Neurons News and Research

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Research findings elucidate how neurons process, represent touch in rat and the human brain

When reaching into a pocket or purse, it is easy to use the sense of touch to distinguish keys from loose change. Our brains seamlessly integrate the tactile, sensory cues from our fingers with hand movements to perceive the different objects.

2 Aug 2016

Scientists observe reaction of neurons in real-time after concussive trauma

A team of Brown University researchers has been able to watch in real time what happens to neurons after they experience the kinds of forces involved in a blow to the head.

2 Aug 2016

Scientists uncover novel sites of expression in the brain for gene linked to ALS and FTD

For the first time novel expression sites in the brain have been identified for a gene which is associated with Motor Neuron Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia.

1 Aug 2016

Overcoming gene silencing barriers to target neurological conditions: an interview with Dr Errol de Souza

Many gene mutations that cause neurological disorders have been identified. For example, in a rare neurological disorder such as Huntington’s disease, an autosomal dominant mutation through expansion of CAG (cytosine-adenine-guanine) triplet repeats in the gene coding for the Huntingtin protein results in abnormal protein production.

1 Aug 2016

Scientists make a big leap on mini-brain research

Scientists in Singapore have made a big leap on research on the 'mini-brain'. These advanced mini versions of the human midbrain will help researchers develop treatments and conduct other studies into Parkinson's Disease and ageing-related brain diseases.

29 Jul 2016

New research sheds light on how fruit flies sense foods

Some people love avocados. Others hate them. For many of the latter, the fruit's texture is the source of their intense dislike. What gives?

29 Jul 2016

Researchers identify reason why antidepressants take so long to work

An episode of major depression can be crippling, impairing the ability to sleep, work, or eat. In severe cases, the mood disorder can lead to suicide. But the drugs available to treat depression, which can affect one in six Americans in their lifetime, can take weeks or even months to start working.

29 Jul 2016

UAB researchers uncover vital mechanism for L-DOPA-induced-dyskinesia

Though the drug levodopa can dramatically improve Parkinson's disease symptoms, within five years one-half of the patients using L-DOPA develop an irreversible condition -- involuntary repetitive, rapid and jerky movements.

29 Jul 2016

Discovery of pain paradox paves way to new methods of pain control

A natural substance known to activate pain in the central nervous system has been found to have the opposite effect in other parts of the body, potentially paving the way to new methods of pain control.

28 Jul 2016

Resveratrol may be clinically beneficial to people with Alzheimer's disease

Resveratrol, given to Alzheimer's patients, appears to restore the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, reducing the ability of harmful immune molecules secreted by immune cells to infiltrate from the body into brain tissues, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center.

28 Jul 2016

New research elucidates details about architecture of synaptic transmission

For more than a century, neuroscientists have known that nerve cells talk to one another across the small gaps between them, a process known as synaptic transmission.

28 Jul 2016

Study finds risk markers for Parkinson's disease hiding in unusual spots

Clues that point toward new risk mechanisms for developing Parkinson's disease are hiding in some unusual spots, according to a study published today in Scientific Reports

28 Jul 2016

Study finds link between vitamin D levels and risk of cognitive decline in Chinese elderly

This study asks similar questions of vitamin D levels and cognition in the Chinese elderly. It is the first large-scale prospective study in Asia to study the association between vitamin D status and risk of cognitive decline and impairment in the Chinese elderly.

27 Jul 2016

MIT researchers develop novel method for multiscale imaging of the brain tissue

MIT researchers have developed a new technique for imaging brain tissue at multiple scales, allowing them to peer at molecules within cells or take a wider view of the long-range connections between neurons.

27 Jul 2016

Study sheds light on neuronal circuits during risky behavior

New research sheds light on what's going on inside our heads as we decide whether to take a risk or play it safe. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis located a region of the brain involved in decisions made under conditions of uncertainty, and identified some of the cells involved in the decision-making process.

27 Jul 2016

Researchers discover three new risk genes for ALS

Published today in Nature Genetics, the study reveals three new risk genes for ALS and one of these - C21orf2 - increases an individual's risk of developing the dis-ease by 65 per cent.

26 Jul 2016

Large study of familial ALS finds new gene variant present in 3% of all patients with disease

Variations in a gene with multiple functions in neurons are present in approximately 3 percent of all cases of ALS in North American and European populations, both sporadic and familial, making it one of the most common genetic causes of the disease, according to a paper published in Nature Genetics.

26 Jul 2016