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.

Steer clear of coconut oil says Harvard Professor

In a 50 minute lecture, Dr Karin Michels Professor of Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health and director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumour Epidemiology at the University of Freiburg, has called coconut oil one of the “worst foods you can eat,” calling it “pure poison.”

22 Aug 2018

Depressed patients treated with nerve stimulation experience improvements in quality of life

People with depression who are treated with nerve stimulation experience significant improvements in quality of life, even when their depression symptoms don't completely subside, according to results of a national study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

21 Aug 2018

New study sheds light on exactly how animals follow smells

Most animals have a keen sense of smell, which assists them in everyday tasks. Now, a new study led by researchers at NYU School of Medicine sheds light on exactly how animals follow smells.

21 Aug 2018

Dehydration changes shape and activity of the brain, reduces task performance

When dehydration strikes, part of the brain can swell, neural signaling can intensify, and doing monotonous tasks can get harder.

21 Aug 2018

Largest brain imaging study uncovers factors that accelerate brain aging

In the largest known brain imaging study, scientists from Amen Clinics, Google, John's Hopkins University, University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, San Francisco evaluated 62,454 brain SPECT scans of more than 30,000 individuals from 9 months old to 105 years of age to investigate factors that accelerate brain aging. SPECT tomography evaluates regional cerebral blood flow in the brain that is reduced in various disorders.

21 Aug 2018

Protein aggregation in neurons linked to gene regulation in Huntington's disease

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a direct link between the protein aggregation in nerve cells that is typical for neurodegenerative diseases, and the regulation of gene expression in Huntington's disease.

21 Aug 2018

Study uncover metabolic network controlled by the ‘circadian clock’ of muscle cells

How do muscle cells prepare for the particular metabolic challenges of the day? Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, members of the German Center for Diabetes Research, have investigated this question and published their results in 'PLOS Biology'.

21 Aug 2018

'Compulsivity circuit' may drive alcohol-seeking behavior in heavy drinkers

Heavy alcohol drinkers attempt to acquire alcohol despite the threat of a negative consequence more so than light drinkers, a study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging has found, and this behavior is associated with unique activation of brain circuitry in heavy drinkers.

21 Aug 2018

Pediatric brain tumor patients who undergo radiation less likely to recall recently experienced events

Children with certain types of brain tumors who undergo radiation treatment are less likely to recall the specifics of events they experienced after radiation than to remember pre-treatment happenings, according to a Baylor University study comparing them to children with healthy brains.

21 Aug 2018

Simple leg exercises may prevent heart, blood vessels disease caused by sedentary lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle can cause an impairment of the transport of blood around the body, which increases the risk of disease in the heart and blood vessels.

21 Aug 2018

New study describes effect of radiation exposure on hormone deficiency in children

In a new study, University of Cincinnati researchers, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, have detailed the effect of radiation exposure on the development of hormone deficiency in pediatric and young adult patients treated for brain tumors.

21 Aug 2018

Measles cases on the rise in Europe

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a sharp rise in the number of measles cases across Europe in the first six months of this year. Measles has affected over 41,000 individuals and killed 37, says the WHO.

20 Aug 2018

Micro-flow model reveals complex interactions between the brain’s blood vessels and nerve cells

Micro-flow models of the blood-brain barrier and the brain reveal for the first time complex metabolic interactions between the brain's blood vessels and nerve cells. The findings are published by an international team of researchers, including from Karolinska Institutet and the Royal Institute of Technology, in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

20 Aug 2018

BU professor receives $1.2 million grant to study impact of TBI, military service on Alzheimer's disease

Jesse Mez, MD, MS, assistant professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, has received a three-year, $1.2 million grant from the United States Department of Defense to study the impact of traumatic brain injury and military service on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

20 Aug 2018

New information on the brain regions related to metacognition, tactile sense

Sense of touch provides information about textures, objects and physical forces acting on our body. Tactile information is also needed for successful execution of motor tasks such as grasping objects.

20 Aug 2018

Study shows that rogue proteins may underlie some ALS and frontotemporal dementia cases

ALS -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- is a neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, slowly robbing its victims of their ability to walk, talk, breathe and swallow.

20 Aug 2018

Researchers create the world’s first artificial retina

Scientists have developed an ultrathin artificial retina that could provide a superior alternative to the visual implants currently available to the blind.

20 Aug 2018

BOOST-3 clinical trial aims to improve outcomes for severe TBI patients

An estimated 2.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Severe TBI contributes to 30 percent of all injury-related deaths, and many who survive are left permanently disabled.

20 Aug 2018

Brain tumors trap immune cells needed to fight cancer in the bone marrow, finds research

Certain brain cancers are associated with low numbers of immune system T-cells circulating in the peripheral blood. Low T-cell numbers can be a side-effect of cancer treatment. But it now appears that there is more to the story of these missing T-cells.

20 Aug 2018

Common antidepressant restores significant degree of lost plasticity to aging brain cells in mice

A new study provides fresh evidence that the decline in the capacity of brain cells to change, called "plasticity," rather than a decline in total cell number may underlie some of the sensory and cognitive declines associated with normal brain aging.

20 Aug 2018

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Steer clear of coconut oil says Harvard Professor

Depressed patients treated with nerve stimulation experience improvements in quality of life

New study sheds light on exactly how animals follow smells

Dehydration changes shape and activity of the brain, reduces task performance

Largest brain imaging study uncovers factors that accelerate brain aging

Protein aggregation in neurons linked to gene regulation in Huntington's disease

Study uncover metabolic network controlled by the ‘circadian clock’ of muscle cells

'Compulsivity circuit' may drive alcohol-seeking behavior in heavy drinkers

Pediatric brain tumor patients who undergo radiation less likely to recall recently experienced events

Simple leg exercises may prevent heart, blood vessels disease caused by sedentary lifestyle

New study describes effect of radiation exposure on hormone deficiency in children

Measles cases on the rise in Europe

Micro-flow model reveals complex interactions between the brain’s blood vessels and nerve cells

BU professor receives $1.2 million grant to study impact of TBI, military service on Alzheimer's disease

New information on the brain regions related to metacognition, tactile sense

Study shows that rogue proteins may underlie some ALS and frontotemporal dementia cases

Researchers create the world’s first artificial retina

BOOST-3 clinical trial aims to improve outcomes for severe TBI patients

Brain tumors trap immune cells needed to fight cancer in the bone marrow, finds research

Common antidepressant restores significant degree of lost plasticity to aging brain cells in mice

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd 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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