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.

First 3D simulation offers realistic insight into how rats obtain tactile information

Northwestern University engineers have developed the first full, three-dimensional (3D), dynamic simulation of a rat's complete whisker system, offering rare, realistic insight into how rats obtain tactile information.

16 Jul 2021

Scientists decipher the activity of the brain in deep sleep

Thanks to a unique system that decodes brain activity during sleep, a UNIGE team is deciphering the neuronal mechanisms of memory consolidation.

16 Jul 2021

Spending time outdoors has a positive effect on the brain, study shows

If you're regularly out in the fresh air, you're doing something good for both your brain and your well-being.

16 Jul 2021

Brain signals translated into speech give paralyzed man back his words

Scientists at UC San Francisco have successfully developed a "speech neuroprosthesis" device that has enabled a man with severe paralysis to communicate in sentences, translating signals from his brain to text on a screen.

15 Jul 2021

New live cell models lay the groundwork for studies into mitochondrial diseases

The mitochondrion has garnered quite the reputation for its role as the "powerhouse of the cell." These tiny, but mighty organelles play various life-sustaining roles, from powering our own cells and organs to fueling chemical and biological processes.

15 Jul 2021

Autophagy disruption may be at the root of early cognitive changes in Huntington’s disease

Huntington's Disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms, and motor symptoms are often preceded by cognitive changes.

15 Jul 2021

Study opens the door to improved treatment for psychosis sufferers

University of Otago scientists have opened the door to improved treatment of brain dysfunction which causes psychosis.

15 Jul 2021

Antihypertension drug may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2

New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Eye and Ear indicates that the blood pressure drug losartan may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a hereditary condition associated with vestibular schwannomas, or noncancerous tumors along the nerves in the brain that are involved with hearing and balance.

15 Jul 2021

About 4 in 100 COVID-19 hospitalized children may develop neurological complications, a study finds

In a recently published article in The Lancet’s Child & Adolescent Health, scientists have described in detail neurological and psychiatric manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children. As mentioned in the study, an estimated prevalence of infection-related neurological complications and pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome in hospitalized children and adolescents is about 3.8 cases per 100 patients.

15 Jul 2021

Research sheds light on a new mechanism for inhibitory synapse specificity in the cortex

Researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered that the cell adhesion protein IgSF11 determines the layer-specific synaptic connectivity of a distinct class of cortical interneurons.

15 Jul 2021

Using liquid metal sensors and AI to create a more natural prosthetic device

Each fingertip has more than 3,000 touch receptors, which largely respond to pressure. Humans rely heavily on sensation in their fingertips when manipulating an object. The lack of this sensation presents a unique challenge for individuals with upper limb amputations.

15 Jul 2021

Study tests neuromuscular electrostimulation effects on hand motor recovery in older stroke patients

The University of Valencia, in collaboration with FISABIO and the Doctor Peset University Hospital, has conducted a randomised clinical trial comparing the effects of two neuromuscular electrostimulation (EENM) protocols with different frequencies on the motor impairment of the hand in older patients after a stroke.

14 Jul 2021

Electroconvulsive therapy may result in longer hospital stays and increased health care costs

Electroconvulsive therapy, which may be effective at lowering long-term risks of suicide and death among patients with certain mood disorders, may result in longer hospital stays and increased health care costs, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

14 Jul 2021

Early life exposure to antibiotics could alter brain development

Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher.

14 Jul 2021

Metal-based molecule inhibits the build-up of Alzheimer's peptides in lab tests

In lab tests, Imperial researchers have created a metal-based molecule that inhibits the build-up of a peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease.

14 Jul 2021

Component derived from turmeric essential oil exhibits neuroprotective effects

Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan have found that a component derived from turmeric essential oil, aromatic turmerone (ar-turmerone), and its derivatives act directly on dopaminergic nerves to create a neuroprotective effect on tissue cultures of a Parkinson's disease model.

14 Jul 2021