Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Loss of serotonin neuron activity blunts the body’s ability to recover from interrupted breathing

Scientists trying to identify the roots of sudden infant death syndrome, the leading cause of death in U.S. infants between 1 month and 1 year old, have increasingly turned their attention to the neurotransmitter serotonin and the brain cells that produce it.

25 Oct 2018

Long spaceflight causes structural changes in the brain

Spending long periods in space not only leads to muscle atrophy and reductions in bone density, it also has lasting effects on the brain. However, little is known about how different tissues of the brain react to exposure to microgravity, and it remains unclear whether and to what extent the neuroanatomical changes so far observed persist following return to normal gravity.

25 Oct 2018

Crowdfunding campaigns could be raising money for quackery

A research letter has shown that when well meaning and gullible individuals donate for crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for medical treatments, some of them may not be for the benefit of the patients. The money might be used for useless quack therapies which could sometimes be dangerous

25 Oct 2018

Effective dose of cannabidiol for safe pain relief without the typical 'high'

In the wake of cannabis legalization, a team of scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center and McGill University have delivered encouraging news for chronic pain sufferers by pinpointing the effective dose of marijuana plant extract cannabidiol for safe pain relief without the typical "high" or euphoria produced by the THC.

25 Oct 2018

Stress can cause memory loss and brain shrinkage finds study

According to a new study persistent stress can cause real damage to the brain. It can cause loss of memory as well as shrinkage of the brain matter say researchers. The results of this new study have been published in the latest issue of the journal Neurology this week.

25 Oct 2018

Scientists engineer antiviral peptide that exploits Achilles' heel of Zika virus

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have engineered an antiviral peptide that exploits the Zika virus at its Achilles' heel - the viral membrane - hence stopping the virus from causing severe infections.

24 Oct 2018

Silver nanoparticles coated with anti-seizure drugs can kill brain-eating amoebae

Halloween is just around the corner, and some people will celebrate by watching scary movies about brain-eating zombies.

24 Oct 2018

Stress-induced mental disturbances are directly linked to abnormal glucose metabolism

Chronic stress is a well-known risk factor for the development of psychiatric illnesses including depression disorders. The brain requires a great deal of glucose, and stress is known to alter glucose metabolism.

24 Oct 2018

Targeting specific signaling pathway could provide new avenue for treating fetal alcohol syndrome

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are an array of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome, the most severe of these conditions, often results in physical abnormalities, behavioral development issues and intellectual disabilities.

24 Oct 2018

MIT neuroscientists discover how the brain overcomes its difficulties

Imagine trying to write your name so that it can be read in a mirror. Your brain has all of the visual information you need, and you're a pro at writing your own name.

24 Oct 2018

Scientists identify new target for battling deadly form of leukemia

UT Southwestern scientists, working with colleagues at a sister institution in Houston, have identified a new target for battling a deadly form of leukemia.

24 Oct 2018

Modeling Alzheimer’s Disease Using Microfluidics

An interview with Dr. Joseph Park, the incorporation of astrocytes into the Alzheimer’s-in-a-dish culture system and it's applications in drug development.

24 Oct 2018

New study finds evidence that animals can judge time

Are you taking your time when feeding your pet? Fluffy and Fido are on to you -- and they can tell when you are dawdling.

24 Oct 2018

Hippocampal-avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy better preserves patients' cognitive function

When it comes to radiation therapy to treat brain cancer, hippocampal-avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy in conjunction with the drug memantine better preserved patients' cognitive function and demonstrated similar cancer control outcomes, compared to traditional whole-brain radiotherapy with memantine.

24 Oct 2018

Neurons in the brain's primary visual cortex can reliably detect straight lines

Single neurons in the brain's primary visual cortex can reliably detect straight lines, even though the cellular makeup of the neurons is constantly changing, according to a new study by Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientists, led by Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Sandra Kuhlman.

24 Oct 2018

Kessler Foundation fellow receives award to explore behavioral patterns in children with ADHD

Joman Y. Natsheh, MD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in Pediatric Neuroscience and Neuropsychology Research at Kessler Foundation, has received a $13,500 pilot award from Texas Woman's University, Woodcock Institute for the Advancement of Neurocognitive Research and Applied Practice.

24 Oct 2018

Better blood pressure control may prevent organ damage related to hypertensive emergencies in diabetics

The most effective way to prevent life-threatening complications of extreme hypertension in African-Americans with diabetes is to better control their blood pressure, according to a Rutgers study, the largest of its kind.

24 Oct 2018

NJIT team wins two major international awards for vision therapy platform

An NJIT-led team of engineers, game designers, artists and clinicians won two major international awards for its vision therapy platform, including "most innovative breakthrough," at the 2018 Augmented World Expo Europe, the leading industry conference for augmented reality technology.

24 Oct 2018

Dyslexia gene linked to concussion susceptibility in athletes

A gene associated with dyslexia, a learning disorder, may make some athletes less susceptible to concussions, reports a new study from Penn State University and Northwestern Medicine.

24 Oct 2018

Brain plasticity associated with perceptual learning more ubiquitous than initially thought

Life-changing moments are also brain-changing moments: everything from a first kiss to a last goodbye modifies cells within the skull.

24 Oct 2018

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Loss of serotonin neuron activity blunts the body’s ability to recover from interrupted breathing

Long spaceflight causes structural changes in the brain

Crowdfunding campaigns could be raising money for quackery

Effective dose of cannabidiol for safe pain relief without the typical 'high'

Stress can cause memory loss and brain shrinkage finds study

Scientists engineer antiviral peptide that exploits Achilles' heel of Zika virus

Silver nanoparticles coated with anti-seizure drugs can kill brain-eating amoebae

Stress-induced mental disturbances are directly linked to abnormal glucose metabolism

Targeting specific signaling pathway could provide new avenue for treating fetal alcohol syndrome

MIT neuroscientists discover how the brain overcomes its difficulties

Scientists identify new target for battling deadly form of leukemia

Modeling Alzheimer’s Disease Using Microfluidics

New study finds evidence that animals can judge time

Hippocampal-avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy better preserves patients' cognitive function

Neurons in the brain's primary visual cortex can reliably detect straight lines

Kessler Foundation fellow receives award to explore behavioral patterns in children with ADHD

Better blood pressure control may prevent organ damage related to hypertensive emergencies in diabetics

NJIT team wins two major international awards for vision therapy platform

Dyslexia gene linked to concussion susceptibility in athletes

Brain plasticity associated with perceptual learning more ubiquitous than initially thought

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

Latest News