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.

WFN to highlight clean air for brain health on World Brain Day 2018

Global air pollution is not a problem that only affects lung health. Recent data show that airborne pollutants account for 30 percent of acute stroke cases worldwide.

19 Jul 2018

TGen opens tissue donation portal to advance DIPG research

A tissue donation portal opened today at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), which will advance research towards new treatments for an aggressive brain cancer that mostly strikes young children.

19 Jul 2018

New findings do no support caffeine as effective appetite suppressant or weight-loss aid

A new study featured in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that after drinking a small amount of caffeine, participants consumed 10 percent less at a breakfast buffet provided by researchers, but this effect did not persist throughout the day and had no impact on participants' perceptions of their appetites.

19 Jul 2018

Study gives insight into why some people may be more prone to overeating than others

The reason why some people find it so hard to resist finishing an entire bag of chips or bowl of candy may lie with how their brain responds to food rewards, leaving them more vulnerable to overeating.

19 Jul 2018

Researchers unravel how ALL invades the central nervous system

A deadly feature of acute lymphoblastic leukemia is its invasion of the central nervous system.

19 Jul 2018

UA researchers to repurpose ketamine to reduce side effects in Parkinson's patients

The best-known treatment for Parkinson's disease isn't perfect. Named levodopa, the drug can treat the stiffness and slowness of movement associated with the debilitating disease.

19 Jul 2018

Rat study shows negative effects of perinatal exposure to phthalates

Male and female rats exposed in the womb and during lactation to plasticizing chemicals known as phthalates had significantly fewer neurons and synapses than those that were not exposed, researchers report in a new study.

19 Jul 2018

Research shows that neurons can encode more than one signal at a time

Back in the early days of telecommunications, engineers devised a clever way to send multiple telephone calls through a single wire at the same time.

19 Jul 2018

Sweetness depends on molecular interactions between specific sugars and water in saliva

A cranberry, honey or a candy bar - which tastes the sweetest? These foods contain sugars that humans can perceive differently.

19 Jul 2018

Researchers gain more insight into how FUS protein causes ALS and FTLD

The mutated and aggregated protein FUS is implicated in two neurodegenerative diseases: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

19 Jul 2018

Researchers identify subtypes of retinal ganglion cells using single-cell RNA sequencing

Single-cell sequencing technologies are filling in fine details in the catalog of life. Researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center and The Jackson Laboratory have identified 40 subtypes of retinal ganglion cells along with the genetic markers and transcription factors that differentiate them.

19 Jul 2018

Woman's pregnancy history may be linked to Alzheimer's disease risk

A woman's history of pregnancy may affect her risk of Alzheimer's disease decades later, according to a study published in the July 18, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Jul 2018

Mother's microbiome determines offspring's risk of developing autism

The risk of developing autism-spectrum disorders is determined by the mother's microbiome - the collection of microorganisms that naturally live inside us - during pregnancy, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests.

18 Jul 2018

A simple pill for meth addicts on the cards

Researchers from Australia's Curtin University have developed a simple pill that could be used to treat methamphetamine addicts. It would soon be tried in a clinical trial to prove its efficacy and utility said the researchers.

18 Jul 2018

Sleep supports antioxidant processes, study suggests

Understanding sleep has become increasingly important in modern society, where chronic loss of sleep has become rampant and pervasive.

18 Jul 2018

Nitrate-cured meats may contribute to mania, study finds

An analysis of more than 1,000 people with and without psychiatric disorders has shown that nitrates-chemicals used to cure meats such as beef jerky, salami, hot dogs and other processed meat snacks-may contribute to mania, an abnormal mood state. Mania is characterized by hyperactivity, euphoria and insomnia.

18 Jul 2018

Study assesses increased growth of secondary imaging interpretations

A new Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute study assesses the increased growth of secondary interpretations of diagnostic imaging examinations in the Medicare population.

18 Jul 2018

Exposure to bright light may have big impact on sleep-related behavior in children

Settling youngsters down to sleep at night isn't always easy. Recent research suggests that the amount of exposure children have to bright light in the hour leading up to bedtime - whether emanating from light bulbs or electronic devices - can have a big impact on sleep-related behavior.

18 Jul 2018

Cognitive functions often wilt as water departs the body, shows study

Anyone lost in a desert hallucinating mirages knows that extreme dehydration discombobulates the mind. But just two hours of vigorous yard work in the summer sun without drinking fluids could be enough to blunt concentration, according to a new study.

18 Jul 2018

CT scans may raise brain tumor risk

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that CT scans, commonly used in medical imaging, may increase the risk of brain tumors.

18 Jul 2018