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 develop less invasive genetic tools to understand cellular activity

Graduate student Ubadah Sabbagh placed a cold glass slide on the microscope. It was getting late and the lab was quiet.

24 Jun 2020

Mediterranean diet can protect against cognitive decline, shows study

A new study, investigating factors associated with verbal fluency among a large sample of anglophone Canadians aged 45-85, found that individuals who consumed more vegetables and fruits and more nuts and pulses (such as lentils and beans) scored higher on tests of verbal fluency.

24 Jun 2020

Researchers identify neural mechanism for associative learning in fruit flies

A research team from The University of Texas at El Paso has made strides in understanding how memories are formed through the brain mechanisms of fruit flies, findings that could enhance our understanding of brain disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and substance addiction, according to an article published in the highly renowned Journal of Neuroscience.

24 Jun 2020

Researchers report a key breakthrough to help protect newborns from brain damage

Oxygen deprivation can be the worst start to a newborn's life, resulting in brain damage, epilepsy, developmental delays and death.

23 Jun 2020

Problems in how the brain recognizes and processes novel information underlie psychosis

Problems in how the brain recognizes and processes novel information lie at the root of psychosis, researchers from the University of Cambridge and King's College London have found.

23 Jun 2020

St. Jude scientists create O-PDX models for pediatric brain tumor research

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have created orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (O-PDX) models representing a variety of pediatric brain tumor types.

23 Jun 2020

Mother's prenatal psychological distress is linked to infant gut microbes

Mother's chronic prenatal psychological distress and elevated hair cortisol concentrations are associated with gut microbiota composition of the infant, according to a new publication from the FinnBrain research project of the University of Turku, Finland.

23 Jun 2020

Hungarian physician to receive the Körber Prize for European Science 2020

The Körber Prize for European Science 2020, which is endowed with one million euros, is being awarded to the Hungarian physician Botond Roska.

23 Jun 2020

Newly discovered Alzheimer's gene may drive earliest brain changes

A newly discovered Alzheimer's gene may drive the first appearance of amyloid plaques in the brain, according to a study led by researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

22 Jun 2020

New method for producing tsetse fly attractants using biotechnology

The tsetse fly occurs in large regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The flies feed on human and animal blood, transmitting trypanosoma in the process - small, single-cell organisms that use the flies as intermediate host and cause a dangerous inflammation of the lymph and nervous system in both animals and humans.

22 Jun 2020

Manipulating macrophages could be a viable strategy for treating cancer

Most traditional cancer therapies target either the tumor cells themselves or indiscriminately kill any rapidly dividing cell.

22 Jun 2020

Innovative use of focused ultrasound shows promise against glioblastoma

An innovative use of focused ultrasound being pioneered at the University of Virginia School of Medicine is showing promise against glioblastoma, the deadliest brain tumor, and could prove useful against other difficult-to-treat cancers.

22 Jun 2020

Remote continuous monitoring easily, effectively detects seizures in at-risk neonates

A team of researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has demonstrated how to easily and effectively monitor for seizures in newborn infants, catching more instances than typical methods and improving the quality of care for infants in hospitals that lack the on-site resources to detect these seizures.

22 Jun 2020

Special time-locked encoding mechanism may have evolved for human speech

Humans can effortlessly recognize and react to natural sounds and are especially tuned to speech. There have been several studies aimed to localize and understand the speech-specific parts of the brain, but as the same brain areas are mostly active for all sounds, it has remained unclear whether or not the brain has unique processes for speech processing, and how it performs these processes.

22 Jun 2020

Mice study shows how oxytocin can amplify aggression as well as friendliness

During the pandemic lockdown, as couples have been forced to spend days and weeks in one another's company, some have found their love renewed while others are on their way to divorce court.

22 Jun 2020

Simple blood test found to accurately diagnose and classify brain tumors

A simple but highly sensitive blood test has been found to accurately diagnose and classify different types of brain tumors, resulting in more accurate diagnosis, less invasive methods and better treatment planning for patients, in the future.

22 Jun 2020

New study may provide a 'playlist' for testing brain disorders

Psychologists and medical researchers for years have used familiar tunes to study brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but they've never had a common set of songs to draw from.

22 Jun 2020

The role of brain cells in spreading HIV

Dr. Lena Al-Harthi speaks to News-Medical about her research into HIV treatment and the role of brain cells in spreading the HIV virus.

22 Jun 2020

Study shows changes in brain dynamics at rest following a relationship breakup

During a person's life, the experience of a stressful life event can lead to the development of depressive symptoms, even in a non-clinical population.

21 Jun 2020

Brain-transportable soy derivate reduces memory degradation in mice

In a study that could help one day give a literal meaning to food for thought, researchers from Kyushu University in Japan have reported that a protein fragment that makes its way into the brain after being ingested can reduce memory degradation in mice treated to simulate Alzheimer's disease.

21 Jun 2020