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Psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia caused by faulty 'switch' within brain

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have shown that psychotic symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia could be caused by a faulty 'switch' within the brain.

22 Aug 2013

Biomedical spectroscopy suggests excess copper may be neurotoxic in Alzheimer's patients

Metals such as iron, copper, and zinc are important for many biological processes. In recent years, studies have shown that these nutritionally-essential metals are elevated in human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and some animal models of AD. Scientists are now exploring whether these metals are causing the neurodegeneration seen in AD or are indicative of other ongoing pathologic processes.

22 Aug 2013

Study shows how brain integrates inputs from different senses in complex circuits of nerve cells

A new publication in the top-ranked journal Neuron sheds new light onto the unknown processes on how the brain integrates the inputs from the different senses in the complex circuits formed by molecularly distinct types of nerve cells. The work was led by new Ume- University associate professor Paolo Medini.

21 Aug 2013

Chinese herbal medicine JSK protects against injury caused by damage to spinal cord blood vessels

A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience demonstrates that Chinese herbal medicine Ji-Sui-Kang (JSK), given systemically for three weeks after injury in rats, improved locomotor function, reduced tissue damage, and preserved the structure of neural cells compared to control rats.

20 Aug 2013

New research sheds light on two distinct brain processes that underlie prospective memory

You plan on shopping for groceries later and you tell yourself that you have to remember to take the grocery bags with you when you leave the house. Lo and behold, you reach the check-out counter and you realize you've forgotten the bags.

20 Aug 2013

Study suggests Braintone has neuroprotective effects on ischemia-induced brain damage

Recently, the importance of the neurovascular unit, which is comprised of neurons, endothelial cells and astrocytes, has received great attention in the field of stroke, because stroke affects not only neurons, but also astrocytes and microvessels.

17 Aug 2013

Autistic children demonstrate superior math skills compared with normal children in same IQ range

Children with autism and average IQs consistently demonstrated superior math skills compared with nonautistic children in the same IQ range, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

17 Aug 2013

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone deficiency are 4 times likelier to produce autistic children

Pregnant women who don't make nearly enough thyroid hormone are nearly 4 times likelier to produce autistic children than healthy women, report scientists from the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Erasmus Medical Centre in an upcoming Annals of Neurology (online today).

14 Aug 2013

Flexible hubs coordinate brain’s responses to novel cognitive challenges

One thing that sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to intelligently and rapidly adapt to a wide variety of new challenges - using skills learned in much different contexts to inform and guide the handling of any new task at hand.

13 Aug 2013

Shape and meaning: A study explores how brain encodes visual objects

Opening our eyes and seeing the world before us, full of objects, is a simple action we may take for granted. Yet our brain is constantly carrying out a huge analysis only to let us see a flower, a pen, the face of our children.

12 Aug 2013

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and emotional memories: an interview with Dr. Fiona Kumfor and Assoc. Prof. Olivier Piguet, NeuRA

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder, which affects the frontal and temporal lobes. Unlike other types of dementia, it more commonly occurs in individuals in their 50s and 60s, and is therefore referred to as a “younger-onset dementia”.

9 Aug 2013

Sericin can decrease blood glucose levels and alleviate diabetic hippocampal damage

Preliminary studies by Dr. Zhihong Chen and colleagues from Chengde Medical College have shown that sericin might improve aberrant Akt signaling, decrease heme oxygenase-1 expression in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, and reduce the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in diabetic rats, thus protecting the nervous system.

9 Aug 2013

Overthinking can be harmful to human performance, finds study

Trying to explain riding a bike is difficult because it is an implicit memory. The body knows what to do, but thinking about the process can often interfere. So why is it that under certain circumstances paying full attention and trying hard can actually impede performance? A new UC Santa Barbara study, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, reveals part of the answer.

8 Aug 2013

TSRI scientists decode important molecular signal that guides development of neocortex

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have decoded an important molecular signal that guides the development of a key region of the brain known as the neocortex. The largest and most recently evolved region of the brain, the neocortex is particularly well developed in humans and is responsible for sensory processing, long-term memory, reasoning, complex muscle actions, consciousness and other functions.

8 Aug 2013

Scientists identify important molecular signal that guides development of brain

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have decoded an important molecular signal that guides the development of a key region of the brain known as the neocortex.

8 Aug 2013

New studies in mice support toxic role of aluminum in neurodegenerative conditions

Investigators have linked aluminum accumulation in the brain as a possible contributing factor to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience sheds light on the mechanism underlying aluminum-induced neuronal cell death and identifies necrostatin-1 as a substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects.

6 Aug 2013

Researchers identify new type of cell in brain that helps people to keep track of their relative location

Using direct human brain recordings, a research team from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA and Thomas Jefferson University has identified a new type of cell in the brain that helps people to keep track of their relative location while navigating an unfamiliar environment.

6 Aug 2013

Practice makes more efficient generation of neuronal activity in brain’s motor cortex

Not only does practice make perfect, it also makes for more efficient generation of neuronal activity in the primary motor cortex, the area of the brain that plans and executes movement, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

5 Aug 2013

Necrostatin-1: A substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects

New Studies in Mice Support Toxic Role of Aluminum in Neurodegenerative Conditions, According to Report in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience

3 Aug 2013

Understanding how brain networks function

A boost in the speed of brain scans is unveiling new insights into how brain regions work with each other in cooperative groups called networks.

2 Aug 2013

Cortex News and Research

Psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia caused by faulty 'switch' within brain

Biomedical spectroscopy suggests excess copper may be neurotoxic in Alzheimer's patients

Study shows how brain integrates inputs from different senses in complex circuits of nerve cells

Chinese herbal medicine JSK protects against injury caused by damage to spinal cord blood vessels

New research sheds light on two distinct brain processes that underlie prospective memory

Study suggests Braintone has neuroprotective effects on ischemia-induced brain damage

Autistic children demonstrate superior math skills compared with normal children in same IQ range

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone deficiency are 4 times likelier to produce autistic children

Flexible hubs coordinate brain’s responses to novel cognitive challenges

Shape and meaning: A study explores how brain encodes visual objects

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and emotional memories: an interview with Dr. Fiona Kumfor and Assoc. Prof. Olivier Piguet, NeuRA

Sericin can decrease blood glucose levels and alleviate diabetic hippocampal damage

Overthinking can be harmful to human performance, finds study

TSRI scientists decode important molecular signal that guides development of neocortex

Scientists identify important molecular signal that guides development of brain

New studies in mice support toxic role of aluminum in neurodegenerative conditions

Researchers identify new type of cell in brain that helps people to keep track of their relative location

Practice makes more efficient generation of neuronal activity in brain’s motor cortex

Necrostatin-1: A substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects

Understanding how brain networks function

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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