for neuroblastoma tumors

Research led by Michael Lan, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, found that a compound named 5'-iodotubercidin (5'-IT) suppresses the growth of neuroblastoma cells and identified a potential new therapeutic approach for the disease.

12 Apr 2019

Researchers observe correlation between abnormal proteins and aggressive behavior in dementia

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have together with American colleagues studied deceased patients who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia.

12 Apr 2019

Researchers identify rare SRC-1 gene variants related to human obesity

Maintaining a healthy body weight is no simple matter. A better understanding of how the body regulates appetite could help tip the scale toward the healthy side.

12 Apr 2019

Active lifestyle shown to repair spinal cord injuries

Leading an active lifestyle could help repair and regenerate damaged nerves of the spinal cord after an injury, according to new research.

12 Apr 2019

A new role for sensory signals in the brain discovered

Learning how to tie a shoe or shoot a basketball isn't easy, but the brain somehow integrates sensory signals that are critical to coordinating movements so you can get it right.

12 Apr 2019

Researchers identify ketamine-induced neural changes responsible for remission of depression

Researchers have identified ketamine-induced brain-related changes that are responsible for maintaining the remission of behaviors related to depression in mice -- findings that may help researchers develop interventions that promote lasting remission of depression in humans.

12 Apr 2019

New research on psychological and neural basis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Dr. Stephen Maren, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, recently published significant research on the psychological and neural basis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

12 Apr 2019

Workings of ketamine in depressive illness decoded

Researchers have now found the exact mechanism of how the drug works in the brains of individuals with depression and can keep the symptoms down for more than a week.

12 Apr 2019

High levels of blood lipids may worsen multiple sclerosis symptoms in obese patients

A newly published paper in the Lancet journal EBioMedicine identifies a link between high levels of blood lipids and worsening of disease in multiple sclerosis patients who are overweight or obese.

12 Apr 2019

Analysis of bright spot in confocal microscopy images to diagnose brain tumors

Photodynamic diagnosis using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is now widely used for neurosurgical resection of brain tumors.

12 Apr 2019

Research shows how prenatal anesthesia in rats affects neuronal migration

While there has long been discussion whether exposure to anesthesia affects brain development, new Rush University Medical Center research published in the journal Cerebral Cortex describes how prenatal anesthesia in rats seems to disrupt the "precisely choreographed" and timed migration of neurons to the area of the developing brain where thinking, memory and language occur.

12 Apr 2019

Parkinson’s update - hydration, awareness and detection

Researchers have found that drinking adequate amount of water daily can lower the risk of symptoms of a progressive neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s.

12 Apr 2019

Improved gut diversity causes 50% reduction in autism symptoms

Changing the microbial environment in the gut in autistic children could substantially reduce the severity of the symptoms they experience, according to new research.

11 Apr 2019

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Study highlights vital role played by rest in learning new skill

Research highlights the importance of seeking prompt medical advice following rabies exposure

Less than one hour of brain training leads to strengthening of neural connections

Hospital ICU patients with non-brain-related injuries may have undetected cognitive deficits

AI-based technique traces the shapes of active neurons faster than a human can

Growth hormone acts directly on the brain to conserve energy when the body loses weight

Electrostimulation can improve working memory of people in their 70s, study shows

Potential new therapeutic approach identified for neuroblastoma tumors

Researchers observe correlation between abnormal proteins and aggressive behavior in dementia

Researchers identify rare SRC-1 gene variants related to human obesity

Active lifestyle shown to repair spinal cord injuries

A new role for sensory signals in the brain discovered

Researchers identify ketamine-induced neural changes responsible for remission of depression

New research on psychological and neural basis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Workings of ketamine in depressive illness decoded

High levels of blood lipids may worsen multiple sclerosis symptoms in obese patients

Analysis of bright spot in confocal microscopy images to diagnose brain tumors

Research shows how prenatal anesthesia in rats affects neuronal migration

Parkinson’s update - hydration, awareness and detection

Improved gut diversity causes 50% reduction in autism symptoms

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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