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Simple bedside test may help doctors diagnose certain degenerative brain diseases

A simple bedside test that matches a change in heart rate with a drop in blood pressure after a patient stands may help doctors diagnose certain degenerative brain diseases.

28 Mar 2018

Vagus nerve stimulation accelerates motor skill recovery after stroke

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have demonstrated a method to accelerate motor skill recovery after a stroke by helping the brain reorganize itself more quickly.

28 Mar 2018

Scientists discover link between diminished dopamine-firing cells and ability to form new memories

A new link between diminished input from dopamine-firing cells deep inside the brain and the ability to form new memories could be crucial in detecting the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease.

28 Mar 2018

New study reveals why some visual cues remain subliminal

Understanding conscious perception is a major challenge for neuroscience. A new study published on March 22nd in Science now shows why weak visual stimuli of the same strength are sometimes detected and other times remain subliminal: As the signals travel from visual areas to the prefrontal cortex, fluctuating brain dynamics can make the difference, elevating some signals above the threshold of conscious experience and stopping others in their tracks.

27 Mar 2018

Choline intake during pregnancy increases brain grey and white matter in young pigs

Choline intake during pregnancy can influence infant metabolism and brain development, according to a series of studies from the University of Illinois. Although the role of choline in neurodevelopment has been studied before in rodents, the new research, done with pigs, has more relevance to humans.

27 Mar 2018

Researchers propose new approach to look deeper into brain function

To uncover connections between brain regions and specific cognitive functions, neuroscientists have long made extensive use of techniques like functional resonance imaging (fMRI). First introduced in the 1990's, the method allows tracking the brain's activity while a test subject performs a task or responds to stimuli in the MRI scanner.

26 Mar 2018

New device achieves 92% accuracy in detecting patients with severe stroke

A new device worn like a visor can detect emergent large-vessel occlusion in patients with suspected stroke with 92 percent accuracy, report clinical investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina, Mount Sinai, the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center and elsewhere in an article published online on March 6, 2018, in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery.

26 Mar 2018

Mother's stress during pregnancy changes brain connectivity in-utero

The time babies spend in the womb is far from idle. The brain is changing more rapidly during this time than at any other time in development. It is an active time for the fetus to grow and explore, and of course connect to its mother.

26 Mar 2018

Specific immune cells may help slow progression of ALS, research shows

New research into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - also known as motor neuron disease - shows that specific immune cells may help slow progression of the disease, an important step towards developing new therapies to treat patients.

22 Mar 2018

Researchers prove link between common childhood cancer and inflammation

The team of María Domínguez, researcher for the Neuroscience Institute, joint venture of the Miguel Hernández University in Elche and the Spanish National Research Council, has managed to prove for the first time that an important factor in the development of acute pediatric lymphoblastic leukemia is inflammation.

22 Mar 2018

Study suggests detailed neuropsychological assessment for brief cardiac arrest survivors

Patients who survive a brief cardiac arrest and who appear neurologically intact should nonetheless receive a detailed neuropsychological assessment before being discharged, suggests a joint study by researchers at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute and Israel's Rambam Medical Center.

22 Mar 2018

Menopausal hormone therapy taken soon after menopause may benefit the brain

Taking menopausal hormone therapy soon after menopause to relieve symptoms may also benefit the brain, according to a study published in the March 21, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Mar 2018

Research offers new understanding about cause of Parkinson's disease

Until very recently, Parkinson's had been thought a disease that starts in the brain, destroying motion centers and resulting in tremors and loss of movement.

21 Mar 2018

Columbia researchers identify nerve cells that drive fruit fly's escape behavior

Columbia University researchers have identified the nerve cells that initiate a fly's escape response: that complex series of movements in which an animal senses, and quickly maneuvers away from, something harmful such as high heat.

20 Mar 2018

New study identifies key role for particular gene in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome

In a new study of one of the most common genetic causes of autism, neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have identified a specific molecular mechanism that appears to undermine the ability of neurons in affected mice to properly incorporate changes driven by experience.

20 Mar 2018

LSD reduces 'sense of self' - research

Dr Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist, first found the effects of LSD or lysergic acid diethylamide or “acid” on the psyche. It has been 75 years since his invention. Now new research finds deeper understanding of how this psychedelic chemical alters the perception and affects the brain.

19 Mar 2018