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.

Researchers find link between resilience to dyslexia and gray matter in the brain

Dyslexia, a reading disorder, is characterized by a difficulty in "decoding" -- navigating between the visual form and sounds of a written language.

24 Jul 2018

Turmeric derivative could be used in eye drops to treat early stages of glaucoma

A derivative of turmeric could be used in eye drops to treat the early stages of glaucoma, finds a new study led by UCL and Imperial College London researchers.

24 Jul 2018

EU-funded project working on innovative implant to 'rewire' injured spinal cord

The BYAXON project makes no extravagant claims. It is very early days for the technology it is proposing, and much more research is needed to take the innovation forward once this four-year undertaking ends in December 2020.

24 Jul 2018

Neurobiologists identify new link between smell and memory

Neurobiologists at the University of Toronto have identified a mechanism that allows the brain to recreate vivid sensory experiences from memory, shedding light on how sensory-rich memories are created and stored in our brains.

24 Jul 2018

Scientists find abnormal gene copying in fruit fly models of tauopathies

It sounds like science fiction: Nefarious genes clone themselves and settle their rogue copies in distant outposts of the galaxy (namely, our DNA), causing disease.

24 Jul 2018

Mutated gene linked to 3-year-old girl's severe neurological symptoms

A young girl with severe neurological symptoms finally has a diagnosis, following the discovery by the Translational Genomics Research Institute of a genetic mutation that likely caused the girl to experience a cascade of symptoms.

24 Jul 2018

New stroke imaging technology could reduce delays in care by up to 60 minutes

A new study, presented today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's 15th Annual Meeting, found that new stroke imaging technology could decrease delays in care by up to 60 minutes, giving patients a better chance at making a full recovery.

24 Jul 2018

Research shows how experience alters the basics of memory formation

We know instinctively that our experiences shape the way we learn. If we are highly familiar with a particular task, like cooking for example, learning a new recipe is much easier than it was when we were a novice.

24 Jul 2018

Study: Cognitive capacity determines the organization of our friendships

The organization of our friendships is guided to a large degree by our cognitive capacity when it comes to managing them, that is, by the amount of time and mental effort we can devote to them.

24 Jul 2018

So called "safe" food additives may not be so says AAP policy statement

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a new policy statement in the journal Pediatrics. Their statement says that at present there is little information regarding the cognitive and physiological effects of food additives and more information needs to be obtained.

23 Jul 2018

Alzheimer’s disease greater in females, researchers speculate

This week, at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Chicago, a group of researchers presented reserch findings on the gender differences in Alzheimer’s causation. They speculated that women might be getting Alzheimer’s and dementia more commonly than men and the reason behind this has not been clearly understood. Estrogen or the female hormone could be the key, the researchers state.

23 Jul 2018

Study reveals how giant neurons in the brain may play huge role in generalized arousal

There is no shortage of wonders that our central nervous system produces--from thought and language to movement to the five senses.

23 Jul 2018

MODEL-AD Center releases eight new mouse models for Alzheimer's research

The MODEL-AD Center, an ambitious project to develop and distribute precise mouse models of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), has released eight new models carrying genetic mutations found in patients.

23 Jul 2018

New study finds brain mechanisms underlying food cravings

A newly published study from the University of Waterloo shows that when activity in a specific part of the brain is suppressed, our desire for high-calorie foods increases.

23 Jul 2018

Virtual reality may improve empathy and understanding for older adults with dementia

Virtual reality technology gives high school students greater insight into what it's like to be Alfred -- a 74-year-old African American man with suspected mild cognitive impairment, plus age-related vision and hearing loss, or Beatriz, a middle-aged Latina, as she progresses through the continuum of Alzheimer's disease.

23 Jul 2018

Long-term use of cannabis or cannabis-based drugs can impair memory, shows study

Long-term use of either cannabis or cannabis-based drugs impairs memory say researchers. The study has implications for both recreational users and people who use the drug to combat epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain.

23 Jul 2018

New project explores health effects of dangerous chemicals

The EDC-MIXRISK project is exploring the health effects of a group of man-made substances that have been shown to disrupt the body’s endocrine system, the collection of hormone-producing glands that regulate growth and development, metabolism, reproduction and even mood and sleep patterns.

23 Jul 2018

Study reports data on dementia prevalence in sexual minority older adults

The first dementia prevalence data from a large population of lesbian, gay and bisexual older adults was reported today at the 2018 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Chicago.

23 Jul 2018

New clinical practice guidelines for more accurate evaluation of Alzheimer's disease

Despite more than two decades of advances in diagnostic criteria and technology, symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and Related Dementias too often go unrecognized or are misattributed, causing delays in appropriate diagnoses and care that are both harmful and costly.

23 Jul 2018

Collaborative study to assess effects of exercise training for cognitive deficits in MS

Glenn Wylie, DPhil, associate director of the Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center at Kessler Foundation, has received a $300,000 sub-award from the National Institutes of Health for a collaborative study with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

20 Jul 2018