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.

Study documents brain function differences linked to higher and lower levels of moral reasoning

Individuals who have a high level of moral reasoning show increased activity in the brain's frontostriatal reward system, both during periods of rest and while performing a sequential risk taking and decision making task according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Shanghai International Studies University in Shanghai, China and Charité Universitätsmediz in Berlin, Germany.

22 Aug 2017

Noninvasive retinal imaging may detect pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease

A study led by researchers at Cedars-Sinai and NeuroVision Imaging LLC provides the scientific basis for using noninvasive eye imaging to detect the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's.

22 Aug 2017

Reduced activity in the brain's self-regulation system may be early predictor of obesity

In a small study that scanned the brains of teenagers while exposing them to tempting "food cues," researchers report that reduced activity in the brain's "self-regulation" system may be an important early predictor of adult obesity.

22 Aug 2017

Dying at home in an opioid crisis: Hospices grapple with stolen meds

Nothing seemed to help the patient — and hospice staff didn't know why. They sent home more painkillers for weeks. But the elderly woman, who had severe dementia and incurable breast cancer, kept calling out in pain.

22 Aug 2017

Novel nanolaser can serve as super-bright probe to detect and kill metastasized cancer cells

A nanolaser known as the spaser can serve as a super-bright, water-soluble, biocompatible probe capable of finding metastasized cancer cells in the bloodstream and then killing these cells, according to a new research study.

22 Aug 2017

Study offers new, quicker way to test for Zika virus

For the first time, researchers are using proteomics to examine proteins and peptides in saliva in order to accurately detect exposure to Zika virus.

21 Aug 2017

Cortisol mediates communication between gut bacteria and brain metabolites, study suggests

Gut microbes have been in the news a lot lately. Recent studies show they can influence human health, behavior, and certain neurological disorders, such as autism.

21 Aug 2017

Microstructural changes occur in the brain from early to mid-adulthood, study finds

Scientists in China have found that significant microstructural changes occur in the brain from early to mid-adulthood, allowing them to accurately estimate an individual's age from their brain structure.

21 Aug 2017

Researchers identify control mechanisms of synapse formation

DGIST announced that the research team of Professor Ko Jae-won at the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences and the research team of Professor Kim Ho-min at KAIST conducted a joint research and observed the three-dimensional structure of proteins that regulate neuronal cell connections for the first time in the world and have identified the control mechanisms of synapse formation.

21 Aug 2017

Novel mussel-inspired glue could one day save lives of youngest patients

Whether to perform surgery on a fetus is a heart-wrenching decision. This type of surgery involves penetrating the highly delicate amniotic sac, increasing health risks to the fetus.

21 Aug 2017

NNI, NTU collaborate to revolutionize diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions

The National Neuroscience Institute and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore are collaborating to develop innovative technologies to better diagnose and treat patients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and brain injuries.

21 Aug 2017

Bionic vision restoration: could future technologies restore sight?

The brain is very plastic, which means that the brain is able to adapt to new signals. In the case of bionic vision restoration, the photoreceptors have died, the brain is not receiving anything biologically, and you are going to then send something which is artificial, prosthetic, and has been created outside the body.

21 Aug 2017

Chronic stress triggers fatal organ failure via new neural pathway

New research reveals the mechanisms behind the effects of chronic stress and tiny inflammations in the brain on fatal gut failure.

21 Aug 2017

Walnuts reduce hunger by activating a certain brain region, say researchers

Scientists have shown that eating walnuts activates a region of the brain involved in the control of hunger and food cravings, which could explain why people report feeling full after eating them.

21 Aug 2017

Voice-hearers can quickly detect disguised speech patterns in ambiguous sounds

People who hear voices that other people can't hear may use unusual skills when their brains process new sounds, according to research led by Durham University and University College London.

21 Aug 2017

Nanomaterial wrap for improved tissue imaging

Researchers at Tokai University describe in Advanced Materials how wrapping biological tissue in a nanosheet of a particular organic material results in high-quality microscopy images. Application of the wrap prevents the sample from drying out, and hence from shrinking, enabling larger image-recording times.

20 Aug 2017

Binge TV viewing increasingly prevalent - poses a threat to sleep

According to new research that looked at the TV viewing habits and sleep histories of 423 persons between ages of 18 and 25 years, binge watching or consuming multiple episodes of a TV series at one sitting can significantly affect sleep. Regular TV watching on the other hand does not affect sleep detrimentally to that extent according to study author Liese Exelmans a doctoral researcher at the University of Leuven's School of Mass Communication Research in Belgium. The study was published in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

20 Aug 2017

Adequate sleep and caffeine could help reduce postoperative pain

Sleep is essential for good mental and physical health, and chronic insufficient sleep increases the risk for several chronic health problems.

18 Aug 2017

Study provides insight into development of red blood cells

Every cell in the body, whether skin or muscle or brain, starts out as a generic cell that acquires its unique characteristics after undergoing a process of specialization. Nowhere is this process more dramatic than it is in red blood cells.

18 Aug 2017

Nearly 50% of parents against later school start times, despite health and learning benefits

Leading pediatrics and sleep associations agree: Teens shouldn't start school so early. Yet University of Michigan research finds parents are split almost down the middle on whether they support delays in school start times that might permit their 13- to 17-year-olds to sleep later on school days.

18 Aug 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Study documents brain function differences linked to higher and lower levels of moral reasoning

Noninvasive retinal imaging may detect pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease

Reduced activity in the brain's self-regulation system may be early predictor of obesity

Dying at home in an opioid crisis: Hospices grapple with stolen meds

Novel nanolaser can serve as super-bright probe to detect and kill metastasized cancer cells

Study offers new, quicker way to test for Zika virus

Cortisol mediates communication between gut bacteria and brain metabolites, study suggests

Microstructural changes occur in the brain from early to mid-adulthood, study finds

Researchers identify control mechanisms of synapse formation

Novel mussel-inspired glue could one day save lives of youngest patients

NNI, NTU collaborate to revolutionize diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions

Bionic vision restoration: could future technologies restore sight?

Chronic stress triggers fatal organ failure via new neural pathway

Walnuts reduce hunger by activating a certain brain region, say researchers

Voice-hearers can quickly detect disguised speech patterns in ambiguous sounds

Nanomaterial wrap for improved tissue imaging

Binge TV viewing increasingly prevalent - poses a threat to sleep

Adequate sleep and caffeine could help reduce postoperative pain

Study provides insight into development of red blood cells

Nearly 50% of parents against later school start times, despite health and learning benefits

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