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Study uncovers mechanism underlying brain malformation linked to severe epilepsy

One of the most frequent causes of drug-resistant epilepsy, considered a difficult disease to control, is a brain malformation known as focal cortical dysplasia.

16 May 2018

Study illuminates how neuronal activity leads to gene activation

From burning your palm on a hot pan handle to memorizing the name of a new acquaintance, "anytime you experience something, your neurons are active," says Kelsey Tyssowski, a graduate student in genetics at Harvard Medical School.

16 May 2018

National trial shows how high-tech strategies may change the field of mental health

A national research trial initiated by UT Southwestern in 2012 is generating the first set of results this year that provides an early glimpse into how such high-tech strategies may change the field of mental health.

16 May 2018

Study lays foundation for treating drug, alcohol addicts with noninvasive brain stimulation

In a study investigating the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation for drug addiction, researchers at Medical University of South Carolina are the first to demonstrate that the noninvasive brain stimulation technique can dampen brain activity in response to drug cues in chronic alcohol users and chronic cocaine users.

15 May 2018

Study highlights important role of brain's color processing cells in color perception

When we view natural images the colors we perceive are due to color information at every local patch of an image, rather than how colors interact when they transition from one point to another, according to a new study from researchers at City, University of London.

15 May 2018

Researchers shed light on biological mechanism underlying link between height and cognition

Reports from several studies have identified a link between height and general cognitive ability, or intelligence, but the mechanisms underlying this association are not well known. Researchers from the University of Helsinki, University of California San Diego and Boston University found that this association is mediated by cortical surface area.

14 May 2018

Study uncovers new circuit that fine tunes brain's decision to hide or confront threats

In a study of mice, National Institutes of Health-funded researchers describe a new circuit involved in fine-tuning the brain's decision either to hide or confront threats.

11 May 2018

Poor communication between brain's visual networks may increase risk of mental illness

Individual regions of the brain have to team up to get things done. And like in any team, the key to working together is communication.

9 May 2018

The impact of sleep apnea is worse for women, shows study

The statistics are startling. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 26 percent of adults ages 30 to 70 have sleep apnea.

9 May 2018

Study adds robust evidence to higher prevalence of Alzheimer's among women than men

The APOE gene, the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, may play a more prominent role in disease development among women than men, according to new research from the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center.

8 May 2018

Placental hormone level rises during pregnancy and reaches peak as fetuses approach full term

Just as a runner steadily builds up endurance in order to peak at just the right time, the placenta carefully calibrates how much of the hormone allopregnanolone it produces during pregnancy.

7 May 2018

Dancer's brains show fast response during sudden changes in music

Neuroscience has studied music for decades, and it has been found to activate both the cortical and deeper brain areas. Neuroscience of dance, instead, is a young but quickly growing field.

4 May 2018

Complex human brain may originate from fewer initial cells compared to mice and monkeys

The superior size and complexity of the human brain compared to other mammals may actually originate from fewer initial starting materials, new research has suggested.

4 May 2018

Brain stimulation may offer new way to prevent suicide in people with hard-to-treat depression

A specific kind of brain stimulation is effective in reducing suicidal thinking in a significant portion of people with hard-to-treat depression, according to a new CAMH study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

3 May 2018

Salk researchers clarify relationship of two neuron types to psychiatric and movement disorders

If 95 percent of your neighbors are chatty and outgoing, you probably know more about them than the 5 percent who are reclusive and shy.

3 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

New study reveals reasons behind working memory limits

A new study from City, University of London and MIT may have revealed the reasons behind our memory limitations. The researchers found that trying to retain too much information in our working memory leads to a communication breakdown between parts of the brain responsible for maintaining it.

26 Apr 2018

Study shows link between restless legs syndrome symptoms and brain structure

People with restless legs syndrome may have changes in a portion of the brain that processes sensory information, according to a study published in the April 25, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Apr 2018

Role of midbrain in encoding identity errors

When scientist Thorsten Kahnt was a high school student in Nuremberg, Germany, his friend Christian sported chin-length, curly brown hair. Then one day Christian appeared with newly buzzed hair, only half an inch long.

23 Apr 2018

Human brain processes sight and sound in the same way, shows study

Although sight is a much different sense than sound, Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientists have found that the human brain learns to make sense of these stimuli in the same way.

19 Apr 2018

Cortex News and Research

Study uncovers mechanism underlying brain malformation linked to severe epilepsy

Study illuminates how neuronal activity leads to gene activation

National trial shows how high-tech strategies may change the field of mental health

Study lays foundation for treating drug, alcohol addicts with noninvasive brain stimulation

Study highlights important role of brain's color processing cells in color perception

Researchers shed light on biological mechanism underlying link between height and cognition

Study uncovers new circuit that fine tunes brain's decision to hide or confront threats

Poor communication between brain's visual networks may increase risk of mental illness

The impact of sleep apnea is worse for women, shows study

Study adds robust evidence to higher prevalence of Alzheimer's among women than men

Placental hormone level rises during pregnancy and reaches peak as fetuses approach full term

Dancer's brains show fast response during sudden changes in music

Complex human brain may originate from fewer initial cells compared to mice and monkeys

Brain stimulation may offer new way to prevent suicide in people with hard-to-treat depression

Salk researchers clarify relationship of two neuron types to psychiatric and movement disorders

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

New study reveals reasons behind working memory limits

Study shows link between restless legs syndrome symptoms and brain structure

Role of midbrain in encoding identity errors

Human brain processes sight and sound in the same way, shows study

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