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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 study shows how activation of innate immunity promotes tissue regeneration

Houston Methodist researchers have identified an immune pathway that promotes the formation of a cell that can develop into new tissues and organs.

9 Mar 2017

Pittcon 2017: reflections from the floor

Pittcon 2017 commenced with a fascinating talk by world-renowned optogenetics expert Dr. Karl Deisseroth, D.H. Chen Professor of Bioengineering, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

From Pittcon 9 Mar 2017

WHO report: 1.7 million children die every year due to unhealthy environments

More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years are attributable to unhealthy environments. Every year, environmental risks – such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, second-hand smoke, unsafe water, lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene – take the lives of 1.7 million children under 5 years, say two new World Health Organization reports.

9 Mar 2017

Researcher shows how natural molecule can promote axon repair

A foray into plant biology led one researcher to discover that a natural molecule can repair axons, the thread-like projections that carry electrical signals between cells. Axonal damage is the major culprit underlying disability in conditions such as spinal cord injury and stroke.

9 Mar 2017

UVA researchers use probiotic bacteria in yogurt to reverse depression symptoms

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have reversed depression symptoms in mice by feeding them Lactobacillus, a probiotic bacteria found in live-cultures yogurt.

9 Mar 2017

New study finds neurological relationship between religiosity and epilepsy

A relationship between epilepsy and heightened religious experiences has been recognized since at least the 19th century. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Missouri found a neurological relationship exists between religiosity-- a disposition for spiritual experience and religious activity--and epilepsy.

8 Mar 2017

Hormone secreted by bone cells can suppress appetite, mice study reveals

A hormone secreted by bone cells can suppress appetite, according to mouse studies conducted by Columbia University Medical Center researchers.

8 Mar 2017

Invasive ‘liberation therapy’ not effective in treating multiple sclerosis, study finds

Opening up narrowed veins from the brain and spinal cord is not effective in treating multiple sclerosis, according to a study led by the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health.

8 Mar 2017

New dimensional, multi-informant approach uncovers brain marker for ADHD symptoms

Despite diagnoses for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) occurring in a reported 11 percent of U.S. school-aged kids, clinicians still don't fully understand the underlying causes of this common condition.

8 Mar 2017

UNIGE scientists identify complementary role played by two neurons in processing olfactory information

The human brain has the ability to recognise and process a very wide range of sensory stimuli, from which it builds a mental representation.

8 Mar 2017

Can dancing improve your mental health?

Dance psychology is the study of dance and dancers from a scientific and psychological perspective. What we're trying to understand is what happens when people dance and why, we are looking at it from a healthcare perspective, which might suggest dancing is good for you.

8 Mar 2017

Scientists open possibilities of going deeper into scattering tissue with less light

Medical applications of light, looking inside human tissue, often are limited by the highly scattering nature of tissue. Inuitively, a lower limit of one photon per camera pixel is assumed.

8 Mar 2017

Microwave helmet shows great potential to detect intracranial bleeding in traumatic brain injuries

Results from a clinical study demonstrates that microwave measurements can be used for a rapid detection of intracranial bleeding in traumatic brain injuries.

8 Mar 2017

Gentle sound stimulation enhances deep sleep, memory in older adults

Gentle sound stimulation -- such as the rush of a waterfall -- synchronized to the rhythm of brain waves significantly enhanced deep sleep in older adults and improved their ability to recall words, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

8 Mar 2017

Research findings provide new conceptual framework for understanding brain inflammation after injury

Researchers have identified a new mechanism by which inflammation can spread throughout the brain after injury. This mechanism may explain the widespread and long-lasting inflammation that occurs after traumatic brain injury, and may play a role in other neurodegenerative diseases.

8 Mar 2017

Study reveals promising new strategy to attack deadly pediatric brain tumor

Researchers from Northwestern Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago have revealed new insight into how the most deadly pediatric brain tumor, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), may develop.

7 Mar 2017

Researchers test 'three-hit' theory of autism in mice

Since the first case was documented in the United States in 1938, the causes of autism have remained elusive. Hundreds of genes, as well as environmental exposures, have been implicated in these brain disorders.

7 Mar 2017

IU study reveals new compounds with potential to boost enzyme that could protect against dementia

A study by Indiana University researchers has identified 24 compounds -- including caffeine -- with the potential to boost an enzyme in the brain shown to protect against dementia.

7 Mar 2017

Researchers identify mechanisms involved in acid pump

Researchers at Aarhus University, Denmark, have succeeded in identifying the mechanisms involved in what is known as the acid pump, which at the cellular level pumps acid into the stomach - in some cases leading to gastric ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

7 Mar 2017