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 identifies mechanisms that underlie olfactory symptoms of COVID-19

A new study of human olfactory cells has revealed that viral invasion of supportive cells in the nasal cavity might be driving the loss of smell seen in some patients with COVID-19.

25 Jul 2020

Olfactory cell types are most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, shows study

Temporary loss of smell, or anosmia, is the main neurological symptom and one of the earliest and most commonly reported indicators of COVID-19.

25 Jul 2020

Researcher receives Outstanding Investigator Award for groundbreaking microvascular and circulation research

Sarah Yuan, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, has received a highly competitive National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Outstanding Investigator Award to continue breaking new ground in microvascular and circulation research.

25 Jul 2020

Brazilian researchers produce an optical fiber made of agar

An optical fiber made of agar has been produced at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

24 Jul 2020

Study uncovers how the gut communicates with spinal cord and brain

You're faced with a big decision so your second brain provides what's normally referred to as 'gut instinct', but how did this sensation reach you before it was too late?

24 Jul 2020

Spinal cord injuries in mice cause acquired bone marrow failure syndrome

Research conducted at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine found that spinal cord injuries in mice cause an acquired bone marrow failure syndrome that may contribute to chronic immune dysfunction.

24 Jul 2020

Pandemic to accelerate the adoption of technology-enabled care for epilepsy

The COVID-19 pandemic is a catalyst to accelerate the adoption of technology-enabled patient care for epilepsy, according to a new study published in Epilepsia.

24 Jul 2020

Neurotransmitter-derived lipidoids help carry drugs across the blood-brain barrier in mice

Biomedical engineers at the Tufts University School of Engineering have developed tiny lipid-based nanoparticles that incorporate neurotranmitters to help carry drugs, large molecules, and even gene editing proteins across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain in mice.

24 Jul 2020

Pizza study finds the body's metabolism to be good at coping with over-indulgence

A new study, which involved participants eating pizza well after feeling 'full' in order to test what immediate effects this had on the body, finds that our metabolism is surprisingly good at coping with over-indulgence.

24 Jul 2020

Less-lethal weapons blind, maim and kill. Victims say enough is enough.

There's a gap in Scott Olsen's memory for the night of Oct. 25, 2011. The Iraq War vet remembers leaving his tech job in the San Francisco Bay Area and taking a BART train to join an Occupy Oakland protest against economic and social inequality.

24 Jul 2020

UB study validates a novel pharmacological target for Alzheimer’s disease

A UB study published in the journal Neurotherapeutics has validated a new pharmacological target for Alzheimer's disease.

24 Jul 2020

New app could help scientists to investigate the use of wearable devices for COVID-19 detection

The researchers, funded by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), created the Mass Science app that allows COVID-Collab study participants to connect wearables, such as Fitbit devices, and share data including heart rate, activity and sleep.

24 Jul 2020

Research reveals brain mechanism behind sleep-induced memory changes

The morphing structure of the brain’s “cartilage cells” may regulate how memories change while you snooze, according to new research in eNeuro.

24 Jul 2020

The brain builds maps of abstract relationships in the same way as physical spaces

Even in these social-distanced days, we keep in our heads a map of our relationships with other people: family, friends, co-workers and how they relate to each other.

24 Jul 2020

Study: Sensitivity of neuronal network influences the brain’s response to stimulus

Rustling leaves, light rain at the window, a quietly ticking clock - muffled sounds, just above the threshold of hearing.

24 Jul 2020

Novel research determines the prevalence of chronic kidney disease

A new study looking at nearly three decades of data from some 54,000 people has determined that the overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) for several racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups in the United States has stabilized in recent years, except Mexican Americans.

24 Jul 2020

Study offers fundamental insights about sensory thalamic subnetworks

The thalamus is a "Grand Central Station" for sensory information coming to our brains. Almost every sight, sound, taste and touch we perceive travels to our brain's cortex via the thalamus.

23 Jul 2020

New approach compares changes in neural connectivity using concurrent EEG and fMRI imaging

New research demonstrates how two vastly different methods of measuring brain activity can provide meaningful data on brain networks simultaneously.

23 Jul 2020

New study seeks to improve treatment options for severe brain injuries

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube, and is commonly used to treat decompression sickness resulting from scuba diving or wounds that resist healing, such as those resulting from some types of cancer radiation treatment or from complications of diabetes.

23 Jul 2020

People who carry the Neandertal variant of ion channel experience more pain

As several Neandertal genomes of high quality are now available researchers can identify genetic changes that were present in many or all Neandertals, investigate their physiological effects and look into their consequences when they occur in people today.

23 Jul 2020