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.

New transcranial magnetic stimulation array can help stimulate deeper tissue within the brain

As a noninvasive neuromodulation method, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) shows great potential to treat a range of mental and psychiatric diseases, including major depression.

29 Nov 2022

Blood tests may be able to guide treatment discussions for patients with metastatic cancer

As cancers grow and potentially spread to new parts of the body, they often shed cells and DNA into the blood stream. DNA can be analyzed for both the amount of DNA present and whether any potential mutations exist that may aid providers in deciding on treatments.

29 Nov 2022

Study links MAIT cells to cognitive function

Could the underproduction of poorly understood immune cells contribute to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline? A Rutgers study in Nature Immunology suggests it may – and that increasing these cells could reverse the damage.

29 Nov 2022

UAB and Menkes International Association sign a donation agreement to boost research in Menkes disease

These funds, coming from the Menkes International Association, will allow a research project to search for new biomarkers to establish administration and monitoring protocols for a new drug that could improve the lives of children suffering from this rare disease.

29 Nov 2022

Activation of microglial cells can slow down Alzheimer's progression

The brain's big-eating immune cells can slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. This is shown by a study that is now published in Nature Aging.

29 Nov 2022

USC researchers work with Polaris Dawn to study new approach to X-ray imaging in outer space

Today's spaceflights typically last a few days to a few months, so onboard medical treatment is mostly limited to first aid. But researchers are increasingly exploring new terrain - known as in-flight space medicine - that will be critical for maintaining astronauts' health during longer missions, such as the 21-month roundtrip to Mars.

29 Nov 2022

Georgia State researcher receives $1.93 million NIH award to study visual processing

Jordan Hamm, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Georgia State University, has received a five-year, $1.93 million award from the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

28 Nov 2022

Study reveals a promising therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

In a recent search for gene variants associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), several affected families showed a mutation in an enzyme called protein kinase C-alpha (PKCα). Family members with this mutation had AD; those without the mutation did not.

28 Nov 2022

Machine learning pinpoints the most accurate timelines for predicting Alzheimer's progression

A Cornell-led collaboration used machine learning to pinpoint the most accurate means, and timelines, for anticipating the advancement of Alzheimer's disease in people who are either cognitively normal or experiencing mild cognitive impairment.

28 Nov 2022

UCSC engineers develop new method to automate the growth of cerebral organoids

A team of engineers at UC Santa Cruz has developed a new method for remote automation of the growth of cerebral organoids – miniature, three-dimensional models of brain tissue grown from stem cells.

28 Nov 2022

Imaging brain activity deep in the cortex of freely moving mouse

How does the brain produce behavior? Studying the brain during behavior is most informative when the animal is free to interact with its environment in any way it chooses.

28 Nov 2022

Molecular and cellular similarities identified in the brains of SARS-CoV-2 and Alzheimer's disease patients

Researchers evaluated neuro-pathophysiological consequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, especially the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients.

28 Nov 2022

Possibility of the first fluid biomarker that reflects brain pathology in primary tauopathies

Addressing this gap in research, a recent Nature Medicine study hypothesized that 4R isoform-specific MTBR-tau species accumulate in the patient’s brain of specific subtypes of 4R tauopathies.

28 Nov 2022

Higher weight and BMI in children are associated with poor brain health

Using MRI data from the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States, researchers have found that higher weight and body mass index (BMI) in pre-adolescence are associated with poor brain health.

28 Nov 2022

When malpractice occurs at community health centers, taxpayers pay

Silvia Garcia's 14-year-old son was left permanently disabled and in a wheelchair after a community health center doctor in New Mexico failed to diagnose his appendicitis despite his complaint of severe stomach pain.

28 Nov 2022

Are nasal-spray vaccines the solution to respiratory infectious diseases?

A recent study published in the journal Trends in Molecular Medicine reviewed the current efforts in developing nasal vaccines, delivery systems, and clinical applications for preventing respiratory illnesses.

28 Nov 2022

Long COVID brain fog and fatigue negatively impact all facets of daily life

In a recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers explored the lived experiences of individuals with post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (PASC) to understand the impact of the symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog on the various aspects of life including employment, daily activities, and interpersonal relationships.

27 Nov 2022