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New study reveals reasons behind working memory limits

A new study from City, University of London and MIT may have revealed the reasons behind our memory limitations. The researchers found that trying to retain too much information in our working memory leads to a communication breakdown between parts of the brain responsible for maintaining it.

26 Apr 2018

Study shows link between restless legs syndrome symptoms and brain structure

People with restless legs syndrome may have changes in a portion of the brain that processes sensory information, according to a study published in the April 25, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Apr 2018

Salk researchers develop new glioblastoma model using gene-edited organoids

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an incredibly deadly brain cancer and presents a serious black box challenge. It's virtually impossible to observe how these tumors operate in their natural environment and animal models don't always provide good answers.

25 Apr 2018

New app could improve safety of cannabis use

Although cannabis, also known as marijuana, has been shown to impair memory, reaction time and attention, it is difficult to assess this impairment in a natural setting. Researchers have developed a prototype app called 'Am I Stoned' that could help cannabis users understand how the drug is affecting them through a series of phone-based tasks.

25 Apr 2018

Study explains why intense exercise curbs appetite

Ever wonder why intense exercise temporarily curbs your appetite? In research described in today's issue of PLOS Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers reveal that the answer is all in your head - more specifically, your arcuate nucleus.

25 Apr 2018

Researchers discover new gene associated with aortic aneurysms

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has identified a new gene linked to human aortic aneurysms. By combining comprehensive genetic studies in the fruit fly, dataset searches and analysis of diseased human aortic tissue, the researchers shed light on mechanisms not previously known to be associated with this devastating disease.

24 Apr 2018

Imagined and real movements have similar brain mechanisms, research suggests

A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that imagined movements can change our perception in the same way as real, executed movements do.

24 Apr 2018

Studies offer leads for new approaches to treat neurological problems

Technological advances have ushered in a new era of discovery in neuroscience. The Experimental Biology 2018 meeting will feature an array of research findings on the brain and nervous system.

23 Apr 2018

Rare variants in non-coding DNA inherited from parents heighten autism risk

In recent years, researchers have firmly established that gene mutations appearing for the first time, called de novo mutations, contribute to approximately one-third of cases of autism spectrum disorder.

20 Apr 2018

New non-invasive nerve stimulation may offer relief for people with hand tremor

People with tremors in their hands from a condition called essential tremor may find some relief from a new, non-invasive type of nerve stimulation, according to a preliminary scientific abstract released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 70th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 21 to 27, 2018.

20 Apr 2018

Human brain processes sight and sound in the same way, shows study

Although sight is a much different sense than sound, Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientists have found that the human brain learns to make sense of these stimuli in the same way.

19 Apr 2018

Investigational drug may help increase protein levels in babies with spinal muscular atrophy

A preliminary study suggests that an investigational drug may help increase protein levels in babies with spinal muscular atrophy. The open-label study is released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 70th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 21 to 27, 2018.

19 Apr 2018

Genome editing identifies neural circuit behind leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects

Revealing surprising answers to a long-standing enigma about the brain target of the anti-obesity hormone leptin, neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have used CRISPR genome editing to identify a neural circuit in the hypothalamus as the primary mechanism in mediating leptin's anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and have identified two distinct mechanisms underlying leptin's inhibition of appetite.

19 Apr 2018

People diagnosed with traumatic brain injury may have increased risk of Parkinson's disease, shows study

People who have been diagnosed with a mild concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, may have a 56 percent increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the April 18, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Apr 2018

Functional connectivity MRI could help detect brain disorders and diseases

There are no laboratory tests to diagnose migraines, depression, bipolar disorder and many other ailments of the brain. Doctors typically gauge such illnesses based on self-reported symptoms and behavior.

18 Apr 2018

Deep brain stimulation offers relief to UTHealth patient with treatment-resistant depression

For Shannon Paige McCann, the thought of having brain surgery – which would frighten most – paled in significance to the depression that had dragged her down most of her life.

18 Apr 2018

Study on arthritis prevalence and trends reveals unexpected findings

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability and pain in the United States and the impact on individuals is quite significant. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA), which often affects the knees, hips and lower back.

17 Apr 2018

Large ALS-causing protein aggregates protect rather than harm neurons

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have made a significant advance in the understanding of the complex and fatal neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

17 Apr 2018

Middle ear infection can lead to deadly neurological complications

While antibiotics have greatly reduced the dangers of ear infections, serious neurological complications, including hearing loss, facial paralysis, meningitis and brain abscess still occur, according to an article in the journal Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports.

16 Apr 2018

Post-surgical opioids can prolong pain for more than three weeks, study shows

Giving opioids to animals to quell pain after surgery prolongs pain for more than three weeks and primes specialized immune cells in the spinal cord to be more reactive to pain, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder.

16 Apr 2018