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.

Imbalances in folic acid and vitamin B12 can alter brain development in mice

Folate is a B vitamin and a necessary nutrient to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, has been added to vitamins, breakfast cereals and other products in the U.S. and more than 80 other countries to ensure pregnant women get adequate amounts.

4 Jan 2024

Study identifies mitochondrial dysfunction as cause of long-COVID fatigue

Researchers from Amsterdam UMC and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) have discovered that the persistent fatigue in patients with long-COVID has a biological cause, namely mitochondria in muscle cells that produce less energy than in healthy patients.

4 Jan 2024

Salk scientists map brain circuit triggering the crippling panic attacks

Overwhelming fear, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate - these are the symptoms of a panic attack, which people with panic disorder have frequently and unexpectedly.

4 Jan 2024

Stanford Medicine researchers demonstrate new way to temporarily heighten hypnotizablity

How deeply someone can be hypnotized - known as hypnotizability - appears to be a stable trait that changes little throughout adulthood, much like personality and IQ.

4 Jan 2024

IDO2 deficiency in mice leads to behavioral abnormalities resembling autism spectrum disorder

Over the past decades, scientists have made substantial progress unveiling the underlying mechanisms behind many psychiatric disorders.

4 Jan 2024

Chronic ear infections linked to lasting brain and language deficits in children

Ear infections are a common childhood experience, but a new study suggests parents should take these infections seriously to preserve their children's language development.

4 Jan 2024

New approach leverages macrophages to treat traumatic brain injury

Scientists have created a new treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) that shrank brain lesions by 56% and significantly reduced local inflammation levels in pigs.

3 Jan 2024

Missing proteins explain century-old mystery of scalp skin absence in children

Children with the condition aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) are born with the absence of skin along the midline of the scalp.

3 Jan 2024

Radon exposure linked to increased risk of blood cell mutation in female stroke patients

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced when metals like uranium or radium break down in rocks and soil, is a known cause of lung cancer.

3 Jan 2024

Fragmented sleep in midlife linked to poorer cognitive function a decade later

People who have more disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems a decade later, according to new research published in the January 3, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Jan 2024

Simple technique boosts antibody delivery for treating brain diseases

The blood-brain barrier blocks the entry of antibodies into the brain. This limits the potential use of antibody therapeutics to treat brain diseases, such as brain tumors.

3 Jan 2024

Natural compounds show promise in modulating heme breakdown, offering new therapeutic avenues

Study explores the impact of natural compounds on bilirubin production and heme catabolic pathway modulation, highlighting their potential in treating neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

3 Jan 2024

EZH2 inhibitors show promise in regenerating insulin-producing cells for type 1 diabetes treatment

Study explores the potential of EZH2 inhibitors GSK126 and Tazemetostat in stimulating β-cell regeneration from pancreatic ductal progenitor cells, offering a novel therapeutic approach for Type 1 Diabetes.

3 Jan 2024

Exploring environmental influences on pregnancy, child health and disabilities

How does a pregnant person's environment, diet, stress, medications and social wellbeing affect their pregnancy and - down the road - their child's health?

3 Jan 2024

Retinotopic coding bridges perception and memory in the brain, study finds

Study reveals that retinotopic coding in the brain cortex plays a crucial role in processing visual information from the retina, influencing both perception and memory systems.

3 Jan 2024

Research team develops electrostatic materials for long-term bio-implants

Medical technology innovations achieved by integrating science and medicine have improved the quality of life for patients.

3 Jan 2024

Study reveals high prevalence of chronic pain in TBI patients

Chronic pain affects approximately 60% of people living with traumatic brain injury (TBI), even up to 30 years after injury, according to new research published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR), the official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America.

3 Jan 2024