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.

MRI and machine learning could predict whether OCD patients will benefit from treatment

Washing hands needlessly dozens of times of day. Spending so much time perfecting schoolwork that it never gets turned in.

15 Feb 2018

Proper training could help cut down on winter sports injuries

Watching Olympic athletes zoom down the slopes or tear up the rink can inspire you to get involved in winter sports.

15 Feb 2018

Learning stress-reducing techniques may benefit people with epilepsy

Learning techniques to help manage stress may help people with epilepsy reduce how often they have seizures, according to a study published in the February 14, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Feb 2018

Electric brain signals of males and females show differences

The electric brain signals, measured by using EEG, of males and females show differences. The difference can't be detected by visual inspection, not even by the trained eye of a neurologist.

15 Feb 2018

UTA professor wins grant to study link between fat storage in the heart and cardiovascular disease

Michael Nelson, assistant professor of kinesiology at The University of Texas at Arlington, has received a new five-year, $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the link between fat storage in the heart and cardiovascular disease, as well as the influence of gender on the development of cardiac dysfunction.

15 Feb 2018

Potential new principle for treatment of multiple forms of cancer

A study published in Science Translational Medicine shows that small molecules that specifically inhibit an important selenium-containing enzyme may be useful in combating cancer. When researchers at Karolinska Institutet treated cancer in mice using these molecules, they observed rapid tumoricidal effects.

15 Feb 2018

Researchers detail molecular atlas of cells that form brain's blood vessels

Even though diseases of the brain vasculature are some of the most common causes of death in the West, knowledge of these blood vessels is limited.

15 Feb 2018

FDA permits marketing of first blood test to evaluate mild traumatic brain injury

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today permitted marketing of the first blood test to evaluate mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly referred to as concussion, in adults.

15 Feb 2018

Study: Fox domestication linked to changes in gene activity in the pituitary gland

A study of foxes offers new insights into the brain changes that occur in wild canids as they become more tame, researchers report. The study links fox domestication to changes in gene activity in the pituitary gland, a brain center that kicks out hormones to regulate various bodily functions, including the stress response.

14 Feb 2018

Researchers study how unexpected event makes people to stop an action

Imagine reaching to pet your cat, and it hisses at you. How does your brain take stock of the sound and communicate with your body to pull back your hand?

14 Feb 2018

Researchers use upconversion nanoparticles to understand brain functions

Scientists from the National University of Singapore have worked with an international research team to jointly develop a novel approach for deep brain stimulation.

14 Feb 2018

Emotional state affects operation of the entire brain instead of being restricted to specific regions

The brain mechanisms of basic emotions such as anger and happiness are fairly similar across people. Differences are greater in social emotions, such as gratitude and contempt.

14 Feb 2018

Mice study raises hope to successfully treat Alzheimer's disease

A team of researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute have found that gradually depleting an enzyme called BACE1 completely reverses the formation of amyloid plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease, thereby improving the animals' cognitive function.

14 Feb 2018

Higher levels of lifestyle physical activity linked to more gray matter in older adults’ brains

Higher levels of lifestyle physical activity – such as house cleaning, walking a dog and gardening, as well as exercise – are associated with more gray matter in the brains of older adults, according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

14 Feb 2018

Running mitigates negative impacts of chronic stress on the brain, study finds

Most people agree that getting a little exercise helps when dealing with stress. A new BYU study discovers exercise -- particularly running -- while under stress also helps protect your memory.

14 Feb 2018

Researcher makes breakthrough discovery in process of fear relapse

Steve Maren, the Claude H. Everett Jr. '47 Chair of Liberal Arts professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University, and his Emotion and Memory Systems Laboratory have made a breakthrough discovery in the process of fear relapse.

14 Feb 2018

Researchers propose video games to improve mobility in stroke patients

A joint research by the Basque research center BCBL and the London Imperial College reveals that, after a cerebral infarction, injuries in areas that control attention also cause motility problems. The authors propose to complement physiotherapy with another type of cognitive training, such as video games.

14 Feb 2018

High-tech brain scans can provide new way to define intelligence

High-tech scans of the resting human brain can provide a new way to define and interpret the brain's actual mental capacity, new research suggests.

14 Feb 2018

NIH releases unparalleled dataset from Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study

The National Institutes of Health today released to the scientific community an unparalleled dataset from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. To date, more than 7,500 youth and their families have been recruited for the study, well over half the participant goal.

13 Feb 2018

Four-pronged approach can lead to healthy aging for older adults

Want to live a long and healthy life? Of course. Well, that's not going to just happen. It'll take some effort – especially if you're already 65 or older.

13 Feb 2018