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Glial cell maturation is severely impaired in patients with Huntington's disease

The neurological disorder Huntington's disease causes behavioral and motor changes, which among other things are a result of dysfunctional maturation or formation of glial cells, the brain's support cells, researchers from the University of Copenhagen demonstrate in a new study based on mice trials.

24 Dec 2018

GABA cells help fight alcohol dependence, study finds

Scientists of the Higher School of Economics, Indiana University, and École normale supérieure clarified how alcohol influences the dopamine and inhibitory cells in the midbrain that are involved in the reward system and the formation of dependency on addictive drugs.

19 Dec 2018

Novel insight on inflammatory regulation could pave way for effective pain therapies

A novel way in which the inflammatory response to pain is regulated has been described in the open-access journal eLife.

19 Dec 2018

New compound blocks genetic cause of familial ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Since the ice bucket challenge went viral in 2014, raising awareness and funding for ALS research, scientists have learned much about a disease that disconnects muscles from nerves, leading to muscle atrophy and eventual death. Their ultimate goal is to create medications capable of stopping ALS in its tracks.

18 Dec 2018

New app accurately measures and charts progression of skin wounds

Monitoring a wound is critical, especially in diabetic patients, whose lack of sensation due to nerve damage can lead to infection of a lesion and, ultimately, amputation.

18 Dec 2018

Study reveals mechanism behind failed remyelination in MS

Researchers have discovered that in adult stem cells, the activation of a specific transcription factor induces pathological quiescence and that this is deactivated in MS.

18 Dec 2018

New battery-free, implantable device aids weight loss

More than 700 million adults and children worldwide are obese, according to a 2017 study that called the growing number and weight-related health problems a "rising pandemic."

18 Dec 2018

Study identifies specific neurological changes related to traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is often referred to as the "invisible injury" - while on the surface everything seems normal with brain structure, symptoms may present themselves in the behavior of the injured and cannot be explained.

17 Dec 2018

Researchers propose new model to explain how neural networks communicate

The brain is organized into a network of specialized networks of nerve cells. For such a brain architecture to function, these specialized networks - each located in a different brain area - need to be able to communicate with each other.

17 Dec 2018

Research opens door to development of drug or vaccine for late-onset Alzheimer's

UT Southwestern researchers have succeeded in neutralizing what they believe is a primary factor in late-onset Alzheimer's disease, opening the door to development of a drug that could be administered before age 40, and taken for life, to potentially prevent the disease in 50 to 80 percent of at-risk adults.

17 Dec 2018

Veganism linked to nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition if not planned correctly

“Hidden hunger” is a term that is defined as a long term deficiency of essential micronutrients in the diet.

17 Dec 2018

New research lays out potential path for treatment of Huntington’s disease

New research gives scientists a clearer picture of what is happening in the brains of people with Huntington's disease and lays out a potential path for treatment.

14 Dec 2018

Alzheimer's could possibly be spread via contaminated neurosurgery

Researchers have found that surgical instruments used for neurosurgery could get contaminated by the altered brain proteins that are seen in Alzheimer’s disease. These instruments are capable of spreading the condition if not treated or decontaminated properly before reuse. The study results were published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

14 Dec 2018

Research identifies nerve-signaling pathway behind sustained pain after injury

A toddler puts her hand on a hot stove and swiftly withdraws it. Alas, it's too late--the child's finger has sustained a minor burn. To soothe the pain, she puts the burned finger in her mouth.

13 Dec 2018

Researchers create noninvasive technology that detects when nerve cells fire

Researchers at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, have created a noninvasive technology that detects when nerve cells fire based on changes in shape. The method could be used to observe nerve activity in light-accessible parts of the body, such as the eye, which would allow physicians to quantitatively monitor visual function at the cellular level.

13 Dec 2018

Scientists investigate how a painful event is processed in the brain

Pain is a negative feeling that we want to get rid of as soon as possible. In order to protect our bodies, we react for example by withdrawing the hand. This action is usually understood as the consequence of the perception of pain.

13 Dec 2018

Targeting biochemical pathway may lead to new therapies for alleviating symptoms of anxiety disorders

According to some estimates, up to one in three people around the world may experience severe anxiety in their lifetime.

12 Dec 2018

Pupil dilation could be key to measuring mental workload

With nearly breakneck speed, the demands of work productivity in today's society seem to have increased tenfold.

12 Dec 2018

Scientists use water molecules to track electrical activity of nerve cells

Researchers have discovered a new way to monitor electrical activity in nerve cells; by observing water molecules surrounding neuronal membranes.

11 Dec 2018

Ezogabine treatment reduces motor neuron excitability in ALS patients, study shows

Brian Wainger, MD, PhD, of the Healey Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital presented initial, top-level results of a recently completed phase 2 clinical trial of ezogabine (also called retigabine) on December 9 at the Motor Neurone Disease Association annual meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

11 Dec 2018