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.

New cell therapy restores movement in people with paralyzing spinal cord injuries

Four of six people with paralyzing spinal cord injuries who were treated with a new cell therapy have recovered two or more motor levels on at least one side, new study results show.

6 Oct 2017

Researchers find genetic variation linked to effects of prenatal alcohol exposure

Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have found a genetic variation, which associates with the damage caused by maternal alcohol consumption. This genetic variation clarifies the role of genetic factors in the alcohol-induced developmental disorders and could be useful in future diagnostics.

5 Oct 2017

Air pollution exposure on the way to school can have harmful effects on children's cognitive development

A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, an institute supported by the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation, has demonstrated that exposure to air pollution on the way to school can have damaging effects on children's cognitive development.

5 Oct 2017

GW researcher awarded NIH grant to study how cocaine use affects HIV infection

Following studies showing that cocaine influences the replication and transcription of HIV, a researcher at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences was awarded more than $2.3 million from the National Institutes of Health to look deeper into the involved molecular mechanisms that allow this effect to happen.

5 Oct 2017

Brain wiring directly impacts performance of simple and complex tasks

The way a person's brain is "wired" directly impacts how well they perform simple and complex tasks, according to a new study from researchers at Rice University.

5 Oct 2017

Study provides insight into how cells in the body adapt to nerve injury

Genetic processes that allow cells to transform so they can mend damaged nerves have been identified by scientists.

5 Oct 2017

Astrocytes play important part in regulation of breathing, study shows

Star-shaped cells called astrocytes are much more than simple support cells in the brain. In a new study on mice, researchers at Karolinska Institutet demonstrate that they also play a key part in the respiratory center of the brainstem and release inflammatory molecules that regulate breathing.

5 Oct 2017

Researchers improve genetic decoding of neurodevelopmental disorders

A result that will help in the future diagnosis of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability, autism or schizophrenia.

5 Oct 2017

Moms of children with rare genetic illness push for wider newborn screening

Kerri De Nies received the news this spring from her son's pediatrician: Her chubby-cheeked toddler had a rare brain disorder.

5 Oct 2017

Study uses ferret model to elucidate key mechanisms for gyrus formation

The human brain is highly developed with higher functions compared to other animals, thanks to which humans are believed to have acquired special abilities. One of the important factors considered to contribute to the development of the brain is the gyrus, the fold on the cerebral cortex surface.

5 Oct 2017

Researchers discover promising alternative to open fetal surgery for spina bifida repair

Researchers from Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus recently discovered a promising alternative to open fetal surgery for spina bifida repair.

5 Oct 2017

New app helps doctors make better decisions during brain surgeries

A new app developed by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Medical College of Wisconsin helps doctors make better decisions during brain surgeries.

5 Oct 2017

UT Southwestern undertakes expansion of its flagship hospital to meet rising need for care

To meet a greater-than-expected need for specialty patient care in North Texas and the surrounding states, UT Southwestern is undertaking a $480 million expansion of its flagship William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.

4 Oct 2017

Gene targets for triple negative breast cancers resistant to chemotherapy found

Researchers have finally found the genetic targets that could be used for treatment and development of new drugs in patients who are resistant to chemotherapy. These patients who are resistant to chemotherapy are most likely to have triple negative breast cancer which is the most aggressive form of breast cancer. The study appeared in the latest issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.

4 Oct 2017

Tulane researchers explore Shox2 protein’s potential link to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia

Tulane University's Laura Schrader, a cell and molecular biology professor and Brain Institute member, received a two-year grant from the National Institute of Health to study the role of a Shox2, a protein in the brain important for development and function of the thalamus.

4 Oct 2017

Women with high blood pressure in their 40s may more likely develop dementia later

Women who develop high blood pressure in their 40s may be more likely to develop dementia years later, according to a study published in the October 4, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Oct 2017

MRI and ultrasound can detect fetal brain damage caused by Zika in utero

Clinicians managing Zika-affected pregnancies should use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to standard ultrasound (US) because the more detailed MRI images can reveal more extensive areas of damage to the developing fetal brain, according to research presented during IDWeek 2017.

4 Oct 2017