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.

Researchers create multi-functional nano-vaccine to prevent toxoplasmosis

Fighting clever parasites requires smart vaccines that can trigger critical immune responses. A University of Chicago-based research team has found a novel way to do that.

14 Oct 2020

Microstructural brain differences linked to waist circumference and BMI in children

Differences in the microstructure of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a region in the brain that plays an important role in processing food and other reward stimuli, predict increases in indicators of obesity in children, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and nine other institutes, all part of the National Institutes of Health.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers develop new model to observe self-optimization phenomenon in neuronal networks

Researchers at the Cyber-Physical Systems Group at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, have developed a new model of how information deep in the brain could flow from one network to another and how these neuronal network clusters self-optimize over time.

13 Oct 2020

Scientists examine a novel approach to analyzing dendritic spine shapes

Dendritic spines are small protrusions from a neuron's dendrite membrane, where contact with neighboring axons is formed to receive synaptic input.

13 Oct 2020

Epidural analgesia during childbirth does not increase infant's risk of developing autism

The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology,the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine aim to clearly reassure pregnant women that the article "Association Between Epidural Analgesia During Labor and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring," a new retrospective database study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 12th, 2020 does not provide credible scientific evidence that labor epidurals for pain relief cause autism.

13 Oct 2020

Low-level developmental lead exposure increases risk of relapse to alcohol seeking in mice

A new IU study examining effects of low-level developmental lead exposure in mice could explain why some people dependent on alcohol return to using.

13 Oct 2020

Penn State researcher leads $3.8 million project to create an atlas of developing mice brains

A grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow a Penn State College of Medicine researcher to lead a three-year, multi-institution project to create an atlas of developing mice brains.

13 Oct 2020

COVID-19 causes potentially damaging neurological injuries, study shows

Without directly invading the brain or nerves, the virus responsible for COVID-19 causes potentially damaging neurological injuries in about one in seven infected, a new study shows.

13 Oct 2020

New therapy may help treat or prevent multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects millions worldwide, can cause debilitating symptoms for those who suffer from it.

13 Oct 2020

Eyeglass display device allows surgeon to focus on operative tasks more efficiently

The authors, two surgeon-researchers from Murayama Medical Center in Tokyo, tested a device that, when attached to everyday eyeglasses, can display fluoroscopic images used for surgical guidance directly to the surgeon.

13 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and COVID symptoms can last at least 3 months

Recent research published as a preprint on the medRxiv preprint server, Elizabeth T. Cirulli et al., studies the self-reported short and long-term symptoms in a large general adult population cohort.

13 Oct 2020

Scientists explain why some COVID-19 patients develop neurological symptoms

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv sheds light on the mechanism behind brain involvement in the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of researchers at the Krembil Research Institute and the University of Toronto in Canada aimed to understand further the potential mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 tropism for brain vasculature to see how infection occurs in the brain.

13 Oct 2020

Enzyme SSH1 impairs the disposal of damaged tau and neurotoxic mitochondria

In a healthy brain, the multistep waste clearance process known as autophagy routinely removes and degrades damaged cell components - including malformed proteins like tau and toxic mitochondria.

12 Oct 2020

Two well-known neurochemicals found to be involved in sub-second perception, cognition

In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals - dopamine and serotonin - are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception.

12 Oct 2020

Leaking components from broken muscle fibers activate 'satellite' muscle stem cells

While building a muscle damage model in a cultured system, a research collaboration between Kumamoto University and Nagasaki University in Japan has found that components leaking from broken muscle fibers activate "satellite" muscle stem cells.

12 Oct 2020

Scientists develop new method for detecting TBI at the point of care

A method for detecting traumatic brain injury at the point of care has been developed by scientists at the University of Birmingham.

12 Oct 2020

Dopamine and serotonin play role in perception and decision-making

Scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine have recorded real time changes in dopamine and serotonin levels in the human brain that are involved with perception and decision-making.

12 Oct 2020

Gene variations that regulate dopamine levels in the brain may influence mobility of elderly, frail adults

Variations in a gene that regulates dopamine levels in the brain may influence the mobility of elderly and frail adults, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

12 Oct 2020

Fetal brain models could predict neurodevelopmental outcomes of COVID-19 exposure

Researchers in the United States and Sweden have created personalized models of fetal brain microglia to investigate the effects of maternal infection on the developing brain, including infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

11 Oct 2020

Nerve cell activity indicates the confidence in decisions

Should I or shouldn't I? The activity of individual nerve cells in the brain tells us how confident we are in our decisions. This is shown by a recent study by researchers at the University of Bonn.

9 Oct 2020

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers create multi-functional nano-vaccine to prevent toxoplasmosis

Microstructural brain differences linked to waist circumference and BMI in children

Researchers develop new model to observe self-optimization phenomenon in neuronal networks

Scientists examine a novel approach to analyzing dendritic spine shapes

Epidural analgesia during childbirth does not increase infant's risk of developing autism

Low-level developmental lead exposure increases risk of relapse to alcohol seeking in mice

Penn State researcher leads $3.8 million project to create an atlas of developing mice brains

COVID-19 causes potentially damaging neurological injuries, study shows

New therapy may help treat or prevent multiple sclerosis

Eyeglass display device allows surgeon to focus on operative tasks more efficiently

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and COVID symptoms can last at least 3 months

Scientists explain why some COVID-19 patients develop neurological symptoms

Enzyme SSH1 impairs the disposal of damaged tau and neurotoxic mitochondria

Two well-known neurochemicals found to be involved in sub-second perception, cognition

Leaking components from broken muscle fibers activate 'satellite' muscle stem cells

Scientists develop new method for detecting TBI at the point of care

Dopamine and serotonin play role in perception and decision-making

Gene variations that regulate dopamine levels in the brain may influence mobility of elderly, frail adults

Fetal brain models could predict neurodevelopmental outcomes of COVID-19 exposure

Nerve cell activity indicates the confidence in decisions

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

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