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Researchers link AFD activity to sensory responses and behavior

When the surrounding environment makes us uncomfortable, we are inclined to move to a more agreeable one. Studies have shown that animals do the same. They organize sequences of movements to migrate to preferred environments. Understanding how environmental information is converted to sensory information in the brain is vital for a deeper understanding of animal behavior and human perception.

23 Mar 2016

New study provides insight into working memory

When you hold in mind a sentence you have just read or a phone number you're about to dial, you're engaging a critical brain system known as working memory.

18 Mar 2016

UW-Madison neuroscientist discover genetic machinery that causes maturation in young nerve cells

In one of the first studies to 'read' the genetic activity inside individual brain cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist Xinyu Zhao has identified the genetic machinery that causes maturation in a young nerve cell. The cells under study came from the hippocampus, a memory-related structure that is the only place in a mammal's brain where new neurons can form throughout life.

18 Mar 2016

CIRM approves $6.3 million grant to support research on novel stem cell-based therapy for ALS

The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine approved yesterday a $6.3 million grant to a research team from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and University of California, Davis to pursue a novel human embryonic stem cell-based therapy to rescue and restore neurons devastated by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.

18 Mar 2016

New 3D micro-scaffold technology promotes reprogramming of stem cells into neurons

National Institutes of Health-funded scientists have developed a 3D micro-scaffold technology that promotes reprogramming of stem cells into neurons, and supports growth of neuronal connections capable of transmitting electrical signals.

18 Mar 2016

Anti-anxiety drug reduces autistic features in Jacobsen syndrome mice

About half of children born with Jacobsen syndrome, a rare inherited disease, experience social and behavioral issues consistent with autism spectrum disorders. Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and collaborators developed a mouse model of the disease that also exhibits autism-like social behaviors and used it to unravel the molecular mechanism that connects the genetic defects inherited in Jacobsen syndrome to effects on brain function.

16 Mar 2016

Could environmental toxins trigger amyloid plaques in the brain? An interview with Dr Paul Alan Cox

Many Chamorro villagers on the island of Guam perished from a puzzling paralytic disease that combines aspects of ALS, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease.

From Huron Technologies 14 Mar 2016

NIMH-supported researchers discover key secrets of the underlying brain circuitry

A few years ago, researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health discovered in rats that awake mental replay of past experiences is critical for learning and making informed choices. Now, the team has discovered key secrets of the underlying brain circuitry -- including a unique system that encodes location during inactive periods.

14 Mar 2016

Grid cells involved in broader range of cognitive process than previously thought

Evidence of grid cell activity has been seen in healthy volunteers asked to imagine moving through an environment in new UCL research funded by the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.

11 Mar 2016

Scientists discover brain mechanisms that separate food consumption from cravings

Researchers investigating eating disorders often study chemical and neurological functions in the brain to discover clues to overeating. Understanding non-homeostatic eating -- or eating that is driven more by palatability, habit and food cues -- and how it works in the brain may help neuroscientists determine how to control cravings, maintain healthier weights and promote healthier lifestyles. Scientists at the University of Missouri recently discovered the chemical circuits and mechanisms in the brain that separate food consumption from cravings. Knowing more about these mechanisms could help researchers develop drugs that reduce overeating.

9 Mar 2016

Immune cells play vital role in rewiring connections between nerve cells

A new study out today in the journal Nature Communications shows that cells normally associated with protecting the brain from infection and injury also play an important role in rewiring the connections between nerve cells.

8 Mar 2016

NIH scientists show how neurons in the eye may use math to differentiate moving objects

Our eyes constantly send bits of information about the world around us to our brains where the information is assembled into objects we recognize. Along the way, a series of neurons in the eye uses electrical and chemical signals to relay the information. In a study of mice, National Institutes of Health scientists showed how one type of neuron may do this to distinguish moving objects.

