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.

Mutated enzyme impairs communication between neurons and causes motor defects in SCA34 model

In one type of a rare, inherited genetic disorder that affects control of body movement, scientists have found a mutation in an enzyme that impairs communication between neurons and what should be the inherent ability to pick up our pace when we need to run, instead of walk, across the street.

17 Aug 2021

Brain diseases could have a greater societal impact than Covid-19, research finds

New research has found that brain diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, are surfacing earlier, proving more fatal, and could have a greater societal impact than Covid-19.

17 Aug 2021

‘Groundhog Day’ effect of lockdown affects memory and cognitive ability, study finds

Studies show the way we remember and process information is greatly affected when we are in isolation, but variations on our daily activity and exercise will help.

17 Aug 2021

New nanobiotechnology shows remarkable ability to battle dangerous fungal infections

They’re roughly the same size as a coronavirus particle, and 1000 times smaller than a human hair, yet newly engineered nanoparticles developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, are punching well above their weight when it comes to treating drug-resistant fungal infections.

17 Aug 2021

Sighted and blind individuals have similar understanding of color

People born blind have never seen that bananas are yellow but Johns Hopkins University researchers find that like any sighted person, they understand two bananas are likely to be the same color and why.

16 Aug 2021

Brain’s structural and functional alignment can vary with sex, age and may be genetic, study suggests

The degree to which the brain's wiring aligns with its patterns of activity can vary with sex and age, and may be genetic, suggests a study published by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The study finds that this alignment may also have implications on cognition.

16 Aug 2021

Small protein prevents immune system from destroying pancreatic cells in type 1 diabetes-prone mice

A new study has shown that treating type 1 diabetes-prone mice with the small protein MOTS-c prevented the immune system from destroying insulin-producing pancreatic cells, effectively preventing the onset of the autoimmune disease.

16 Aug 2021

UH researcher set to explore how testosterone works in the brain

Most people have some idea about the hormone testosterone –how it regulates male behavior or how too little of it might cause a decrease in libido and too much might cause aggressive and irritable behavior. Turns out, no one yet knows how testosterone really does all that.

16 Aug 2021

Having a good listener is associated with greater cognitive resilience

Supportive social interactions in adulthood are important for your ability to stave off cognitive decline despite brain aging or neuropathological changes such as those present in Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.

16 Aug 2021

Single two-hour session of pain management skills could offer as much benefit as longer-course of CBT

A single two-hour session of a pain management skills class could offer as much benefit as eight sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients experiencing chronic low-back pain (CLBP), suggests a study published in JAMA Network Open.

16 Aug 2021

Children in poverty have smaller volumes of certain subcortical brain regions, study finds

Children in poverty are more likely to have cognitive and behavioral difficulties than their better-off peers. Plenty of past research has looked into the physical effects of childhood poverty, or documented mental health disparities between socioeconomic classes.

16 Aug 2021

Transcranial focused ultrasound shows promise to treat forms of chronic pain

Neuromodulation comprises a range of therapeutic approaches to relieving symptoms, such as pain or tremors, or to restore movement or function.

16 Aug 2021

Researchers take a key step toward a new concept for brain-computer interface system

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are emerging assistive devices that may one day help people with brain or spinal injuries to move or communicate.

14 Aug 2021

Simple roundworm may hold the key to understanding cell death processes

A biologist at The University of Texas at Arlington hopes that a simple roundworm might hold the key to understanding novel cell death processes. Such knowledge could lead to improved therapies to treat a variety of conditions in humans, including cancer and neurological injuries.

14 Aug 2021

Enzyme acts as a sensor to find the hiding spots of viruses

While some types of RNA viruses cloak themselves to hide inside a cell and create copies of themselves, a "detective enzyme" might be attuned to their whereabouts. A slight variation in their genomic code gives some people's cells the capacity to produce this sensor.

14 Aug 2021

Study illuminates the link between cholesterol and Alzheimer's-associated toxic protein clumps

A team co-led by scientists at Scripps Research has used advanced imaging methods to reveal how the production of the Alzheimer's-associated protein amyloid beta (Aβ) in the brain is tightly regulated by cholesterol.

13 Aug 2021

Russian research team presents a novel, supersensitive brain mapping tool

A joint team from the Russian Quantum Center, Skoltech, and the Higher School of Economics has presented a novel supersensitive solid-state magnetometer operating at room temperature.

13 Aug 2021

Researchers identify genetic program in fruit fly that protects neurons from degeneration

Researchers at the University of Bonn have identified a previously unknown genetic program in the fruit fly. The genetic material involved controls the development of the neurons while also protecting them from degeneration.

13 Aug 2021

Innovative therapeutic platform for blood-to-brain delivery of antisense oligonucleotide therapy

Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy has the potential to ameliorate many neurodegenerative diseases at the genetic level to suppress the production of harmful proteins or non-coding RNAs.

12 Aug 2021

Researchers map the impact of Covid-19 on the mental well-being of Israelis

During the six weeks between the end of the first COVID-19 outbreak in Israel and the beginning of the second one (late April to early June of 2020), researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science initiated a study that encompassed more than 12,000 responses from nearly 5,000 respondents to digital questionnaires, in an attempt to assess and understand the mental toll of the pandemic on the country's adult population.

12 Aug 2021

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Mutated enzyme impairs communication between neurons and causes motor defects in SCA34 model

Brain diseases could have a greater societal impact than Covid-19, research finds

‘Groundhog Day’ effect of lockdown affects memory and cognitive ability, study finds

New nanobiotechnology shows remarkable ability to battle dangerous fungal infections

Sighted and blind individuals have similar understanding of color

Brain’s structural and functional alignment can vary with sex, age and may be genetic, study suggests

Small protein prevents immune system from destroying pancreatic cells in type 1 diabetes-prone mice

UH researcher set to explore how testosterone works in the brain

Having a good listener is associated with greater cognitive resilience

Single two-hour session of pain management skills could offer as much benefit as longer-course of CBT

Children in poverty have smaller volumes of certain subcortical brain regions, study finds

Transcranial focused ultrasound shows promise to treat forms of chronic pain

Researchers take a key step toward a new concept for brain-computer interface system

Simple roundworm may hold the key to understanding cell death processes

Enzyme acts as a sensor to find the hiding spots of viruses

Study illuminates the link between cholesterol and Alzheimer's-associated toxic protein clumps

Russian research team presents a novel, supersensitive brain mapping tool

Researchers identify genetic program in fruit fly that protects neurons from degeneration

Innovative therapeutic platform for blood-to-brain delivery of antisense oligonucleotide therapy

Researchers map the impact of Covid-19 on the mental well-being of Israelis

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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