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New TSRI study sheds light on how the brain stores memories

A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) sheds light on how the brain stores memories.

4 Jan 2017

Specific gene pathway appears to regulate growth, structure, and organization of cerebral cortex

One of the most significant ways in which the human brain is unique is the size and structure of the cerebral cortex. But what drives the growth of the human cortex, likely the foundation for our unique intellectual abilities?

30 Dec 2016

Researchers explore how neuronal activity influences CREB dynamics

Neuronal activity mediates the formation of neuronal circuits in the cerebral cortex. These processes are regulated by the transcription factor CREB, which regulates gene expression in neuronal activity-dependent processes.

27 Dec 2016

Study identifies new mechanism of how inhibitory brain cells develop

Scientists have discovered that networks of inhibitory brain cells or neurons develop through a mechanism opposite to the one followed by excitatory networks.

27 Dec 2016

Tau biomarker could lead to early identification of Alzheimer's disease pathology

A discovery of high relevance in medical research will be published in Volume 55, number 4 of December 2016 of the prestigious "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD)", entitled "Tau Platelets Correlate with Regional Brain Atrophy in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease".

22 Dec 2016

Neuroscientists uncover how the brain retunes to pull meaning out of noisy environment

When you're suddenly able to understand someone despite their thick accent, or finally make out the lyrics of a song, your brain appears to be re-tuning to recognize speech that was previously incomprehensible.

20 Dec 2016

Research provides insights into how exposure to certain stimuli facilitates occurrence of epileptic seizures

Why does exposure to rhythmic stimulation at certain frequencies facilitate the occurrence of epileptic seizures? In 1997, flickering patterns in an episode of the series Pokémon triggered epileptic seizures in nearly 700 Japanese children.

20 Dec 2016

Researchers pinpoint mechanism underlying astrocyte-mediated recovery of brain tissue after injury

A Kobe University research team has pinpointed the mechanism underlying astrocyte-mediated restoration of brain tissue after an injury. This could lead to new treatments that encourage regeneration by limiting damage to neurons incurred by reduced blood supply or trauma.

15 Dec 2016

Endurance runners' brains have greater functional connectivity, research shows

If you're thinking about taking up running as your New Year's resolution and still need some convincing, consider this: MRI scans reveal that endurance runners' brains have greater functional connectivity than the brains of more sedentary individuals.

15 Dec 2016

MGH researchers develop magnetic coils for selective and reliable neural stimulation

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have developed what appears to be a significant improvement in the technology behind brain implants used to activate neural circuits responsible for vision, hearing or movement.

9 Dec 2016

Psychiatrist explains how the brain blocks memory to help get through traumatic event

Everyone has done something they probably want to forget—falling face first on the stage at your high school graduation or asking a woman how far along she is only to find out she isn't even pregnant.

9 Dec 2016

New approach uses silicon-based photonic probe to deliver light deep within brain tissues

The ability to stimulate neural circuits with very high precision light to control cells -- optogenetics -- is key to exciting advances in the study and mapping of the living brain.

8 Dec 2016

Heavy alcohol use during adolescence alters brain development, study shows

Heavy alcohol use during adolescence alters the development of brain, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital.

8 Dec 2016

Study shows how speed information reaches the brain's navigation center

Similar neural pathways exist in humans. They are known to be damaged by Alzheimer's disease - a possible explanation why spatial orientation is frequently impaired in this form of dementia.

6 Dec 2016

Rhythm of breathing influences emotional judgments and memory recall

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered for the first time that the rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall.

6 Dec 2016

BUSM researchers discover role of hippocampus in future thinking

Over the past decade, researchers have learned that the hippocampus--historically known for its role in forming memories--is involved in much more than just remembering the past; it plays an important role in imagining events in the future.

5 Dec 2016

Auditory deficits in people with schizophrenia linked to dysfunctional brain receptors

The inability to hear subtle changes in pitch, a common and debilitating problem for people with schizophrenia, is due to dysfunctional N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) brain receptors, according to a study by Columbia University Medical Center researchers.

2 Dec 2016