8 Mar 2016

Long-term exercise may benefit Spinal Muscular Atrophy patients

Long-term exercise appears to be beneficial for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) like mice, suggesting a potential of active physiotherapy for patient care; according to a study published today in the Journal of Physiology.

6 Mar 2016

Researchers find key brain receptor linked to depression, drug addiction and Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that a key receptor in the brain, once thought to only strengthen synapses, can also weaken them, offering new insights into the mechanisms driving depression, drug addiction and even Alzheimer's disease.

3 Mar 2016

Novel mitochondria-specific ceria nanoparticles can effectively suppress neuronal cell death

The brain is an enormous network of communication, containing over 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, with branches that connect at more than 100 trillion points. They are constantly sending signals through a vast neuron forest that forms memories, thoughts and feelings; these patterns of activity form the essence of each person.

27 Feb 2016

Rockefeller research reveals vital new component of system responsible for regulating food intake

The molecular intricacies of hunger and satiety, pivotal for understanding metabolic disorders and the problem of obesity, are not yet fully understood by scientists. However, new research from The Rockefeller University reveals an important new component of the system responsible for regulating food intake: a hormone called amylin, which acts in the brain to help control consumption.

27 Feb 2016

Scientists reveal how the brain processes information with lightning speed

Surprisingly complex interactions between neurotransmitter receptors and other key proteins help explain the brain's ability to process information with lightning speed, according to a new study.

27 Feb 2016

Scientists develop new optical technique to observe neurotransmitter activity of individual synapses

Columbia University scientists have developed a new optical technique to study how information is transmitted in the brains of mice. Using this method, they found that only a small portion of synapses -- the connections between cells that control brain activity--may be active at any given time.

26 Feb 2016

Study provides pathways to understand complex neurological disorders

Scientists have now described the engineering of a bright red fluorescent protein-based voltage indicator, providing pathways to understanding complex neurological disorders. Designated as FlicR1 (fluorescent indicator for voltage imaging red), these indicators enable imaging of the electrical activity of many genetically targeted neurons with high spatial and temporal resolution.

25 Feb 2016

UCLA-led researchers identify specific gene network that promotes repair in peripheral nervous system

Whether or not nerve cells are able to regrow after injury depends on their location in the body. Injured nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system, such as those in the arms and legs, can recover and regrow, at least to some extent. But nerve cells in the central nervous system -- the brain and spinal cord -- can't recover at all.

22 Feb 2016

Neuron News and Research

Researchers link AFD activity to sensory responses and behavior

New study provides insight into working memory

UW-Madison neuroscientist discover genetic machinery that causes maturation in young nerve cells

CIRM approves $6.3 million grant to support research on novel stem cell-based therapy for ALS

New 3D micro-scaffold technology promotes reprogramming of stem cells into neurons

Anti-anxiety drug reduces autistic features in Jacobsen syndrome mice

Could environmental toxins trigger amyloid plaques in the brain? An interview with Dr Paul Alan Cox

NIMH-supported researchers discover key secrets of the underlying brain circuitry

Grid cells involved in broader range of cognitive process than previously thought

Scientists discover brain mechanisms that separate food consumption from cravings

Immune cells play vital role in rewiring connections between nerve cells

NIH scientists show how neurons in the eye may use math to differentiate moving objects

Long-term exercise may benefit Spinal Muscular Atrophy patients

Researchers find key brain receptor linked to depression, drug addiction and Alzheimer's disease

Novel mitochondria-specific ceria nanoparticles can effectively suppress neuronal cell death

Rockefeller research reveals vital new component of system responsible for regulating food intake

Scientists reveal how the brain processes information with lightning speed

Scientists develop new optical technique to observe neurotransmitter activity of individual synapses

Study provides pathways to understand complex neurological disorders

UCLA-led researchers identify specific gene network that promotes repair in peripheral nervous system

eBook: Advancing neurodegenerative research with iPSC-derived microglia models eBook

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