Central Nervous System News and Research

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New drug can significantly reduce flashbacks and nightmares in PTSD patients

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rings a bell for many, due to its rampant references in pop culture, and more, importantly, its prevalence in today's society. It is only probable that this disorder, which develops after shocking or dangerous events, would unfortunately affect the lives of many people.

7 Jul 2021

Study identifies specialized immune cells that sculpt inhibitory neurons to regulate brain wiring

From the bark of a puppy to the patter of rain against the window, our brains receive countless signals every second. Most of the time, we tune out inconsequential cues--the buzz of a fly, the soft rustle of leaves in the tree--and pay attention to important ones--the sound of a car horn, a bang on the door.

7 Jul 2021

New blood test for improved frontotemporal dementia diagnostics

A new study by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland shows for the first time that blood-based measurement of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) enables distinguishing patients with frontotemporal dementia from those with primary psychiatric disorders or healthy individuals.

6 Jul 2021

COVID-19's long-term effects on chemosensory functions

A group of Canadian researchers has recently conducted a comprehensive study investigating the long-term effects of COVID-19.

5 Jul 2021

Nanomaterials' physiochemical properties influence their ability to penetrate the blood brain barrier

Nanomaterials found in consumer and health-care products can pass from the bloodstream to the brain side of a blood-brain barrier model with varying ease depending on their shape - creating potential neurological impacts that could be both positive and negative, a new study reveals.

5 Jul 2021

Scientists outline new target for treating type 2 diabetes

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a scientific breakthrough that transformed Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, from a terminal disease into a manageable condition.

30 Jun 2021

Research shines new light on deadly medulloblastoma metastases

With advances in medical science driving progress against childhood brain tumors, today three out of four young patients survive at least five years beyond diagnosis. However, the outcomes look grim when malignant cells spread, or metastasize.

29 Jun 2021

Study delves into the link between smoking and suicidal behaviors

Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology residents Iván Echeverria, Miriam Cotaina and Antonio Jovani, from the Hospital Provincial of Castellón, doctor Ana Benito and doctor Gonzalo Haro from the TXP research group of the CEU UCH, and doctor Rafael Mora, have published the results of their latest research: a meta-analysis on suicide, the first cause of external death in Spain.

25 Jun 2021

Study identifies the cell of origin of medulloblastoma

The study was conducted by an international collaboration involving the research team led by Luca Tiberi of the Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Cancer at the Department of Cellular, computational and integrative biology - Cibio of UniTrento, the Paris Brain Institute-Institut du Cerveau at Sorbonne Université in Paris, the Hopp Children´s Cancer Center (KiTZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, and Sapienza University in Rome.

24 Jun 2021

New microscopy technique reveals the cellular make-up of Wilm's tumors

A new technique to look at tumors under the microscope has revealed the cellular make-up of Wilm's tumors, a childhood kidney cancer, in unprecedented detail.

24 Jun 2021

Eating 2.5 grams of pure natural cocoa powder improves daytime visual acuity

Eating 2.5 grams of pure natural cocoa powder serves to improve visual acuity in healthy young adults and in daylight conditions, according to research by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) and the ICTAN (Institute of Food and Nutrition Science and Technology) of the CSIC.

23 Jun 2021

Can antioxidants help manage neurological complications in COVID-19?

In a recent study published in Antioxidants, researchers evaluated the use of antioxidants as potential adjuvants for the treatment of COVID-19.

23 Jun 2021

Albumin supplementation improves human fertility, fights infection

A new University of California, Irvine-led study reveals albumin (Alb), among the most abundant proteins in the body, activates a proton channel (hHv1), also widespread in the body, giving sperm the ability to penetrate and fertilize an egg, and allowing white blood cells to secrete large amounts of inflammatory mediators to fight infection.

22 Jun 2021

Research findings on the links between air pollution and neurodegeneration

There is growing awareness that air pollutants are playing a critical role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

22 Jun 2021

Novel interactions between proteins play a critical role in the brain injury recovery process

Patients with brain injury (caused by stroke or trauma) primarily rely on rehabilitation therapy for recovery, as there are no other known effective treatment methods. The rate of recovery from brain injury observed in adults is significantly slower (or the recovery is impossible) than that observed in young children.

21 Jun 2021

Controlling brain state transitions using a molecule responsive to light

A study led by researchers from IBEC and IDIBAPS achieves, for the first time, the control of brain state transitions using a molecule responsive to light, named PAI.

18 Jun 2021

Alarming COVID study indicates long-term loss of gray matter and other brain tissue

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Prof. Gwenaëlle Douaud et al. (June 15th, 2021), participants that had taken part in a brain study prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were invited back for a series of follow-up tests, revealing significant losses of grey matter surrounding the olfactory and gustatory system in those that had been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).