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.

Cedars-Sinai research sheds light on how the brain rapidly forms new memories

Research from Cedars-Sinai sheds light on how the human brain rapidly forms new memories, providing insights into potential new treatments for memory disorders.

2 May 2018

Artificial retinas fabricated using organic printing inks may restore vision to blind people

A simple retinal prosthesis is being developed in collaboration between Tel Aviv University in Israel and Linköping University in Sweden. Fabricated using cheap and widely-available organic pigments used in printing inks and cosmetics, it consists of tiny pixels like a digital camera sensor on a nanometric scale. Researchers hope that it can restore sight to blind people.

2 May 2018

Study opens the way for potential new dementia treatments with existing drugs

A new research study by scientists in Australia and the US provides an explanation for why clinical trials of drugs reducing proteins in the brain that were thought to cause dementia and Alzheimer's have failed. The study has opened the way for potential new treatments with existing drugs.

2 May 2018

Research team uncovers link between circadian clock and aggression center in the brain

Each year around many people worldwide are diagnosed with a form of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is one of them. The disease manifests itself in memory difficulties in particular, but can also result in personality changes and mood swings.

2 May 2018

Lightning may pose potential danger to patients receiving deep brain stimulation

Patients receiving deep brain stimulation are warned that their neurostimulators may dysfunction when confronted by electromagnetic fields that can be generated by particular electrical devices found at work, home, and in the hospital.

2 May 2018

NewYork-Presbyterian shares information on stroke risk and prevention

Every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke, and every four minutes, someone dies from a stroke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

2 May 2018

Researchers evaluate predictive value of stress testing and cardiac biomarkers in older women

Mayo Clinic researchers, reporting results of the SMART study, have shown that abnormal results on a stress electrocardiogram are an independent predictor of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, heart failure, hospitalization for chest pain, and death in perimenopausal or menopausal women.

2 May 2018

Potential new treatments for dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

A study published has uncovered why clinical drug trials reducing proteins associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia have been unsuccessful.

2 May 2018

System designed to enable the control of animal cells using light

Scientists have developed a system of design principles for controlling cells, tissues or entire limbs using silicon-based photostimulation.

2 May 2018

Researchers find novel approach for in vivo real-time monitoring of metabolites

Real-time monitoring of the dynamics of endogenous molecules in organisms is an important aspect in the study of diseases.

2 May 2018

New MIT study defines critical period for language learning

A great deal of evidence suggests that it is more difficult to learn a new language as an adult than as a child, which has led scientists to propose that there is a "critical period" for language learning. However, the length of this period and its underlying causes remain unknown.

2 May 2018

Direct contact with lymphatic endothelial cells promotes melanoma metastasis

Despite the declining death rates for many individual cancer types, mortality for a few cancers has stabilized or even increased. One of these is melanoma due to its ability, in later stages, to spread to other parts of the body.

2 May 2018

Auditory brainstem implant helps patients with neurofibromatosis type 2

Patients with rare brain tumors on the auditory nerve now have an option to prevent complete deafness at UC San Diego Health. The device, called an auditory brainstem implant or ABI, fits behind the ear and connects directly to the brainstem.

30 Apr 2018

New rat models could be useful in the fight against Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease currently affects more than 5.5 million Americans and is one of the costliest diseases to treat, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Characterized by a buildup of plaque in the brain, few animal models exist that researchers could use to study this devastating disorder.

30 Apr 2018

New study reveals potential for better diagnosis and treatment of TBI patients

Patients who've suffered from traumatic brain injuries have changes in tiny blood vessels in their brains that researchers believe are linked to a range of cognitive symptoms, according to new findings presented at the 2018 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.

30 Apr 2018