Brain News and Research

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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.

Singing and speech linked to same neural networks in the brain

The neural network related to speech is mostly located in the left cerebral hemisphere, while singing has been primarily associated with the structures of both hemispheres. However, a new study indicates that the left hemisphere has a greater significance, including in terms of singing, than previously thought.

10 Aug 2023

Longer duration of type 2 diabetes linked to brain changes

The longer a person has type 2 diabetes, the more likely they may be to experience changes in brain structure, a Michigan Medicine study finds.

10 Aug 2023

Scientists discover a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at Université Laval and the University of Lethbridge have succeeded in reversing certain cognitive manifestations associated with Alzheimer's disease in an animal model of the disease.

10 Aug 2023

Adenovirus infection linked to rare blood clotting disorder

Platelets, or thrombocytes, are specialized cellular fragments that form blood clots when we get scrapes and traumatic injuries. Viral infections, autoimmune disease, and other conditions can cause platelet levels to drop throughout the body, termed thrombocytopenia.

10 Aug 2023

Exploring molecular mechanisms and genetic dysregulation in aging and age-associated diseases

Researchers review existing data on the molecular basis of senescence and neurodegeneration in age-related brain diseases.

10 Aug 2023

Study detects biomarker changes nearly 30 years before symptom onset of Alzheimer’s disease

A new paper has shown how Alzheimer’s disease pathology comes into being over a period of almost three decades.

10 Aug 2023

Can social robots and brain-computer interface video games help manage ADHD?

Scientists have discussed the utility of social robots and brain-computer interface video games in treating young people with ADHD.

10 Aug 2023

Dementia risk may increase with long-term use of acid reflux drugs

People who take acid reflux medications called proton pump inhibitors for four-and-a-half years or more may have a higher risk of dementia compared to people who do not take these medications, according to new research published in the August 9, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Aug 2023

Tau PET shows promise for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease, one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, leads to progressive loss of memory and autonomy.

9 Aug 2023

Stem cell transplants may be a promising therapeutic against Alzheimer's, study shows

In the ongoing search for a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a burgeoning branch of medicine is bringing new hope. Stem cell therapies are already being used to treat various cancers and disorders of the blood and immune system.

9 Aug 2023

SARS-CoV-2 induces mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple organs

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers have been trying to determine why this virus creates such negative long-term effects compared with most coronaviruses.

9 Aug 2023

"Visual-movement" neurons in the brain help individuals to stay focused on rewarding tasks

Trying to finish your homework while the big game is on TV? "Visual-movement" neurons in the front of your brain can help you stay focused, according to a new study from neuroscientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

9 Aug 2023

Researchers discover the ‘ebb & flow’ brain mechanism that drives learning

Researchers have long thought that rewards like food or money encourage learning in the brain by causing the release of the "feel-good" hormone dopamine, known to reinforce storage of new information.

9 Aug 2023

GABA transfer between skin cells promotes melanoma initiation

The transfer of a neurotransmitter from one type of skin cell to another (melanocytes to keratinocytes) altered electrical activity and promoted melanoma initiation in preclinical models, according to results published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

9 Aug 2023

Immunotherapy after stem cell transplantation effectively combats certain childhood nerve tumors

Scientists at St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute and the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen have shown that immunotherapy after stem cell transplantation effectively combats certain nerve tumors in children.

9 Aug 2023

Researchers design a probiotic to suppress autoimmunity in the brain

Brigham researchers are working on a new approach to target autoimmunity in the brain leverages designer bacteria to make treatment safer and more effective.

9 Aug 2023

New mechanism discovered for coordinating organ development

Researchers at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC, Oeiras) and Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG, Dresden) identified a new mechanism that exposes some of the multitasking abilities embryos need to build a functional retina, the sensory part of the central nervous system responsible for vision.

9 Aug 2023