Brain News and Research

RSS

The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

MDMA's potential to improve therapeutic outcomes in military neurorehabilitation

A UCLA Health analysis of MDMA-assisted therapy research suggests that the drug could improve outcomes of treatment of a wider range of trauma-related conditions experienced by military personnel beyond the current focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by increasing a collaborative and trusting relationship between a client and therapist.

6 Dec 2024

Study: Brain volume changes correlate with social behavior differences in psychiatric conditions

A study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that brain volume changes correlate with social behavior differences in psychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

6 Dec 2024

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy risk in ice hockey increases with each year played

A study of 77 male hockey players reveals a 96.4% CTE prevalence, highlighting the link between play duration and increased risk of chronic encephalopathy.

6 Dec 2024

Researchers map neural pathways involved in response inhibition

In the split second that is needed to view a stop sign and react to it, our brain navigates a complex process that transitions seamlessly from perception to action control.

6 Dec 2024

Researchers discover new pathway to forming long-term memories in the brain

Researchers from Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered a new pathway to forming long-term memories in the brain.

6 Dec 2024

Researchers map the circadian clock in the fly brain

All animals including humans are subject to daily rhythms in their activity and sleep, hunger, metabolism, and reproduction.

6 Dec 2024

New computational pipeline identifies key biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health have developed a novel computational pipeline designed to identify protein biomarkers associated with complex diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD).

6 Dec 2024

Early ovarian removal and APOE4 increase Alzheimer's risk in women

New research published by a team of researchers from the University of Toronto in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Alberta has found that women who have had both ovaries surgically removed before the age of 50 and carry a variant of the apolipoprotein gene, the APOE4 allele, are at high risk of late-life Alzheimer disease (AD). Use of hormone therapy mitigates this risk.

5 Dec 2024

Frontotemporal dementia disrupts empathy for pain, study reveals

Study reveals diminished brain activity related to empathy for pain in individuals with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), using task-based fMRI. Findings show a stark reduction in neural responses tied to affective empathy, highlighting early bvFTD impacts on social cognition.

5 Dec 2024

Study sheds light on Kif23's role in embryonic brain development and microcephaly

A team of researchers from Tohoku University, the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University has uncovered a novel molecular mechanism through which Kif23 (a motor protein belonging to the kinesin family) plays a vital role in embryonic brain development.

5 Dec 2024

Does air pollution worsen Long COVID? Researchers weigh in

Exposure to air pollutants, particularly particulate matter, may increase Long COVID risk by worsening initial infection severity, but noise, light, and green spaces show no significant impact, a Catalonian study reveals.

5 Dec 2024

PAGER technology unlocks new potential for controlling cellular activity

A basic function of cells is that they act in response to their environments. It makes sense, then, that a goal of scientists is to control that process, making cells respond how they want to what they want.

5 Dec 2024

Discovery of leptin-responsive neurons offers new hope for obesity treatment

Obesity affects a staggering 40 percent of adults and 20 percent of children in the United States. While some new popular therapies are helping to tackle the epidemic of obesity, there is still so much that researchers do not understand about the brain-body connection that regulates appetite.

5 Dec 2024

Study identifies key immune cells that could protect the brain after cardiac arrest

Despite improvements in CPR and rates of getting patients to the hospital, only about 10 percent of people ultimately survive after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), translating to about 300,000 deaths per year in the United States.

5 Dec 2024

How potential Medicaid cuts could play out in California

In 2017, the Republicans who controlled Congress tried mightily to slash federal spending on Medicaid, the government-funded health program covering low-income families and individuals.

5 Dec 2024

Creatine and resistance workouts combat sarcopenia

Combining creatine supplementation with resistance training boosts muscle strength, lean mass, and cognitive health in older adults, offering a safe and effective strategy against sarcopenia.

4 Dec 2024

Gut microbiome and brain evolution: New insights into energy allocation

Gut microbiota from primates with larger brains promotes glucose production and energy allocation for brain function, shedding light on metabolic strategies in evolution.

4 Dec 2024

Ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate restores protein balance and targets Alzheimer’s-linked aggregates

Scientists identify β-hydroxybutyrate as a key regulator of protein solubility, offering a novel pathway to combat neurodegeneration in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

4 Dec 2024

Glyphosate exposure linked to lasting brain inflammation

The human brain is an incredibly adaptable organ, often able to heal itself even from significant trauma.

4 Dec 2024

Children's National and FDA sign five-year collaboration for pediatric device innovation

In a significant collaboration to help advance pediatric health, Children's National Hospital and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories (OSEL) in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) have signed a five-year research collaboration agreement to develop regulatory science tools (RSTs) intended to assist in the technical evaluation of pediatric and perinatal medical devices.

4 Dec 2024