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Neuroscientists identify 'anxiety cells' in the brain's hippocampus

Do your palms sweat when you walk down a poorly lit street at night? That feeling may be traced to the firing of newly identified "anxiety" cells deep inside your brain, according to new research from neuroscientists at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

31 Jan 2018

Researchers reveal important role of estrogen in neuroblastoma

The female sex hormone estrogen can perform an important role in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer mainly affecting young children.

29 Jan 2018

Research provides insights into metacognition of experienced and non-experienced events

Metacognitive judgments on non-experienced events are processed in the frontopolar cortex of the brain, whereas metacognition on experienced events is associated with the dorsal prefrontal cortex, as reported in a study on non-human primates just published in Neuron.

27 Jan 2018

Biologists discover new genetic pathway for injured nerve regeneration

On the hunt for genes involved in regenerating critical nerve fibers called axons, biologists at the University of California San Diego came away with a surprise: The discovery of a new genetic pathway that carries hope for victims of traumatic injuries - from stroke to spinal cord damage.

25 Jan 2018

Scientists imitate the Human Blood-retinal barrier on a microfluidic chip

For years scientists have sought to minimise Animal testing and speed up clinical trials. One alternative is the use of in vitro assays using live cells, but its effectiveness is limited, since it is difficult to reproduce interaction and interconnection between cells.

24 Jan 2018

Researchers describe atom-by-atom changes in ALS-linked protein

For the first time, researchers have described atom-by-atom changes in a family of proteins linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a group of brain disorders known as frontotemporal dementia and degenerative diseases of muscle and bone.

19 Jan 2018

New biomaterials-based system improves T-cell production

T cells play a key role in the body's immune response against pathogens. As a new class of therapeutic approaches, T cells are being harnessed to fight cancer, promising more precise, longer-lasting mitigation than traditional, chemical-based approaches.

18 Jan 2018

Study suggests movement as accurate method to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders

A new study led by researchers at Indiana University and Rutgers University provides the strongest evidence yet that nearly imperceptible changes in how people move can be used to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.

18 Jan 2018

Scientists develop unique technique to map elasticity of cell components

Scientists at Université de Montréal have developed a unique technique to map, on a scale of milliseconds, the elasticity of the components inside a cell.

17 Jan 2018

Administration of two proteins shown to counteract neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease

A combination therapy made up of two neurotrophic factors can reduce the degenerative effects of Parkinson’s disease, shows new research.

15 Jan 2018

Caltech researchers develop new method to see neural connections in living flies

The human brain is composed of billions of neurons wired together in intricate webs and communicating through electrical pulses and chemical signals.

12 Jan 2018

The Virus That Causes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease May Use Human Protein to Aid Infection

The human protein, prohibitin, may be used by the virus to enter motor neurons and cause the neurological complications of hand, foot and mouth disease.

12 Jan 2018

Key synaptic proteins could be targets for early interventions in patients with dementias

One of the most intriguing properties of the brain is its means to undergo synaptic plasticity which represents the basis for learning and memory, abilities that severely decline in the case of a dementia.

9 Jan 2018

Researchers develop drug that supports cellular traffic jam theory in ALS/FTD

Neurodegeneration in ALS/FTD may be caused by TDP-43 aggregation in the cytoplasm, causing cellular traffic jams. The trial drug can sequester TDP-43.

9 Jan 2018

Study finds new brainstem changes in Parkinson’s disease

A pioneering study has found that patients with Parkinson's disease have more errors in the mitochondrial DNA within the brainstem, leading to increased cell death in that area.

4 Jan 2018

New brain mapping technique reveals link between connectivity and IQ

According to a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, a novel and comparatively simple technique that maps the wiring of the brain has indicated a relationship between how well connected a person’s brain regions are and their intelligence.

3 Jan 2018

Researchers discover way to enhance effectiveness and safety of sonogenetics

Researchers at Duke University have discovered a way to enhance the effectiveness and safety of sonogenetics or ultrasonic modulation, emerging techniques that use sound waves to control the behavior of individual neurons or to promote tissue growth and wound healing in other cells.

3 Jan 2018

UTA researcher working to show potential link between blast-like trauma and neurological disorders

Efficient communication between neurons in the brain is the key to achieving cognitive function. A University of Texas at Arlington researcher is working to determine how mechanical forces such as blasts or repeated blows to the head could damage neurons and lead to neurological disorders.

22 Dec 2017

UMSOM researchers identify new role for mitochondria in cocaine-induced behavior

For years, scientists have known that mitochondria in brain cells play a role in brain disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and stress responses.

20 Dec 2017

TSRI scientists uncover new insights into regulatory network behind axon termination

All things must come to an end. This is particularly true for neurons, especially the extensions called axons that transmit electrochemical signals to other nerve cells. Without controlled termination of individual neuron growth, the efficient and accurate construction of a nervous system is in serious jeopardy.

19 Dec 2017