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.

ANT1 mutations connect bipolar disorder with mitochondrial dysfunction

Mutations in the gene ANT1 may confer a risk for bipolar disorder through a complex interplay between serotonin and mitochondrial signaling in the brain.

11 Jun 2018

Metric-based virtual reality simulation improves training for physicians in mechanical thrombectomy

Mentice welcomes the publication of a research paper in the journal "Stroke" based on the use of its VIST® physics-based, high-fidelity simulator to train interventional neuroradiologists.

11 Jun 2018

Research drug may one day be novel treatment for systemic inflammatory response syndrome

When trauma spills the contents of our cell powerhouses, it can evoke a potentially deadly immune response much like a severe bacterial infection.

11 Jun 2018

Researchers develop flexible "Plug and Play" technology to protect against emerging diseases

Researchers from GeoVax have developed a flexible "Plug and Play" technology platform that delivers single-dose vaccines that fully protect against emerging infectious diseases such as Zika, Lassa fever, and Ebola.

11 Jun 2018

Researchers identify enzyme that controls cell’s collagen secretion

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have identified an enzyme that controls how much our cells secrete collagen.

11 Jun 2018

Researchers investigate role of glutamate in age-associated cognitive disorders

As people around the world live longer, the prevalence of age-associated cognitive disorders is growing. Alzheimer's disease, for which advanced age is the most significant risk factor, currently defies all therapeutic efforts.

8 Jun 2018

Scientists examine how depressive episode affects the memory with computational model

During a depressive episode the ability of the brain to form new brain cells is reduced. Scientists of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum examined how this affects the memory with a computational model.

8 Jun 2018

Researchers reverse tau-induced memory deficits in animal models

Reversing memory deficits and impairments in spatial learning is a major goal in the field of dementia research. A lack of knowledge about cellular pathways critical to the development of dementia, however, has stood in the way of significant clinical advance.

8 Jun 2018

Study demonstrates promise of new imaging method for precise brain cancer diagnostics

Nowadays, tumors inside the complex central nervous system remain one of the most challenging cancers to diagnose.

8 Jun 2018

Researchers demonstrate synaptic plasticity in new-born neurons

Even in adult brains, new neurons are generated throughout a lifetime. In a publication in the scientific journal PNAS, a research group led by Goethe University describes plastic changes of adult-born neurons in the hippocampus, a critical region for learning: frequent nerve signals enlarge the spines on neuronal dendrites, which in turn enables contact with the existing neural network.

8 Jun 2018

Computerized brain shows how depressive episodes affect memory

Scientists have used a computational model to show how depressive episodes affect the brain’s ability to store and recall memories.

8 Jun 2018

Scientists find role of schizophrenia gene in brain development

A USC research team identified 150 proteins affecting cell activity and brain development that contribute to mental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar condition and depression.

8 Jun 2018

New research provides clues into development of mammalian cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex - the brain's epicenter of high-level cognitive functions, such as memory formation, attention, thought, language and consciousness - has fascinated neuroscientists for centuries.

8 Jun 2018

Synthetic cannabis use may increase risk of heart attack and stroke

The warning follows their treatment of a 25 year old prison inmate who had no family history of heart disease or traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and who was left with a permanent disability.

8 Jun 2018

New model explains how the brain stores memories of tangible events

Dr. Thomas Hainmüller and Prof. Dr. Marlene Bartos of the Institute of Psychology of the University of Freiburg have established a new model to explain how the brain stores memories of tangible events.

8 Jun 2018

Researchers uncover why people with Parkinson's disease suffer from sleep disturbances

A team of researchers at VIB and KU Leuven has uncovered why people with a hereditary form of Parkinson's disease suffer from sleep disturbances.

8 Jun 2018

Scientists find key biomarker of Parkinson's disease in the retina

A research involving scientists from the University of Alicante and the United States notes that the accumulation of a protein known as alpha-synuclein in the retina is a key Parkinson's biomarker that could help detect the degree of severity of the disease.

8 Jun 2018

New analytical method improves diagnosis and monitoring of cancer

Ten times more sensitive than current techniques, the technique allows, from a blood serum sample, to simultaneously detect different biomarkers related to cancer.

8 Jun 2018

Biomedical engineers uncover new fundamental feature of brain oscillations

The coordination of neural activity across widespread brain networks is essential for human cognition. Researchers have long assumed that oscillations in the brain, commonly measured for research purposes, brain-computer interfacing, and clinical tests, were stationary signals that occurred independently at separate brain regions.

8 Jun 2018

Breakthrough research shines new light on mysterious area of the brain

A breakthrough in brain research has promising implications for health and may lead to new answers about depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Parkinson's disease.

7 Jun 2018