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Neuroscientists uncover surprising role of glia in regulating neuronal responses in the brain

Neuroscientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center have found that an often-overlooked type of brain cell called glia has more of a role in brain function than previously thought.

28 Feb 2024

Novel brain organoid model unveils link between inflammation and astrocyte dysfunction

The brain is typically depicted as a complex web of neurons sending and receiving messages. But neurons only make up half of the human brain.

28 Feb 2024

Mapping the brain: How cell types and location influence Parkinson’s disease

A single-cell spatial transcriptome analysis on murine brain expression in age and disease using a Parkinson's disease.

27 Feb 2024

Mediterranean diet linked to lower depression risk in older women

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition finds that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is inversely associated with depressive symptoms, particularly in older women, highlighting the diet's potential mental health benefits.

25 Feb 2024

Study links Agent Orange exposure to neurodegenerative diseases

Agent Orange, an herbicide used during the Vietnam War, is a known toxin with wide-ranging health effects.

14 Feb 2024

Men using erectile dysfunction drugs less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease

Drugs commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

9 Feb 2024

Study advances search for a blood test to identify disease-associated changes in the brain

Researchers in a Johns Hopkins Children's Center-led study that used genetic material from human blood and lab-grown brain cells say they have made progress in developing a blood test to identify disease-associated changes in the brain specifically linked to postpartum depression and other psychiatric and neurological disorders.

8 Feb 2024

New treatment target found for CDKL5 deficiency disorder

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have found a new treatment target for CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD), one of the most common types of genetic epilepsy.

7 Feb 2024

Bioprinting breakthrough: Tech platform creates 3D neural tissues in which neurons and glia connect

Researchers produced 3D bioprinted human brain tissues, allowing for the creation of functioning neural networks that could simulate network activity in normal and pathological situations.

6 Feb 2024

Scientists uncover a way to "hack" neurons' internal clocks to speed up brain cell development

The neurons that make up our brains and nervous systems mature slowly over many months.

31 Jan 2024

New technique helps track the brain's "off switches"

For decades, scientists have studied the intricate activity patterns in human and animal brains by observing when different groups of brain cells turn on.

23 Jan 2024

Study provides new insights into aging process of the human mind

A team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has demonstrated that communication among memory-coding neurons - nerve cells in the brain responsible for maintaining working memory - is disrupted with aging and that this can begin in middle age.

22 Jan 2024

Short strands of toxic RNAs contribute to brain cell death and DNA damage in Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease, which is expected to have affected about 6.7 million patients in the U.S. in 2023, results in a substantial loss of brain cells.

18 Jan 2024

Scientists develop noninvasive way to monitor gene expression dynamics in the brain

Researchers introduced a non-invasive, sensitive method for monitoring gene expression in the brain using engineered reporters called released markers of activity, which can exit the brain into the blood for easy detection.

12 Jan 2024

Study identifies 9 novel genes linked to gestational diabetes

The largest genetic study of gestational diabetes to date has led to a discovery of nine novel genetic regions linked to this severe and common pregnancy complication.

5 Jan 2024

Brainoware: A breakthrough AI approach using brain organoids for advanced computation

Study in Nature Electronics introduces "Brainoware," an innovative AI hardware approach using brain organoid neural networks for complex tasks like speech recognition and nonlinear dynamic predictions, demonstrating significant potential in AI development.

12 Dec 2023

Targeting Alzheimer's with cell-specific genetics

Developing treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is difficult because complex underlying mechanisms drive different types of cells that may contribute to the disorder.

5 Dec 2023

Experimental deep brain stimulation offers hope to treat cognitive deficits after traumatic brain injuries

Five people who had life-altering, seemingly irreversible cognitive deficits following moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries showed substantial improvements in their cognition and quality of life after receiving an experimental form of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in a phase 1 clinical trial.

4 Dec 2023

Lightweight helmet with tiny sensors records magnetic fields generated by brain activity

A man walking around a room wearing a helmet that records his brain function would have seemed like science fiction five years ago.