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Scientists find receptor protein in the brain that promotes stress resilience

Scientists have discovered that a receptor on the surface of brain cells plays a key role in regulating how both animals and people respond to stress.

4 Sep 2019

Lab-grown brain organoids and the brains of preemie babies generate similar electrical impulses

Brain organoids — also called mini-brains — are 3D cellular models that represent aspects of the human brain in the laboratory. Brain organoids help researchers track human development, unravel the molecular events that lead to disease and test new treatments.

30 Aug 2019

Researchers identify how neurons in the mouse neocortex form billion synaptic connections

The structure of synaptic connections between neurons shapes their activity and function. Measuring a comprehensive snapshot of this so-called connectome has so far only been accomplished within tiny volumes, smaller than the head of a pin.

30 Aug 2019

“Mini Brains” in the lab show electrical activity similar to a preemie’s brain

Researchers have developed successfully mini brains in the labs which are essentially a cluster of brain cells perfused in fluids. These brain tissues are now showing electrical activity akin to real brain, explain the researchers and this is a path-breaking development in brain research.

29 Aug 2019

Parenting stress may weaken mother-child communication, study shows

A study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore has revealed the effects of the stress of parenting in the brains of both mothers and their children.

29 Aug 2019

Researchers shed new light on how the brain constructs itself

The cerebral cortex acts as the control center of our cognitive processes. During embryogenesis, dozens of types of neurons with distinct functions come together to form the circuits that drive our thoughts and actions.

29 Aug 2019

Exposure to pesticides in the womb linked to changes in brain activity in adolescents

Pesticide exposure has been linked to many conditions, especially after long-term exposure. These chemicals can cause short-term adverse effects and in some cases, chronic adverse health effects that can emerge months or even years after exposure.

28 Aug 2019

Researchers uncover how the brain remembers motor sequences

Ever wondered what was going on in the brain of John Coltrane when he played the famous solo on his album Giant Steps? Researchers at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan, and Western University, Canada, have succeeded in visualizing how information is represented in a widespread area in the human cerebral cortex during a performance of skilled finger movement sequences.

28 Aug 2019

Study proves that auditory pathways are more specialized in speech than previously assumed

Neuroscientists at TU Dresden were able to prove that speech recognition in humans begins in the sensory pathways from the ear to the cerebral cortex and not, as previously assumed, exclusively in the cerebral cortex itself.

28 Aug 2019

$1.5 million grant from BRAIN Initiative will help develop new tools to study astrocytes

In the brain, cells called astrocytes are at least as abundant as neurons, but are much less understood.

27 Aug 2019

Teens with higher prenatal organophosphate exposure show altered brain activity

Organophosphates are among the most commonly used classes of pesticides in the United States, despite mounting evidence linking prenatal exposure to the chemicals to poorer cognition and behavior problems in children.

27 Aug 2019

Single bout of exercise may provide a boost to the aging brain

Exercise seems to endow a wealth of benefits, from the release of happiness-inducing hormones to higher physical fitness. New research shows it may provide a boost to the mind too.

26 Aug 2019

New insights into protein transport could help define strategies for treating eye disease

Many forms of vision loss stem from a common source: impaired communication between the eye and the brain. And at the root of all eye-to-brain communication are the hundreds of proteins generated by the retina's nerve cells.

22 Aug 2019

Research explains why many psychiatric drugs that work in the lab don’t work in people

Current drug development for neuropsychiatric disorders is in crisis, say experts. More than 90 percent of all drugs that are developed for illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), or the brain tumor glioblastoma complete successful trials in mice but then come to a grinding halt in human trials, wasting billions of dollars in drug research. This is partly because of obvious behavioral differences between the two species.

22 Aug 2019

Microgravity in space and its effects on the brain

Researchers from Russia and Belgium have found that space travel that leads to microgravity situations may have a significant effect on the brains of humans. Cosmonauts who travel in space have shown alterations in their brain connections especially those associated with movement and perception, explain the researchers.

20 Aug 2019

Brain maps show activity related to meaning and not mode of learning

A new brain mapping experiment shows that whether you read or listen to a book, the same parts of the brain are stimulated to help you understand and respond to the meaning of the words (or the ‘semantics’).

20 Aug 2019

Traumatic childhood experiences change perception of social stimuli in adulthood

People with maltreatment experiences in their childhood have a changed perception of social stimuli later as adults. This is what scientists from the Division of Medical Psychology at the University of Bonn have discovered.

19 Aug 2019

New MRI technique captures image of a brain thinking

An international team of researchers with partial support from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering developed a new MRI technique that can capture an image of a brain thinking by measuring changes in tissue stiffness.

19 Aug 2019

MRI scans show how ADHD medication affects brain structure in children

MRI scans have revealed that children taking the medication methylphenidate experience alterations in the distribution of white matter in the brain.

15 Aug 2019

New research reveals how our brain remembers the order of events

For centuries understanding how the order of events is stored in memory has been a mystery. However, researchers from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Warwick have worked out how the order of events in memory could be stored and later recalled in the hippocampal memory system in the brain.

14 Aug 2019

Cortex News and Research

Scientists find receptor protein in the brain that promotes stress resilience

Lab-grown brain organoids and the brains of preemie babies generate similar electrical impulses

Researchers identify how neurons in the mouse neocortex form billion synaptic connections

“Mini Brains” in the lab show electrical activity similar to a preemie’s brain

Parenting stress may weaken mother-child communication, study shows

Researchers shed new light on how the brain constructs itself

Exposure to pesticides in the womb linked to changes in brain activity in adolescents

Researchers uncover how the brain remembers motor sequences

Study proves that auditory pathways are more specialized in speech than previously assumed

$1.5 million grant from BRAIN Initiative will help develop new tools to study astrocytes

Teens with higher prenatal organophosphate exposure show altered brain activity

Single bout of exercise may provide a boost to the aging brain

New insights into protein transport could help define strategies for treating eye disease

Research explains why many psychiatric drugs that work in the lab don’t work in people

Microgravity in space and its effects on the brain

Brain maps show activity related to meaning and not mode of learning

Traumatic childhood experiences change perception of social stimuli in adulthood

New MRI technique captures image of a brain thinking

MRI scans show how ADHD medication affects brain structure in children

New research reveals how our brain remembers the order of events

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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