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.

Cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease share common genetics in some individuals, study shows

Genetics may predispose some people to both Alzheimer's disease and high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol, a common feature of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study by an international team of researchers led by scientists at UC San Francisco and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

9 Nov 2018

High-tech brain surgery improves quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease

A high-tech form of brain surgery that replaces scalpels with sound waves improved quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease that has resisted other forms of treatment, a new study has found.

9 Nov 2018

Scientists solve 125-year-old mystery of the brain, uncover potential treatment for epilepsy

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have solved a 125-year-old mystery of the brain, and, in the process, uncovered a potential treatment for acquired epilepsy.

9 Nov 2018

Sussex scientists develop a piece of hardware to show how brains function

Scientists at the University of Sussex have developed a piece of hardware to demonstrate how our brains function, as part of a growing range of equipment which uses DIY and 3D printable models to open up access to science education.

9 Nov 2018

Study finds why people feel it easier to achieve small incremental goals

Thanks to a quirk in the way our brain evaluates goals, people feel it's easier to achieve a small incremental goal than to maintain the status quo, when both goals are assessed in isolation. This is especially true if the context is seen as unfavourable.

9 Nov 2018

Community choirs for older adults reduce loneliness and increase interest in life

An innovative San Francisco program of community choirs for older adults found that singing in a choir reduced loneliness and increased interest in life, but did not improve cognition or physical function, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

9 Nov 2018

Cultural brain hypothesis could explain reason for extraordinary increase in brain size

A theory called the cultural brain hypothesis could explain extraordinary increases in brain size in humans and other animals over the last few million years, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology by Michael Muthukrishna of the London School of Economics and Political Science and Harvard University, and colleagues at the University of British Columbia and Harvard University.

9 Nov 2018

Neuroscientists receive $16.75 million from BRAIN Initiative to decipher the brain's visual system

The BRAIN Initiative has awarded $16.75 million to a team of neuroscientists charged with deciphering the primary visual cortex, a few hundred million brain cells that play a key role in making sense of what the eye sees.

9 Nov 2018

Targeting one brain region with alternating current could decrease symptoms of chronic pain

For the first time, researchers at the UNC School of Medicine showed they could target one brain region with a weak alternating current of electricity, enhance the naturally occurring brain rhythms of that region, and significantly decrease symptoms associated with chronic lower back pain.

9 Nov 2018

Researchers elucidate new rules of connectivity of neurons in the neocortex

As the adage goes "neurons that fire together, wire together," but a new paper published today in Neuron demonstrates that, in addition to response similarity, projection target also constrains local connectivity.

9 Nov 2018

Risk factors for dementia in veterans

The experience of war can leave emotional and physical scars on those who serve in the military - scars that are visible years, even decades after service.

9 Nov 2018

Learning familiar faces through social interactions reduces variability in face recognition

A Dartmouth study finds that recognition of faces varies by where they appear in the visual field and this variability is reduced by learning familiar faces through social interactions.

9 Nov 2018

Maximal longevity in species can be better explained by number of neurons in the brain

Scientists have thought that the main determinant of maximal longevity in warm-blooded animals--which varies from as little as 2 to as many as 211 years--is a species' metabolic rate, which is inversely related to body size. It follows that at 2 years of life, small animals with high metabolic rates are already old, but large animals with low metabolic rates are still young.

9 Nov 2018

Study finds that thymus plays key role during normal pregnancy

The immune system of a pregnant woman is altered during pregnancy, but not in the way previously believed, according to results from a study at Linköping University, Sweden.

9 Nov 2018

AI could help spot Alzheimer’s early finds study

Artificial intelligence (AI) may soon be used to detect Alzheimer’s disease early in the course of disease say researchers. The results of the study were published in the latest issue of the journal Radiology.

8 Nov 2018

Common glaucoma tests can underestimate severity of the condition

The most common tests for glaucoma can underestimate the severity of the condition by not detecting the presence of central vision loss, according to a new Columbia University study.

8 Nov 2018

GW study examines impact of nervous system on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the accumulation of fat in the liver of people who drink little or no alcohol, affects 1 in 3 Americans. NAFLD is a significant risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and hepatic carcinoma, and incidence of the disease is increasing with the growing obesity epidemic in the United States.

8 Nov 2018

Brain activity pattern linked with development of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a brain disorder that produces hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive impairments, usually strikes during adolescence or young adulthood. While some signs can suggest that a person is at high risk for developing the disorder, there is no way to definitively diagnose it until the first psychotic episode occurs.

8 Nov 2018

Study of gaze fixation in monkeys reveals role of dopamine neurons in response inhibition

A University of Tsukuba-led study of gaze fixation in monkeys and their refusal to redirect the gaze onto a target in return for a reward reveals that dopamine neurons are key to inhibiting preplanned actions.

8 Nov 2018

Researchers create new accessible staging system to predict survival for patients with AL amyloidosis

A new staging system developed with a more accessible test to predict the chance of survival in patients living with light chain (AL) amyloidosis.

8 Nov 2018

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease share common genetics in some individuals, study shows

High-tech brain surgery improves quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease

Scientists solve 125-year-old mystery of the brain, uncover potential treatment for epilepsy

Sussex scientists develop a piece of hardware to show how brains function

Study finds why people feel it easier to achieve small incremental goals

Community choirs for older adults reduce loneliness and increase interest in life

Cultural brain hypothesis could explain reason for extraordinary increase in brain size

Neuroscientists receive $16.75 million from BRAIN Initiative to decipher the brain's visual system

Targeting one brain region with alternating current could decrease symptoms of chronic pain

Researchers elucidate new rules of connectivity of neurons in the neocortex

Risk factors for dementia in veterans

Learning familiar faces through social interactions reduces variability in face recognition

Maximal longevity in species can be better explained by number of neurons in the brain

Study finds that thymus plays key role during normal pregnancy

AI could help spot Alzheimer’s early finds study

Common glaucoma tests can underestimate severity of the condition

GW study examines impact of nervous system on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Brain activity pattern linked with development of schizophrenia

Study of gaze fixation in monkeys reveals role of dopamine neurons in response inhibition

Researchers create new accessible staging system to predict survival for patients with AL amyloidosis

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st 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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