Thalamus News and Research

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The Thalamus is an area of the brain that helps process information from the senses and transmit it to other parts of the brain.

Study explores how the moving brain processes visual information

What we see is not only determined by what is really there, but also depends on whether we are paying attention, whether we are moving, excited or interested.

21 Nov 2018

First probabilistic atlas of thalamus nuclei to better understand the brain

A multidisciplinary study led by BCBL, a Basque research center, opens the door to the investigation of the structure and functions of human thalamic nuclei and their involvement in Alzheimer's, dyslexia, epilepsy, Huntington's and schizophrenia.

20 Nov 2018

New 15-minute scan could help diagnose brain damage in babies up to two years old

A 15-minute scan could help diagnose brain damage in babies up to two years earlier than current methods. In a study of over 200 babies at seven hospitals across the UK and the USA, researchers found the brain scan, called magnetic resonance spectroscopy, predicted damage with 98 percent accuracy.

15 Nov 2018

Transgenic rat model may provide new insights into cerebral amyloid angiopathy

In a report in The American Journal of Pathology investigators describe the generation of a successful novel transgenic rat model that accumulates amyloid specifically in brain blood vessels and strongly mimics many of the associated detrimental changes that are observed in humans - a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which is also commonly observed in Alzheimer disease.

13 Nov 2018

Texas A&M study identifies new brain region involved in inhibiting fear

A study conducted at Texas A&M University has identified a new area in the brain involved in inhibiting fear, a discovery that holds potential for clinical interventions in patients with psychiatric diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

31 Oct 2018

Physician-scientists treat first patient in the U.S. with focused ultrasound for neuropathic leg pain

University of Maryland physician-scientists have treated the first patient in the United States with MRI-guided focused ultrasound for neuropathic leg pain as part of a pilot clinical trial.

30 Oct 2018

Thalamus controls development of normal sleep and waking states, study finds

Consciousness requires continuous, internally generated activity in the brain. The modulation of this activity is the basis of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and of generation of sleep, dreams, and perception.

12 Oct 2018

New PET imaging radiotracer could help understand the aging brain

A new PET imaging radiotracer could help researchers understand neurodegenerative disease and the aging brain. The study is featured in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

4 Oct 2018

Dehydration changes shape and activity of the brain, reduces task performance

When dehydration strikes, part of the brain can swell, neural signaling can intensify, and doing monotonous tasks can get harder.

21 Aug 2018

Study offers possibility of squelching a focal epilepsy seizure before symptoms appear

Patients with focal epilepsy that does not respond to medications badly need alternative treatments.

17 Aug 2018

Researchers find long-term structural, functional brain abnormalities in individuals with AUDs

Alcohol use disorders are known to adversely impact brain structure and function. Although recovery of brain morphology and function has been reported following abstinence from long-term alcohol use, some structural (e.g., brain area volumes and connections) and functional (e.g., cognitive) abnormalities due to long-term effects of AUDs may persist even after abstinence from alcohol.

17 Aug 2018

New AI algorithm helps predict medication response in patients with complex mood disorder

Mood disorders like major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are often complex and hard to diagnose, especially among youth when the illness is just evolving.

9 Aug 2018

Study reveals how giant neurons in the brain may play huge role in generalized arousal

There is no shortage of wonders that our central nervous system produces--from thought and language to movement to the five senses.

23 Jul 2018

Advanced MRI technique predicts risk of disease progression in MS

An advanced MRI technique could help to identify patients with MS who are at an increased risk of developing a physical disability.

17 Jul 2018

Traumatic brain injury biomarker could help predict patient prognosis

A preclinical study has shown that levels of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) are significantly increased following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

16 Jul 2018

Study finds how the brain perceives and reacts to predators

How the zebrafish brain perceives and reacts to predators has been determined by researchers at The University of Queensland.

10 Jul 2018

Researchers track connections between retinal neurons and the brain

Most of the human brain's estimated 86 billion nerve cells, or neurons, can ultimately engage in a two-way dialogue with any other neuron.

2 Jul 2018

Researchers reveal complexity of NMDA receptor drug discovery target

Know your target. Especially if your target is coming into focus for treating diseases such as schizophrenia and treatment-resistant depression.

28 Jun 2018

Researchers work to identify areas of the brain that help us wake up

Philosophers have pondered the nature of consciousness for thousands of years. In the 21st century, the debate over how the brain gives rise to our everyday experience continues to puzzle scientists.

22 Jun 2018

Neuroscientists identify one single control center for sleep-wake cycle in the brain

Until now, it was thought that multiple brain areas were needed to control sleep and wakefulness. Neuroscientists from Bern have now identified one single control center for the sleep-wake cycle in the brain. The findings are of great importance for finding new sleep therapies.

11 Jun 2018