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.

Overdosed gene on chromosome 21 accelerates aging in people with Down's syndrome

An overdosed gene on chromosome 21 causes people with Down's Syndrome to age faster than the general population.

12 Jul 2023

Study shows potential for treating ALS with two existing drugs

New research suggests that targeting autoimmune inflammation associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using two drugs, one of them already approved for multiple sclerosis, could be a promising approach for treatment.

12 Jul 2023

Social isolation linked to brain volume loss in older adults

Older people who have little social contact with others may be more likely to have loss of overall brain volume, and in areas of the brain affected by dementia, than people with more frequent social contact, according to a study published in the July 12, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Jul 2023

New AI-aided biosensor developed to detect neurodegenerative diseases

By combining multiple advanced technologies into a single system, EPFL researchers have made a significant step forward in diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

12 Jul 2023

New heart cell atlas reveals detailed structure of the human heart

In a new study, published today (12 July) in Nature, researchers have produced the most detailed and comprehensive human Heart Cell Atlas to date, including the specialised tissue of the cardiac conduction system - where the heartbeat originates.

12 Jul 2023

Mitochondrial impairment, not inflammation, may be main driver of Gulf War Illness symptoms

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multisymptom health condition affecting one-third of all veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War, most of whom remain afflicted more than 30 years later.

12 Jul 2023

Immune system plays a crucial role in changing our behaviors, research shows

Simply the smell of seafood can make those with an allergy to it violently ill — and therefore more likely to avoid it. The same avoidance behavior is exhibited by people who develop food poisoning after eating a certain meal.

12 Jul 2023

Scientists identify signal essential for blood-brain barrier formation

What makes the vital layer of protective cells around the brain and spinal cord - the blood-brain barrier - more or less permeable has been one of the more mystifying questions in neuroscience.

12 Jul 2023

AI-enhanced companion robots may help alleviate the loneliness epidemic in future

Companion robots enhanced with artificial intelligence may one day help alleviate the loneliness epidemic, suggests a new report from researchers at Auckland, Duke, and Cornell Universities.

12 Jul 2023

2023 recipients of the Diversity in Lupus Research Awards announced

The Lupus Research Alliance is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of the Career Development and Postdoctoral Awards to Promote Diversity in Lupus Research.

12 Jul 2023

Mathematical model shows how COVID-19 can disrupt brain function

Scientists from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University elaborated mathematical model, that imitates the work of neuron networks of brain of patients with COVID -19.

12 Jul 2023

Lecanemab: First disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's disease approved by FDA

On July 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

12 Jul 2023

Self-reported long COVID symptoms not identified in diagnostic tests

Researchers describe chronic symptoms related to physical or mental functioning following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

12 Jul 2023

New insight into the damaging impact of chronic cocaine or alcohol use on cognitive flexibility

An estimated 50 million individuals in the United States struggle with the challenges of cocaine or alcohol use disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

12 Jul 2023

CBD exposure during pregnancy can potentially harm a developing fetus

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that cannabidiol (CBD), often used to treat anxiety and nausea, can potentially harm a developing fetus.

12 Jul 2023

The truth about hypnosis: Debunking common myths

A strange mystic swings a pocket watch back and forth, repeating the phrase "You're getting sleepy, very sleepy," giving them absolute command over their subject.

11 Jul 2023

How the brain keeps blood sugar levels in check

The body's blood glucose level needs to be maintained in a relatively narrow range. It cannot be too high, as it can lead to diabetes, and it cannot be too low because it can cause fainting or even death.

11 Jul 2023

World's first completely open- and crowd-sourced neuroscience experiment launched

Today, scientists from the Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, a division of the Allen Institute, launched the world's first completely open- and crowd-sourced neuroscience experiment - inviting researchers from around the world to publicly design a shared experiment that will run on the Allen Brain Observatory, as part of the Institute's OpenScope program.

11 Jul 2023

Gift of $1.5 million will fund DMT research at UC San Diego

One of the most powerful psychedelics known, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) has been described as causing imaginative visuals akin to the dream state.

11 Jul 2023

Unborn baby 'remote controls' mother's metabolism using ‘greedy’ gene inherited from dad

Fetuses use a copy of a gene inherited from their dad to force their mum to release as much nutrients as possible during pregnancy, Cambridge scientists have discovered.

11 Jul 2023