Neuroscience News and Research

RSS

Indian curry may be the next Alzheimer's weapon

A dietary staple of India, where Alzheimer's disease rates are reportedly among the world's lowest, holds potential as a weapon in the fight against the disease.

28 Dec 2004

Ballet dancers’ brains reveal the art of imitation

Scientists have discovered that a system in our brain which responds to actions we are watching, such as a dancer’s delicate pirouette or a masterful martial arts move, reacts differently if we are also skilled at doing the move.

27 Dec 2004

Stem cells use inflammatory signals to find injured tissue

A joint effort led by stem cell biologist Evan Y. Snyder, M.D., Ph.D., of The Burnham Institute, and Samia J. Khoury, M.D., of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, report data suggesting that stem cells use inflammatory signals to “know” where they must home.

20 Dec 2004

Early learning experiences forever change the brain's structure

Educational Christmas toys can leave a mark on more than just your checkbook - they can also leave a permanent imprint on a child's brain.

20 Dec 2004

Ethical challenges ahead for neuroscience and society

Are we ready for a future where brain scans invade our private thoughts? Will we have to alter our brains chemically to keep competitive at our jobs? Could science determine that "souls" do not exist, and, if so, what does that mean for how we think of ourselves as human beings?

20 Dec 2004

New clue to nerve growth may help regeneration efforts

Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered how one family of proteins repels growing nerves and keeps them properly on track during development.

16 Dec 2004

Computational model of addiction which can be used to make predictions about human behavior

A University of Minnesota researcher developed a computational model of addiction which can be used to make predictions about human behavior, animal behavior, and neurophysiology.

13 Dec 2004

Neurobiologists distinguish in unprecedented detail the patterns of brain activity

Using hairlike microelectrodes and computer analysis, neurobiologists at Duke University Medical Center have demonstrated that they can see the detailed instant-to-instant electrical "brainscape" of neural activity across a living brain.

8 Dec 2004

Common ingredient in some shampoos (methylisothiazolinone) stunts developing neurons of rats

An antimicrobial agent found in some shampoos and hand creams and widely used in industrial settings inhibits the development of particular neuron structures that are essential for transmitting signals between cells.

6 Dec 2004

MRI reveals similarities between the human and chimpanzee brain

New MRI-based studies present more evidence that the brains of chimpanzees are human-like in terms of the relationships among brain asymmetry, handedness and language, according to research undertaken at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta.

6 Dec 2004

Method for healing spinal injuries in dogs offers hope for preventing human paralysis

Lab tests have shown that an injection of a liquid polymer known as polyethylene glycol (PEG), if administered within 72 hours of serious spinal injury, can prevent most dogs from suffering permanent spinal damage.

3 Dec 2004

Replicating an eel's nerve circuitry may one day allow paralyzed people to walk again

In a collaboration that blends biology and robotics, researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland are unraveling the circuitry in an eel's spinal cord to help develop a microchip implant that may someday help paralyzed people walk again.

3 Dec 2004

Toxic proteins explain memory loss in Alzheimer's patients

Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered a molecular mechanism -- a tiny protein attacking nerve cells -- that could explain why the brain damage in early Alzheimer's disease results in memory loss and not other symptoms such as loss of balance or tremors.

1 Dec 2004

Iris Murdoch's last novel reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease

The last novel written by author Iris Murdoch before she died reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the latest online issue of Brain.

29 Nov 2004

New class of drugs to repair psychiatric disorders

“Smart” drugs capable of targeting specific brain cells to control psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia may be ready for early clinical trials within three years, with the launch of a $1.5 million project to take place at the Brain Research Centre (BRC)

29 Nov 2004