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.

New protein complex helps embryonic stem cells to maintain their indefinite potential

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are the very definition of being full of potential, given that they can become any type of cell in the body. Once they start down any particular path toward a type of tissue, they lose their unlimited potential.

12 Dec 2018

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria could soon be targeted with Alzheimer's drug

Dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria could soon be targeted with a drug initially developed to treat Alzheimer's disease.

12 Dec 2018

Caffeine therapy benefits developing brains of premature babies

For many, starting the day off with caffeine from a cup of coffee is a must. In neonatal intensive care units, or NICUs, premature babies born under 29 weeks are given a daily dose of caffeine to ensure the best possible start to life.

12 Dec 2018

New method helps better understand pathological development of ALS

The neurodegenerative disease ALS causes motor neuron death and paralysis. However, long before the cells die, they lose contact with the muscles as their axons atrophy.

12 Dec 2018

The EORTC Brain Tumor Group and Protagen AG collaborate to study immuno-competence of long-term glioblastoma survivors

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Brain Tumor Group and Protagen AG today announced a collaboration to utilize Protagen’s Cancer Immunotherapy Array to identify autoantibody biomarkers that investigate the immunological profile and immuno-competence of long-term Glioblastoma survivors.

12 Dec 2018

Study reveals role of brain mechanism in memory recall

Whether it's the pleasant experience of returning to one's childhood home over the holidays or the unease of revisiting a site that proved unpleasant, we often find that when we return to a context where an episode first happened, specific and vivid memories can come flooding back.

12 Dec 2018

Targeting biochemical pathway may lead to new therapies for alleviating symptoms of anxiety disorders

According to some estimates, up to one in three people around the world may experience severe anxiety in their lifetime.

12 Dec 2018

Pupil dilation could be key to measuring mental workload

With nearly breakneck speed, the demands of work productivity in today's society seem to have increased tenfold.

12 Dec 2018

SLU researchers explore how fetal exposure to inflammation can alter immunity in newborns

Saint Louis University researchers are studying how fetal exposure to inflammation can alter immune responses after birth.

12 Dec 2018

Puzzles do not keep dementia away finds study

Contrary to popular belief doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku puzzles on a regular basis cannot keep dementia away finds a new study. The study appears in the latest issue of the journal BMJ.

11 Dec 2018

Single tau molecule holds clues to help diagnose neurodegeneration in its earliest stages

Scientists who recently identified the molecular start of Alzheimer's disease have used that finding to determine that it should be possible to forecast which type of dementia will develop over time - a form of personalized medicine for neurodegenerative diseases.

11 Dec 2018

Study: Self-guided, internet-based therapy platforms effectively reduce depression

In a sweeping new study, Indiana University psychologists have found that a series of self-guided, internet-based therapy platforms effectively reduce depression.

11 Dec 2018

Drug repositioning strategy identifies potential new treatments for epilepsy

Drug repositioning-- taking known drugs and identifying new applications for them--is an attractive concept for speeding up the process of bringing drugs to human testing for unmet medical needs.

11 Dec 2018

Study could lead to a potential new way of treating sepsis

Australian emergency doctors are at the forefront of a large clinical study to assess how clinicians are treating sepsis.

11 Dec 2018

Scientists use water molecules to track electrical activity of nerve cells

Researchers have discovered a new way to monitor electrical activity in nerve cells; by observing water molecules surrounding neuronal membranes.

11 Dec 2018

Research findings could help improve treatment of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders

Traumatic experiences can become deeply entrenched in a person's memory. How can fears following a traumatic event be reduced in the long term and prevented from becoming a permanent stress-related disorder? Researchers at the Mainz University Medical Center have recently shed new light on these questions.

11 Dec 2018

Study discovers link between meditation and how individuals respond to feedback

In a new study in the Journal of Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience researchers from the University of Surrey have discovered a link between meditation and how individuals respond to feedback.

11 Dec 2018

New method uses water molecules to unlock neurons' secrets

Neurons are brain cells that communicate with each other by sending electrochemical signals along axons. When a neuron is about to release a signal - in the form of an electric charge - it allows ions to pass through its membrane via ion channels.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers identify potential diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have identified in live human brains new radioactive “tracer” molecules that bind to and “light up” tau tangles, a protein associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias.

11 Dec 2018

New study reveals yin-yang personality of dopamine

For decades, psychologists have viewed the neurotransmitter dopamine as a double-edged sword: released in the brain as a reward to train us to seek out pleasurable experiences, but also a "drug" the constant pursuit of which leads to addiction.

11 Dec 2018