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.

Study provides direct link between inflammation and Alzheimer’s plaque development

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that is characterized by the buildup of clumps of beta-amyloid protein in the brain.

2 Sep 2020

Bilingual children may reach adulthood with more grey matter

Children and adolescents who speak more than one language may reach adulthood with more grey matter, according to a new study.

2 Sep 2020

Study shows how auditory perception and motor processes work together

How do people coordinate their actions with the sounds they hear? This basic ability, which allows people to cross the street safely while hearing oncoming traffic, dance to new music or perform team events such as rowing, has puzzled cognitive neuroscientists for years.

2 Sep 2020

Study offers a possible explanation for prevalence of autism spectrum disorder

Recent estimates indicate a prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States of 1 in 59 children with a well-established 4:1 male predominance.

2 Sep 2020

Study shows link between lipid metabolism and onset of psychosis

Changes in blood lipids give an early warning for the development of psychosis in individuals who are at risk. Weight gain displays the same connection. This is shown in a new study at örebro University.

2 Sep 2020

Circadian rhythms help in brain's unique process of waste removal

New research details how the complex set of molecular and fluid dynamics that comprise the glymphatic system - the brain's unique process of waste removal - are synchronized with the master internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

2 Sep 2020

New theory changes the understanding of complex social interactions

Tracking the extent to which other people think differently from yourself appears to be more relevant than understanding someone else's thoughts per se. Neuroscientists at Ghent University and the University of New South Wales (Sydney) came to this conclusion.

2 Sep 2020

Exponential rise in COVID-19 hospitalization risk with age due to waning T cell immunity

The age-related increase in the risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 mirrors earlier patterns seen with infections. Such trends may help understand the mechanisms underlying the clinical feature. A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 shows the effect of age and sex on COVID-19 hospitalization rates in the USA and helps understand how immune function is involved in this pandemic.

2 Sep 2020

Study examines the brain's reactions in conditions of uncertainty

A new Tel Aviv University study examined the brain's reactions in conditions of uncertainty and stressful conflict in an environment of risks and opportunities.

2 Sep 2020

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

SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia is a robust marker of critical illness in COVID-19

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

1 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

Negligible ACE2 expression in human beta-cells

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

1 Sep 2020