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 framework combines three existing methods to find cancer cell mutations

Cancer cells often have mutations in their DNA that can give scientists clues about how the cancer started or which treatment may be most effective. Finding these mutations can be difficult, but a new method may offer more complete, comprehensive results.

10 Sep 2018

Researchers uncover secret of immortality mechanism in aggressive glioblastoma

UC San Francisco researchers have discovered how a mutation in a gene regulator called the TERT promoter -- the third most common mutation among all human cancers and the most common mutation in the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma -- confers "immortality" on tumor cells, enabling the unchecked cell division that powers their aggressive growth.

10 Sep 2018

New project explores how technology can assist in earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s

September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month and a new project in collaboration with UP Health System Portage investigates how technology can assist doctors in earlier diagnosis of the neurodegenerative disease.

10 Sep 2018

Study provides evidence to prevent memory decline in older blacks with mild cognitive impairment

With nearly twice the rate of dementia as whites, blacks are at a higher risk for developing diseases like Alzheimer's, but there has been little research on how to reduce this racial health disparity.

10 Sep 2018

Male and female brains are affected differently by repeated binge drinking

Gene expression in an area of the brain linked to addiction is affected differently by repeated binge drinking in males and females, finds a new study published today in Frontiers in Genetics.

10 Sep 2018

Russian scientists develop model for predicting hand trajectories based on electrocorticograms

Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have developed a model for predicting hand movement trajectories based on cortical activity: Signals are measured directly from a human brain.

10 Sep 2018

Researchers develop new testing device to better diagnose dizziness

Half of over-65s suffer from dizziness and problems with balance. But some tests to identify the causes of such problems are painful and can risk hearing damage.

10 Sep 2018

Averaging results from two independent participants improves screening accuracy

Averaging the results from two independent participants improved screening accuracy, whether participants were looking at baggage scans or mammograms, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

10 Sep 2018

Novel finding that links ALS/ataxia to cellular stress opens door to new treatment approaches

Few treatments exist for neurodegenerative diseases that progressively rob a person's ability to move and think, yet the results of a new study could potentially open additional approaches for exploration.

7 Sep 2018

New guidelines for TBI incorporate insights from rehabilitation professionals

Clinical practice guidelines play a critical role in promoting quality care for patients with traumatic brain injury.

7 Sep 2018

Family genetic background essential for understanding autism progression

Whether an individual develops a neurodevelopmental disorder like autism or ADHD and the severity of that disorder depends on genetic changes beyond a single supposedly disease-causing mutation.

7 Sep 2018

Metabolic dysfunction drives chronic illness

Much of modern Western medicine is based upon the treatment of acute, immediate harm, from physical injury to infections, from broken bones and the common cold to heart and asthma attacks.

7 Sep 2018

Researchers develop new generation of pain medications

Researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Zuse Institute Berlin have developed a new generation of pain medications.

7 Sep 2018

Daytime sleepiness found to be a potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease

Older adults who frequently report feeling sleepy during the day are three times more likely to develop Alzheimer's in later life, according to a new study.

7 Sep 2018

Hsp90 protein appears to stimulate exosome release

Researchers from the Verstreken lab have identified a completely novel function for Hsp90, one of the most common and most studied proteins in our body.

7 Sep 2018

Study analyzes what happens in the brain when humans forget something on purpose

Researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the University Hospital of Gieβen and Marburg, in collaboration with colleagues from Bonn, the Netherlands, and the UK, have analyzed what happens in the brain when humans want to voluntarily forget something.

7 Sep 2018

Certain cells in hippocampus play key role in risk taking behavior and anxiety

Why do some people comfortably walk between skyscrapers on a high-wire or raft the Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel whereas others freeze on the mere thought of climbing off escalators in a shopping mall? In a new study, scientists have found that a certain type of cells in the hippocampus play a key role.

7 Sep 2018

Scientists discover key aspect in the development of multiple sclerosis

In multiple sclerosis, not only the T cells of the immune system, but also its B cells, play an important role.

7 Sep 2018

Mimicking Human Brain Development Using Organoids

Dr. Paul Tesar from the Tesar Laboratory at Case Western University, Ohio, discusses the importance of organoids in biological research and the development of organoids which are capable of simulating the early stages of human myelin.

7 Sep 2018

Researchers develop rapid, cost-effective method to create human cortical organoids

Writing in the current online issue of the journal Stem Cells and Development, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine describe development of a rapid, cost-effective method to create human cortical organoids directly from primary cells.

7 Sep 2018