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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.

In health insurance wastelands, rosier options crop up for 2019

In recent years, places such as Memphis and Phoenix had withered into health insurance wastelands as insurers fled and premiums skyrocketed in the insurance marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act. But today, as in many parts of the country, these two cities are experiencing something unprecedented: Premiums are sinking and choices are sprouting.

23 Nov 2018

Musical training shapes brain areas responsible for synchronizing rhythm and behavior

Drummers and brass players are better able to judge the timing of visual stimuli than members of the color guard, according to a naturalistic study of the world-class drum corps Bluecoats published in eNeuro.

From Society for Neuroscience 23 Nov 2018

Brain-computer interface enables people with tetraplegia to operate tablet devices

An investigational brain-computer interface can enable people with paralysis to directly operate an off-the-shelf tablet device by thinking about making cursor movements and clicks, according to a study published November 21, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Paul Nuyujukian, Jose Albites-Sanabria, and Jad Saab from the BrainGate consortium, USA, and colleagues.

23 Nov 2018

Eyes may be portal for prions to enter the body finds study

A recent study has found that prion proteins that cause a deadly brain disease may enter the body via the eyes.

23 Nov 2018

Study: The brain prioritizes high-reward events when preserving memories

The brain’s ability to preserve memories lies at the heart of our basic human experience. But what is its mechanism to make sure we remember the most significant events and keep our minds free of superfluous details?

22 Nov 2018

Research team urges shake-up in mental health provision to enhance patient care

A new study published in the journal Social Theory & Health has called into question how patients interact and respond to psychiatry when they present to mental health services.

22 Nov 2018

Thickness of the brain's outer layer influences how neurons process information

Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered that the thickness of the brain's outer layer influences how individual neurons process information.

22 Nov 2018

Scientists uncover genomic keys to successful evolution of vertebrates

One of the most important results of this work consists of understanding how the genomic duplications that occurred in the origin of the vertebrates contributed to diversifying gene function.

22 Nov 2018

Breakthrough Alzheimer's discovery

A new study has found that the neurons in the brain can alter their genetic make-up unlike other cells of the body which remain constant.

22 Nov 2018

Smoke-free laws associated with reduced systolic blood pressure

Smoke-free policies have been associated with lower systolic (top number) blood pressure readings among non-smokers, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

21 Nov 2018

Researchers aim to protect humans, mammals from deadly effects of African sleeping sickness

A team of Clemson University researchers wants to protect humans and other mammals from the debilitating and even deadly effects of African sleeping sickness.

21 Nov 2018

The brain uses two clocks to predict the future

That moment when you step on the gas pedal a split second before the light changes, or when you tap your toes even before the first piano note of Camila Cabello's "Havana" is struck. That's anticipatory timing.

21 Nov 2018

Brain imaging study reveals 'hot spot' for cue-reactivity in substance users

When patients with dependence on alcohol, cocaine or nicotine are shown drug cues, or images related to the substance, an area of their brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex shows increased activity, report investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina in an article published online September 7, 2018 in Translational Psychiatry.

21 Nov 2018

Scientists find evidence of prions in the eyes of CJD patients

National Institutes of Health scientists and their colleagues have found evidence of the infectious agent of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in the eyes of deceased CJD patients.

21 Nov 2018

Genetic therapy may help children with Angelman syndrome to overcome seizures

Angelman syndrome is a genetic disease with no cure. Children grow up with severe intellectual disabilities and a range of other problems, arguably the worst of which are epileptic seizures. Now scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have found evidence that genetic therapy may prevent the enhanced seizure susceptibility.

21 Nov 2018

MDMA could help gain trust but does not make one naive find researchers

MDMA or ecstasy pills can help individuals trust more and cooperate say a team of researchers who are looking at its properties that could help treat psychological disorders. The study was published this week in the latest issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

21 Nov 2018

Vanderbilt researchers isolate antibody that can neutralize West Nile virus

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and colleagues have isolated a human monoclonal antibody that can "neutralize" the West Nile virus and potentially prevent a leading cause of viral encephalitis (brain inflammation) in the United States.

21 Nov 2018

Study explores how the moving brain processes visual information

What we see is not only determined by what is really there, but also depends on whether we are paying attention, whether we are moving, excited or interested.

21 Nov 2018

Smokers at greater risk of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders

A team of researchers from University of Queensland have found that tobacco use is associated with an increased risk of psychotic disorders including schizophrenia.

21 Nov 2018

Study uncovers new mechanism controlling the master cancer regulator

Of the more than 23,000 genes in the human genome, only a handful assume a very central role in signal transduction and growth regulation. Of these, the three genes encoding RAS proteins are particularly important, as they are found mutated in over 25% of human cancers.

20 Nov 2018