Neurons News and Research

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Cerebellar stimulation improves schizophrenia-like thinking problems in rats

"A beautiful, lobular structure," is how Krystal Parker describes the cerebellum - a brain region located at the base of the skull just above the spinal column.

28 Mar 2017

Breakthrough technique harvests stem cells from urine to study Down syndrome

One of the biggest challenges in studying Down syndrome is finding the right research model. Animals and established cell lines are limited in their ability to mimic human disease, and results don't always translate to patient populations.

28 Mar 2017

Research helps elucidate mechanisms behind low-level laser therapy in treating neuropathic pain

Low-level laser therapy has been shown by recent studies to be a non-invasive and effective alternative for treating neuropathic pain, a chronic condition caused by nerve damage, spinal cord injury or diseases such as diabetes.

28 Mar 2017

Researchers develop new graphene-based neural probes for recording brain activity in high resolution

Measuring brain activity with precision is essential to developing further understanding of diseases such as epilepsy and disorders that affect brain function and motor control.

27 Mar 2017

Probing the brain in high resolution with graphene based neural probes

Graphene-based transistors enable a flexible neural probe with excellent signal-to-noise ratio. Such probes are useful for examining neural activity for understanding diseases, as well as in neuroprosthetics for control of artificial limbs.

27 Mar 2017

Lund researchers develop porous ‘spaghetti’ to grow cells more naturally

The usual way of cultivating cells is to use a flat laboratory dish of glass. However, inside a human body, the cells do not grow on a flat surface, but rather in three dimensions. This has lead researchers at Lund University in Sweden to develop a porous "spaghetti" of tissue-friendly polymers with cavities in which the cells can develop in a more natural way.

27 Mar 2017

Neurology researchers on the hunt for biomarker signal for early detection of Alzheimer's disease

Around 100,000 Austrians suffer from Alzheimer's disease and 16,000 from Parkinson's. Experts estimate that, in view of the ageing population, these numbers are set to triple over the next 30 years.

27 Mar 2017

Astrocytes prove to be surprisingly vital players in the body's clock

Until recently, work on biological clocks that dictate daily fluctuations in most body functions, including core body temperature and alertness, focused on neurons, those electrically excitable cells that are the divas of the central nervous system.

25 Mar 2017

New research uncovers how brain's capillary network controls blood flow, monitors neuronal activity

All it takes is the flip of a protein "switch" within the tiny wire-like capillaries of the brain to increase the blood flow that ensures optimal brain function.

25 Mar 2017

Multipronged study of schizophrenia-associated syndrome receives $3.1 million NIH grant

A research team at Emory University is embarking on a multipronged study of 3q29 deletion syndrome, a genetic mutation associated with a 40-fold increased risk for schizophrenia and a range of other neuropsychiatric conditions including mild to moderate intellectual disability, autism and anxiety.

24 Mar 2017

New high-speed computational software could reveal deeper insights into neuronal function

Unlike experimental neuroscientists who deal with real-life neurons, computational neuroscientists use model simulations to investigate how the brain functions.

24 Mar 2017

New research reveals surprising culprit involved in self-destruction of axons

In many neurodegenerative conditions — Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and peripheral neuropathy among them — an early defect is the loss of axons, the wiring of the nervous system.

24 Mar 2017

Scientists achieve closest view of working nerve synapses using custom-built microscope

The brain hosts an extraordinarily complex network of interconnected nerve cells that are constantly exchanging electrical and chemical signals at speeds difficult to comprehend.

24 Mar 2017

Research findings could open new avenue to develop treatments for Alzheimer's disease

Thin parts of the cell membranes of neurons turn out to be particularly vulnerable to a protein that collects in the brain of people with Alzheimer's disease, according to a University of Michigan researcher.

23 Mar 2017

EPFL scientists develop synthetic methods to crack code of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes patients to lose their ability to move, speak, and even think. It is caused by a gene mutation that produces an abnormal form of the protein huntingtin, which aggregates and builds up inside neurons of the cortex and striatum.

23 Mar 2017

New study shows how developing brain learns to recognize and react to subtle sensory signals

A new study describes a key mechanism in the brain that allows animals to recognize and react when subtle sensory signals that might not seem important on their own occur simultaneously.

23 Mar 2017

Medications that increase effect of natural brain opioids may be better way to reduce anxiety

Published in Nature Communications by University of Sydney scholars, the findings suggest medications that boost the effect of natural brain opioids might be a better way to reduce anxiety than 'receptor-binding' opioid drugs like morphine, which have major side effects.

23 Mar 2017

New mathematical models show critical tipping point for swelling of brain cells

When brain cells don't get enough energy, caused by a stroke or trauma, they can start swelling rapidly. New mathematical models of this mechanism, developed by Koen Dijkstra of the University of Twente in The Netherlands, show a critical tipping point: at lower energy levels, there is no way back.

23 Mar 2017

Stanford researchers understand how neural networks in the brain form associations

In the decades following the work by physiologist Ivan Pavlov and his famous salivating dogs, scientists have discovered how molecules and cells in the brain learn to associate two stimuli, like Pavlov's bell and the resulting food.

23 Mar 2017

UCLA study traces Pavlovian response to small cluster of brain cells

In his famous experiment, Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov rang a bell each time he fed his dogs. Soon, the dogs began drooling in anticipation when they heard the bell, even before food appeared.

22 Mar 2017

Neurons News and Research

Cerebellar stimulation improves schizophrenia-like thinking problems in rats

Breakthrough technique harvests stem cells from urine to study Down syndrome

Research helps elucidate mechanisms behind low-level laser therapy in treating neuropathic pain

Researchers develop new graphene-based neural probes for recording brain activity in high resolution

Probing the brain in high resolution with graphene based neural probes

Lund researchers develop porous ‘spaghetti’ to grow cells more naturally

Neurology researchers on the hunt for biomarker signal for early detection of Alzheimer's disease

Astrocytes prove to be surprisingly vital players in the body's clock

New research uncovers how brain's capillary network controls blood flow, monitors neuronal activity

Multipronged study of schizophrenia-associated syndrome receives $3.1 million NIH grant

New high-speed computational software could reveal deeper insights into neuronal function

New research reveals surprising culprit involved in self-destruction of axons

Scientists achieve closest view of working nerve synapses using custom-built microscope

Research findings could open new avenue to develop treatments for Alzheimer's disease

EPFL scientists develop synthetic methods to crack code of Huntington's disease

New study shows how developing brain learns to recognize and react to subtle sensory signals

Medications that increase effect of natural brain opioids may be better way to reduce anxiety

New mathematical models show critical tipping point for swelling of brain cells

Stanford researchers understand how neural networks in the brain form associations

UCLA study traces Pavlovian response to small cluster of brain cells

Human iPSCs: A Full Guide to Advanced in Vitro Models and Applications eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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