Neurons News and Research

RSS

Study sheds light on the origins of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7

New research has shed light on the origins of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) and demonstrates effective new therapeutic pathways for SCA7 and the more than 40 other types of spinocerebellar ataxia.

16 Dec 2019

The sympathetic nervous system can modulate action of defense cells in autoimmune disease

The results of a study conducted in Brazil suggest that the sympathetic nervous system - the part of the autonomous nervous system that controls responses to danger or stress - can modulate the action of defense cells in patients with autoimmune diseases.

16 Dec 2019

New techniques could help neuroscientists track brain computations

Since the 1950s at least, researchers have speculated that the brain is a kind of computer in which neurons make up complex circuits that perform untold numbers of calculations every second. Decades later, neuroscientists know that these brain circuits exist, yet technical limitations have kept most details of their computations out of reach.

14 Dec 2019

Study unveils new layers of mystery about visual memory, amblyopia

In decades of studying how neural circuits in the brain's visual cortex adapt to experience, MIT Professor Mark Bear's lab has followed the science wherever it has led, yielding the discovery of cellular mechanisms serving visual recognition memory, in which the brain learns what sights are familiar so it can focus on what's new, and of a potential therapy for amblyopia, a disorder where children born with disrupted vision in one eye can lose visual acuity there permanently without intervention.

14 Dec 2019

Researchers reconstruct words from neural signals using brain-computer interface

A team of Brown University researchers has used a brain-computer interface to reconstruct English words from neural signals recorded in the brains of nonhuman primates.

14 Dec 2019

Precision epigenome editing can repair genetic syndrome of intellectual disability

Using a targeted gene epigenome editing approach in the developing mouse brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reversed one gene mutation that leads to the genetic disorder WAGR syndrome, which causes intellectual disability and obesity in people.

13 Dec 2019

Research reveals how skeletal muscle communicates with the brain regarding feeding behavior

The brain determines when it is time to feed - but how does it know? Findings from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provide new understanding of how the brain orchestrates this process.

12 Dec 2019

Research could pave way for regenerative TBI-IV therapy

A team of researchers from the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center has found that neural exosomes- "cargo" molecules within the nervous system that carry messages to the brain- can minimize or even avert progression of traumatic brain injury when used as part of a new cell-to-cell messaging technology.

12 Dec 2019

Gulf war illness – one or two diseases?

A study of veterans who have Gulf war syndrome shows that moderate exercise can bring about a spectrum of brain imaging abnormalities, which fall into one of two groups. This could mean that this is a more complicated illness than was first thought. The study was published on December 12, 2019, in the journal Brain Communications.

12 Dec 2019

Research suggests contributory role of 'Asian glow' mutation and alcohol to Alzheimer’s

A new study from Stanford, published on December 12 in the journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications, suggests that an important enzyme that helps break down alcohol in the body is defective in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Understanding its relationship with alcohol and with genes that predispose to AD could help avert the latter in humans at risk.

12 Dec 2019

Impulsive eating could stem from certain regions of the brain

Weight loss mandates healthy eating and control of impulses when it comes to eating fat rich and processed foods. The actual story is quite different, as most persons on a diet have found out the hard way. The smell of food and even thoughts have given rise to binge eating, indulging in excessive food intake that has led to obesity and weight gain.

12 Dec 2019

New review explores relationship between yoga practice and brain health

Scientists have known for decades that aerobic exercise strengthens the brain and contributes to the growth of new neurons, but few studies have examined how yoga affects the brain.

12 Dec 2019

Scientists discover specific neurons that promote reward-like behaviors, alcohol consumption

Scientists have known that a region of the brain called the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays a role in behaviors related to alcohol use and consumption in general. It's been less known which precise populations of brain cells and their projections to other brain regions mediate these behaviors.

12 Dec 2019

Novel self-powered, neural-stimulating e-skin for characterization of synaptic plasticity

Chinese scientists recently developed a flexible electronic skin (e-skin) capable of self-powered neural stimulation and inducing a neural response. The technology will be useful in characterizing synaptic plasticity.

12 Dec 2019

Harvard scientists demonstrate possible strategy for achieving herpes virus control

The herpes simplex virus, commonly known as the cold sore virus, is a devious microbe.

12 Dec 2019

Researchers develop new bio-platform to hear the beat of small clusters of cells

One of the tests that almost every patient must face before a surgery or other health intervention is an electrocardiogram.

11 Dec 2019

Specific brain circuit linked to food impulsivity discovered

You're on a diet, but the aroma of popcorn in the movie theater lobby triggers a seemingly irresistible craving.

11 Dec 2019

Experimental Alzheimer’s drugs show promise

Researchers from Salk have found that two experimental drugs named CMS121 and J147 may improve memory functions and reduce the progression of memory decline and brain degeneration in mice models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The researchers published their work in the latest issue of the journal eLife. The study was titled, “Elevating acetyl-CoA levels reduces aspects of brain aging.”

11 Dec 2019

New system enables real-time observations of individual cells in the colon

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system that allows for real-time observations of individual cells in the colon of a living mouse.

11 Dec 2019

Collaborative Frontiers grant to help predict behavior of the brain under metabolic stress

More than 30 million Americans have diabetes, with the vast majority having Type 2 disease. Characterized by insulin resistance and persistently high blood sugar levels, poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes has a host of well-recognized complications: compared with the general population, a greatly increased risk of kidney disease, vision loss, heart attacks and strokes, and lower limb amputations.

11 Dec 2019

Neurons News and Research

Study sheds light on the origins of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7

The sympathetic nervous system can modulate action of defense cells in autoimmune disease

New techniques could help neuroscientists track brain computations

Study unveils new layers of mystery about visual memory, amblyopia

Researchers reconstruct words from neural signals using brain-computer interface

Precision epigenome editing can repair genetic syndrome of intellectual disability

Research reveals how skeletal muscle communicates with the brain regarding feeding behavior

Research could pave way for regenerative TBI-IV therapy

Gulf war illness – one or two diseases?

Research suggests contributory role of 'Asian glow' mutation and alcohol to Alzheimer’s

Impulsive eating could stem from certain regions of the brain

New review explores relationship between yoga practice and brain health

Scientists discover specific neurons that promote reward-like behaviors, alcohol consumption

Novel self-powered, neural-stimulating e-skin for characterization of synaptic plasticity

Harvard scientists demonstrate possible strategy for achieving herpes virus control

Researchers develop new bio-platform to hear the beat of small clusters of cells

Specific brain circuit linked to food impulsivity discovered

Experimental Alzheimer’s drugs show promise

New system enables real-time observations of individual cells in the colon

Collaborative Frontiers grant to help predict behavior of the brain under metabolic stress

eBook: Advancing neurodegenerative research with iPSC-derived microglia models eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News