Neuroscience News and Research

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Understanding the dynamics of brain blood flow could hold key for treating neurologic conditions

While the human brain has over 400 miles of total vasculature, little is known about the tiny capillaries that make up much of this intricate labyrinth of blood vessels critical for delivering oxygenated blood and nutrients to billions of brain cells.

19 Feb 2021

Molecular modeling helps identify the binding site of antidepressantss

The effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other conventional antidepressants are believed to be based on their increasing the levels of serotonin and noradrenalin in synapses, while ketamine, a new rapid-acting antidepressant, is thought to function by inhibiting receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate.

19 Feb 2021

Human brain adapts to loss of sensory information by tapping into visual cues

Evidence that a sense of our physical selves can develop even without the sense of touch has been uncovered in a new study by researchers in the UK and the United States.

18 Feb 2021

UC San Diego researchers launch clinical trial to test gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have launched a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a gene therapy to deliver a key protein into the brains of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a condition that often precedes full-blown dementia.

18 Feb 2021

Study provides new insight into the effects of antidepressant drugs

18 Feb 2021

Divergent brain activity leads to better memory performance

Recalling similar memories triggers divergent brain activity, resulting in better memory performance

18 Feb 2021

Researchers measure baseline activity of single neurons

Our brains are complicated webs of billions of neurons, constantly transmitting information across synapses, and this communication underlies our every thought and movement.

18 Feb 2021

Researchers test the efficacy of commercial sleep trackers

Wearable sleep tracking devices - from Fitbit to Apple Watch to never-heard-of brands stashed away in the electronics clearance bin - have infiltrated the market at a rapid pace in recent years.

18 Feb 2021

New insights on structural biology may help design more efficient antibodies

In structural biology, some molecules are so unusual they can only be captured with a unique set of tools.

18 Feb 2021

Mental illness in early life linked with poorer health and advanced aging in adulthood

A new pair of studies from a Duke research team's long-term work in New Zealand make the case that mental health struggles in early life can lead to poorer physical health and advanced aging in adulthood.

17 Feb 2021

Study shows that physical embodiment can occur without sense of touch

Researchers at the University of Chicago, the University of Birmingham, and Bournemouth University have uncovered evidence that physical embodiment can occur without the sense of touch, thanks to a study involving two participants who lack the ability to feel touch. The research was published on Feb. 12 in Experimental Brain Research.

17 Feb 2021

Lewy body dementia may share similar genetic profiles with Alzheimer's disease

In a study led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers, scientists found that five genes may play a critical role in determining whether a person will suffer from Lewy body dementia, a devastating disorder that riddles the brain with clumps of abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies.

17 Feb 2021

Study reveals the therapeutic applications of medicinal plants

Both Asia and Africa are home to many plants that can be used for the treatment of many diseases and their medicinal properties are gaining interest in western societies.

17 Feb 2021

Researchers discover the role of a gene involved in cardiac rhythm

Researchers have used the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to identify the role of a gene involved in cardiac rhythm, which could help explain the fundamentals of what it takes to make a human heartbeat.

16 Feb 2021

Study explores the effects of alcohol and cannabis on aggression-linked brain circuitry in teens

Alcohol and cannabis use during adolescence is a well-known risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) during adulthood.

16 Feb 2021

Gift to Yale launches new research enterprise to study human cognition

Yale University today announced that a historic philanthropic gift will launch an ambitious new research enterprise devoted to the study of human cognition.

16 Feb 2021

Study finds an alarming trend of increased alcohol use during pandemic lockdowns

The ongoing pandemic has had a significant and alarming trend of increased alcohol use and abuse - especially among younger adults, males and those who have lost their jobs - according to a new study by University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers.

16 Feb 2021

Kruppel-like factor 15 controls skeletal muscle fat uptake and utilization

Metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, have risen to epidemic proportions in the U.S. and occur in about 30 percent of the population. Skeletal muscle plays a prominent role in controlling the body's glucose levels, which is important for the development of metabolic diseases like diabetes.

16 Feb 2021

UTEP professor's discovery could lead to a way to inhibit overeating

Science is a step closer to a new response to obesity, thanks in part to a study conducted by a team that included Sergio Iñiguez, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso.

15 Feb 2021

Scientists study how a single gene alteration may have separated modern humans from extinct hominins

As a professor of pediatrics and cellular and molecular medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Alysson R. Muotri, PhD, has long studied how the brain develops and what goes wrong in neurological disorders.

15 Feb 2021