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 study uncovers a mechanism of sleep in zebrafish

Why do humans spend a third of their lives sleeping? Why do animals sleep? Throughout evolution sleep has remained universal and essential to all organisms with a nervous system, including invertebrates such as flies, worms, and even jellyfish.

21 Nov 2021

Scientists can read the brain activity of tiny worm to predict smells

It sounds like a party trick: scientists can now look at the brain activity of a tiny worm and tell you which chemical the animal smelled a few seconds before.

21 Nov 2021

Similar brain responses to speech sounds found in humans, macaques and guinea pigs

Speech sounds elicit comparable neural responses and stimulate the same region in the brain of humans, macaques and guinea pigs, a multidisciplinary group of University of Pittsburgh researchers reported in the journal eNeuro today.

21 Nov 2021

Researchers use embryonic stem cell model to study genetic architecture in the hypothalamus

A study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has implicated several genes involved in a variety of bodily functions associated with the hypothalamus, a notoriously difficult-to-study region of the brain.

21 Nov 2021

GABA secreted by B-cells blunts the body's cytotoxic T-cell-based response to tumors

A group of scientists led by researchers from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences have discovered that B-cells, a type of immune cell, secrete the neurotransmitter GABA, and also found that the GABA secreted by the B-cells promoted the emergence of anti-inflammatory macrophages, blunting the body's cytotoxic T-cell-based response to tumors.

21 Nov 2021

UC researchers engineer new probiotic to target and break down cancer cell defenses

Bacteria generally have a bad reputation, as people first think of certain strains that can cause serious illnesses like pneumonia or meningitis. However, there are many helpful bacteria, known as probiotics, that assist the body in different ways.

21 Nov 2021

Scientists unravel near-atomic-scale structure of depression-linked brain receptor

Scientists at Scripps Research, Florida have determined the near-atomic-scale structure of an unusual brain-cell receptor called GPR158, which has been linked to depression and anxiety.

20 Nov 2021

Repurposed ALS drug could slow gradual brain cell loss in Niemann-Pick disease type C1

Riluzole, a drug approved to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease affecting nerve cells controlling movement, could slow the gradual loss of a particular brain cell that occurs in Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1), a rare genetic disorder affecting children and adolescents, suggests a study in mice by scientists at the National Institutes of Health.

20 Nov 2021

Neuropharmacologist investigates plant-based treatments for epilepsy caused by pork tapeworms

Pork tapeworms are responsible for between 30 and 70 per cent of epilepsy cases around the world. According to the World Health Organization, the majority of people living with epilepsy can be found in low-income countries, mostly among subsistence farming communities.

19 Nov 2021

Brain stimulation can modulate thought processes related to problem solving

New methods of brain stimulation are being tested to see whether they can be used to enhance cognitive behavior. In this study, researchers from Japan have found that stimulation at specific frequencies can modulate thought processes related to problem solving.

19 Nov 2021

Study involving a rat model offers potential treatment for Alexander disease

Alexander disease is a progressive and rare neurological disorder with no cure or standard course of treatment. But a new study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison involving a rat model of the disease offers a potential treatment for the typically fatal condition.

18 Nov 2021

UCLA-developed new "virtual histology" technology may reduce need for skin biopsies

Instead of surgically removing a sample of skin, sending it to a lab and waiting several days for results, your dermatologist takes pictures of a suspicious-looking lesion and quickly produces a detailed, microscopic image of the skin.

18 Nov 2021

New study highlights the important role of rare genomic differences in OCD risk

Both rare and commonly observed differences in the DNA letters strung along a person's chromosomes can explain about a third of the risk for being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a new study led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

18 Nov 2021

New mothers' placenta could help reduce brain injury in other growth-restricted babies

The placenta from mothers of healthy newborns could one day be used to reduce brain injury in growth-restricted babies, according to University of Queensland research.

18 Nov 2021

What is the global prevalence of long COVID?

This study aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of information on the prevalence and symptoms of PASC.

18 Nov 2021

Triad of cytokines associated with long COVID

A new study suggests a trio of cytokines — IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α — are associated with long COVID symptoms.

18 Nov 2021

Study leverages the DIAAS system to understand protein quality in meat burgers and plant-based burgers

A new study from the University of Illinois and Colorado State University leverages the DIAAS system to understand protein quality in beef and pork burgers and plant-based burgers from Impossible and Beyond Meat.

17 Nov 2021

Boston Children's receives NIH grant to co-lead HEALthy Brain and Child Development study

Boston Children's Hospital has been awarded two five-year grants by the National Institutes of Health to co-lead the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study, an ambitious, comprehensive national study of brain development from birth through early childhood.

17 Nov 2021

Stroke survivors more likely than cancer survivors to continue cigarette smoking

Stroke survivors were more likely to continue cigarette smoking than cancer survivors, raising the risk that they will have more health problems or die from a subsequent stroke or heart disease, according to new research published today in Stroke, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

17 Nov 2021

Youth who have persistent, distressing psychotic-like experiences show impairment in many areas

In a new study, researchers examined the association between distressing and persistent psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in youth and important risk factors for psychopathology.

17 Nov 2021

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New study uncovers a mechanism of sleep in zebrafish

Scientists can read the brain activity of tiny worm to predict smells

Similar brain responses to speech sounds found in humans, macaques and guinea pigs

Researchers use embryonic stem cell model to study genetic architecture in the hypothalamus

GABA secreted by B-cells blunts the body's cytotoxic T-cell-based response to tumors

UC researchers engineer new probiotic to target and break down cancer cell defenses

Scientists unravel near-atomic-scale structure of depression-linked brain receptor

Repurposed ALS drug could slow gradual brain cell loss in Niemann-Pick disease type C1

Neuropharmacologist investigates plant-based treatments for epilepsy caused by pork tapeworms

Brain stimulation can modulate thought processes related to problem solving

Study involving a rat model offers potential treatment for Alexander disease

UCLA-developed new "virtual histology" technology may reduce need for skin biopsies

New study highlights the important role of rare genomic differences in OCD risk

New mothers' placenta could help reduce brain injury in other growth-restricted babies

What is the global prevalence of long COVID?

Triad of cytokines associated with long COVID

Study leverages the DIAAS system to understand protein quality in meat burgers and plant-based burgers

Boston Children's receives NIH grant to co-lead HEALthy Brain and Child Development study

Stroke survivors more likely than cancer survivors to continue cigarette smoking

Youth who have persistent, distressing psychotic-like experiences show impairment in many areas

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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