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Scientists develop human cortical spheroids

A patient tormented by suicidal thoughts gives his psychiatrist a few strands of his hair. She derives stem cells from them to grow budding brain tissue harboring the secrets of his unique illness in a petri dish. She uses the information to genetically engineer a personalized treatment to correct his brain circuit functioning. Just Sci-fi? Yes, but...

1 Jun 2015

Differences in brain expression of RORA protein levels may lead to sex bias in autism

George Washington University researcher Valerie Hu, Ph.D., has found an important sex-dependent difference in the level of RORA protein in brain tissues of males and females. Specifically, females without autism have a slightly higher level of RORA in the frontal cortex of the brain than males without autism, while the levels of the protein are comparably lower in the brain of both males and females with autism.

29 May 2015

MIT researchers find neural circuit that appears to cause decision-making in approach-avoidance conflict

Some decisions arouse far more anxiety than others. Among the most anxiety-provoking are those that involve options with both positive and negative elements, such choosing to take a higher-paying job in a city far from family and friends, versus choosing to stay put with less pay.

29 May 2015

Surprising link found between creative problem-solving and increased activity in the cerebellum

Investigators at Stanford University have found a surprising link between creative problem-solving and heightened activity in the cerebellum, a structure located in the back of the brain and more typically thought of as the body's movement-coordination center.

29 May 2015

UB researchers identify mechanisms behind some autistic behaviors, suggest potential targets

Scientists at the University at Buffalo have identified the mechanisms behind a genetic mutation that produces certain autistic behaviors in mice, as well as therapeutic strategies to restore normal behaviors.

28 May 2015

Electric brain stimulation may improve short-term memory in individuals with schizophrenia

Lightly stimulating the brain with electricity may improve short-term memory in people with schizophrenia, according to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

28 May 2015

Diabetes and poor diet can trigger Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, warns BUAP researcher

For several years a researcher was dedicated to feed rodents in his laboratory with a high caloric content and glucose concentrations, which caused them diabetes, and by scientifically assessing what occurred in animals he observed that "diabetes and poor diet is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's or Parkinson's," warns Samuel Treviño Mora from the Meritorious University of Puebla in Mexico.

28 May 2015

Study shows how people's expectation of pain affects the experience of pain

Picture yourself in a medical office, anxiously awaiting your annual flu shot. The nurse casually states, "This won't hurt a bit." But when the needle pierces your skin it hurts, and it hurts a lot. Your expectations have been violated, and not in a good way.

28 May 2015

Canadian researchers shed light on molecular dynamics of chronic pain

Chronic pain affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is a major cause of disability, causing more disability than cancer and heart disease. Canadian researchers, including Michael Salter at SickKids are shedding light on the molecular dynamics of chronic pain. They have uncovered a critical role for a class of cells present in the brain and spinal cord, called microglia, in pain.

27 May 2015

Oscillations could play role in resetting sensitivity of neurons after eye movements

Scientists measuring brain activity have found that in many regions, such as the sensory or motor cortex, activity sometimes oscillates at different frequencies, forming wave-like patterns. Despite the fact that such oscillations are frequently observed, and present in many brain regions, their functional role remains unclear.

26 May 2015

Echolocators use echoes to detect multiple properties of objects through visual areas of the brain

Certain blind individuals have the ability to use echoes from tongue or finger clicks to recognize objects in the distance, and some use echolocation as a replacement for vision. Research done by Dr. Mel Goodale, from the University of Western Ontario, in Canada, and colleagues around the world, is showing that echolocation in blind individuals is a full form of sensory substitution, and that blind echolocation experts recruit regions of the brain normally associated with visual perception when making echo-based assessments of objects.

25 May 2015

Just think about it: Giving natural movement to a patient with quadriplegia

Paralysis is often the result of nerve damage that prevents commands from the brain being relayed to muscle to cause movement...

22 May 2015

Emotion regulation distinguishes unipolar and bipolar depression

Patients with bipolar disorder regulate their emotions differently from those with major depressive disorder in both depressed and remitted states, a study shows.

21 May 2015

Magstim Announces FDA (510k) Clearance of rTMS (repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Therapy System

Magstim is the pioneer of TMS technology, having built a reputation for developing leading medical devices in the research field for over 25 years. ..

From Magstim 21 May 2015

Omega-3 fatty acids improve cognitive flexibility in older adults at risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease

A study of older adults at risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease found that those who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids did better than their peers on tests of cognitive flexibility -- the ability to efficiently switch between tasks -- and had a bigger anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region known to contribute to cognitive flexibility.

20 May 2015

Magstim Rapid2 Therapy System receives FDA clearance for treatment of drug resistant MDD

The Magstim Company Ltd, an innovative and award winning Wales-based medical device manufacturer, has received FDA 510(k) clearance to market its Magstim Rapid2 Therapy System for the treatment of drug resistant Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in the United States. The clearance enables Magstim to significantly increase access to cutting-edge Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) technology for patients and clinicians.

From Magstim 20 May 2015

UC Irvine study shows youthful vigor can be restored to adult brains

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. The same can be said of the adult brain. Its connections are hard to change, while in children, novel experiences rapidly mold new connections during critical periods of brain development.

19 May 2015

Vagus nerve stimulation effective in inhibiting cortical spreading depression

A poster presentation at the International Headache Congress in Valencia, Spain reports that VNS inhibits cortical spreading depression (CSD), which is known to be the cause of migraine aura and a trigger for headache.

15 May 2015

Allen Institute makes progress in brain research with launch of Allen Cell Types Database

The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today that it is taking the first major scientific step to create a searchable standards database for the brain with the launch of the Allen Cell Types Database. This first release includes information on the location, electrical activity and shape of more than 240 neurons.

14 May 2015

Dopamine-producing neurons affect crucial brain functions

Nerve cells that produce dopamine for the purpose of transmitting signals to other cells affect numerous crucial brain functions.

14 May 2015

Cortex News and Research

Scientists develop human cortical spheroids

Differences in brain expression of RORA protein levels may lead to sex bias in autism

MIT researchers find neural circuit that appears to cause decision-making in approach-avoidance conflict

Surprising link found between creative problem-solving and increased activity in the cerebellum

UB researchers identify mechanisms behind some autistic behaviors, suggest potential targets

Electric brain stimulation may improve short-term memory in individuals with schizophrenia

Diabetes and poor diet can trigger Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, warns BUAP researcher

Study shows how people's expectation of pain affects the experience of pain

Canadian researchers shed light on molecular dynamics of chronic pain

Oscillations could play role in resetting sensitivity of neurons after eye movements

Echolocators use echoes to detect multiple properties of objects through visual areas of the brain

Just think about it: Giving natural movement to a patient with quadriplegia

Emotion regulation distinguishes unipolar and bipolar depression

Magstim Announces FDA (510k) Clearance of rTMS (repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Therapy System

Omega-3 fatty acids improve cognitive flexibility in older adults at risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease

Magstim Rapid2 Therapy System receives FDA clearance for treatment of drug resistant MDD

UC Irvine study shows youthful vigor can be restored to adult brains

Vagus nerve stimulation effective in inhibiting cortical spreading depression

Allen Institute makes progress in brain research with launch of Allen Cell Types Database

Dopamine-producing neurons affect crucial brain functions

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Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

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