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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.

Researchers employ machine learning to uncover new insights into human brain's cellular architecture

An inter-disciplinary research team led by scientists from the National University of Singapore has successfully employed machine learning to uncover new insights into the cellular architecture of the human brain.

10 Jan 2019

Women with IBD have increased risk of developing mental illness, finds study

A study published today in the journal Gut shows that women with inflammatory bowel disease are at greater risk of developing a mental illness after giving birth compared to the overall population.

10 Jan 2019

Child nutrition remained stable a year after 2015 earthquake in Nepal, finds study

Despite widespread destruction, including severe agricultural-related losses caused by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, child nutrition remained stable in the hardest hit areas, a new study finds.

10 Jan 2019

Drug development options diversified with new manganese catalyst

A University of Illinois team of researchers led by chemistry professor M. Christina White has developed a new manganese-based catalyst that can change the structure of druglike molecules to make new drugs, advancing the pace and efficiency of drug development.

9 Jan 2019

Mapping a person's genetic makeup can help save billions each year in health costs

A UniSA scientist has called for Australia to embrace pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing to deliver medication more effectively and slash around $2.4 billion wasted each year through unsafe and ineffective drug prescriptions.

9 Jan 2019

Mice sleeping fitfully help unravel mystery of insomnia

Mice that sleep fitfully could help researchers unravel the mystery of insomnia. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied mice genetically modified to mimic the genetic disease neurofibromatosis type 1, which is associated with sleep problems.

9 Jan 2019

Newly launched initiative helps children learn simple ways to keep the brain healthy

My Brain Robbie, a fantastic new initiative to promote brain health among school going children, has been launched through the Pilot Awards for Global Brain Health Leaders, an initiative of the Global Brain Health Institute, Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's Society UK.

9 Jan 2019

To get mental health help for a child, desperate parents relinquish custody

When Toni and Jim Hoy adopted their son Daniel through the foster care system, he was an affectionate toddler. They did not plan to give him back to the state of Illinois, ever.

9 Jan 2019

Developmental dysfunction of prefrontal cortex causes cognitive deficits related to mental illness

Faulty wiring of the prefrontal cortex during development leads to abnormal brain activity and cognitive impairments related to mental illness, according to a mouse study published in JNeurosci.

From Society for Neuroscience 9 Jan 2019

Neurons produced after a stroke fail to develop properly, research finds

Mice produce new neurons in the hippocampus following a stroke that fail to develop properly, finds new research published in JNeurosci. Intervening in the production of these cells may help to mitigate stroke-induced memory impairments.

From Society for Neuroscience 9 Jan 2019

Neuroimaging predicts influence of anti-smoking media campaign

Neuroimaging data obtained from a small group of smokers predicts the influence of a large anti-smoking media campaign targeting likely smokers, shows a new study published in JNeurosci.

From Society for Neuroscience 9 Jan 2019

Study shows how specific mutations in SYNE1 gene may increase bipolar disorder risk

A new study by researchers at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT finds that the protein CPG2 is significantly less abundant in the brains of people with bipolar disorder and shows how specific mutations in the SYNE1 gene that encodes the protein undermine its expression and its function in neurons.

9 Jan 2019

Breastfed babies are more likely to be right handed

Babies who are breast fed for a longer duration are more likely to be right handed finds a new study. The study titled, 'Breastfeeding and handedness: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data', by Philippe P. Hujoel of the University of Washington is published in the journal Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition.

8 Jan 2019

Exposure to cannabis, stress during adolescence may lead to long-term anxiety disorders

A new study conducted on laboratory animals shows that exposure to cannabis and stress during adolescence may lead to long-term anxiety disorders characterized by the presence of pathological fear.

8 Jan 2019

Early life stress in mice affects their offspring behavior

Russian neuroscientists discovered that the stress experienced by mice during their first weeks of life, affects not only them but also their offspring. The obtained data will help to understand how negative experience in the early period of life affects the mammalian brain.

8 Jan 2019

Faulty brain immune cells cause Alzheimer's disease

Mutations of the TREM2 gene can significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich now shed light on the reasons why TREM2 is so important for brain health.

8 Jan 2019

Pitt study delves deeper into how electrical stimulation activates neurons

Electrical stimulation of the brain is common practice in neuroscience research and is an increasingly common and effective clinical therapy for a variety of neurological disorders. However, there is limited understanding of why this treatment works at the neural level.

8 Jan 2019

Researchers reveal five insomnia types

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience revealed that there are five types of insomnia. This finding was published on Monday January 7 by The Lancet Psychiatry. A commentary in the journal stated that the finding could be a new page in the history of insomnia, promoting discoveries on mechanisms and interventions.

8 Jan 2019

Essential nutrient may hold promise in the war against Alzheimer's disease

In a new study, researchers at the Biodesign Institute explore a safe and simple treatment for one of the most devastating and perplexing afflictions: Alzheimer's disease.

8 Jan 2019

Scientists identify evolutionary formula for monogamy

U.S. biologists have conducted a study showing that the evolution of a universal transcriptomic code underlies monogamous behavior in various species of vertebrates.

8 Jan 2019