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Misfiring brain cells may create swallowing difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Misfiring brain cells that control key parts of the mouth and tongue may be creating swallowing difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, according to neuroscientists with Virginia Tech and George Washington University.

2 Sep 2020

Study identifies important regulator of neuron function and survival

Scientists studying neuronal energy metabolism found evidence that the loss of an important energy regulator called AMPK in neural stem cells or glial cells called astrocytes causes neuronal death in laboratory rodents.

1 Sep 2020

New theory explains how hearing loss may cause dementia

Scientists have developed a new theory as to how hearing loss may cause dementia and believe that tackling this sensory impairment early may help to prevent the disease.

1 Sep 2020

Brain estrogen critical for astrocyte activation and neuroprotection

When the brain isn't getting enough oxygen, estrogen produced by neurons in both males and females hyperactivates another brain cell type called astrocytes to step up their usual support and protect brain function.

1 Sep 2020

Brain protein associated with seizures and abnormal social behaviors

A team led by a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside has found a new mechanism responsible for the abnormal development of neuronal connections in the mouse brain that leads to seizures and abnormal social behaviors.

31 Aug 2020

Largely ignored 'housekeeping' gene plays a role in seizures

Within cells, molecules known as transfer RNAs, or "tRNAs," play an important but unglamorous workhorse role in keeping the genetic translation process moving along from codes of DNA to functional proteins.

26 Aug 2020

Study examines safety and early outcomes of gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy

In May 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a gene replacement therapy for the inherited, progressive neuromuscular disease 5q-linked spinal muscular atrophy.

25 Aug 2020

Neurophysiologists reversibly disable a connection between two brain areas of primates

For the first time ever, neurophysiologists of KU Leuven, Harvard and the University of Kyoto have succeeded in reversibly disabling a connection between two areas in the brains of primates while they were performing cognitive tasks, or while their entire brain activity was being monitored.

25 Aug 2020

A new mechanism by which microtubule networks instruct neuronal polarity revealed

Prof. MENG Wenxiang's group from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently reported a new mechanism by which microtubule networks instruct neuronal polarity.

21 Aug 2020

Combining expertise in organoids and sequencing technologies for ALS research

MDC researchers received a $150,000 pilot project grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Neurodegeneration Challenge Network to investigate a defining feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

20 Aug 2020

Study could help understand the evolution of nervous systems in animals and humans

When it comes to brain cells, one size does not fit all. Neurons come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and contain different types of brain chemicals. But how did they get that way?

20 Aug 2020

Study indicates a potential link between Alzheimer's and common brain disorder

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of dementia, and while most people might know someone who is affected by it, the genetic factors behind the disease are less known.

20 Aug 2020

New approach to chronic pain treatment could bring relief

Something like a quarter of the world's population suffers from chronic pain at some point in their lives. As opposed to acute pain - for example, the feeling after hitting your finger with a hammer - chronic pain may not even have a clear cause, and it can linger for years or lifetimes.

19 Aug 2020

Green apple vape flavorant enhances nicotine reward, heightens drug-seeking behavior

A common green apple vape flavor enhances nicotine reward, which could heighten reward and drug-seeking behavior, according to researchers at Marshall University.

18 Aug 2020

New treatment approach strengthens motor function and muscle of aged mice

In an aging society, one of the most important and urgent tasks of scientific research is to counteract the decline in motor function and muscle weakness that accompanies the aging process.

17 Aug 2020

Understanding the relationship between movement and vision

To get a better look at the world around them, animals constantly are in motion. Primates and people use complex eye movements to focus their vision (as humans do when reading, for instance); birds, insects, and rodents do the same by moving their heads, and can even estimate distances that way.

15 Aug 2020

Acupuncture can tame cytokine storm in mice with systemic inflammation

A team of researchers led by neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School has successfully used acupuncture to tame cytokine storm in mice with systemic inflammation.

12 Aug 2020

Research looks at convalescent plasma use in COVID-19 mouse model

A new study by researchers at the University of Iowa and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 reports the utility of a mouse model that recapitulates several aspects of human COVID-19 and can reflect the antiviral efficacy of new drugs as well.

12 Aug 2020

Mathematical model shows how brain remains stable amid varying disturbances

Whether you are playing Go in a park amid chirping birds, a gentle breeze and kids playing catch nearby or you are playing in a den with a ticking clock on a bookcase and a purring cat on the sofa, if the game situation is identical and clear, your next move likely would be, too, regardless of those different conditions.

10 Aug 2020

FDA approves first oral drug for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Evrysdi (risdiplam) to treat patients two months of age and older with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare and often fatal genetic disease affecting muscle strength and movement.

7 Aug 2020