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.

Rare deadly disease linked to coronavirus infection seen in children

Now, new evidence has shown that children with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) experience a Kawasaki-like illness, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The complication is akin to toxic shock syndrome, a condition that occurs due to sepsis. Though rare, the condition is life-threatening.

29 May 2020

Biophysicists reveal molecular mechanism behind light-driven sodium pumping

An international research team has for the first time obtained the structure of the light-sensitive sodium-pumping KR2 protein in its active state.

28 May 2020

Research finds delayed treatment for ischemic stroke patients during COVID-19 pandemic

New research published today in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery shows ischemic stroke patients are arriving to hospitals and treatment centers an average of 160 minutes later during the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared with a similar timeframe in 2019.

28 May 2020

Ludwig Cancer Research study profiles immune landscape of brain tumors

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has profiled, in a sweeping comparative analysis, the distinct immune landscapes of tumors that arise in the brain, or gliomas, and those that metastasize to the organ from the lungs, breast and skin.

28 May 2020

Study provides groundwork for restoring nerve-muscle connection in ALS

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, lose muscle control as nerve cells or neurons in the brain and spinal cord degenerate and can no longer send signals to muscles.

28 May 2020

Study finds gender differences in autism severity changes during early childhood

During early childhood, girls with autism tend to show greater reduction and less rise in their autism symptom severity than boys with autism, a UC Davis MIND Institute study has found.

28 May 2020

Pitt researcher to explore the neurological sex-based divide in dementia

Fifty million people worldwide are living with dementia, a broad term for diseases and conditions characterized by progressive cognitive decline.

28 May 2020

Two marine molecules show potential to treat Alzheimer's disease

An interdisciplinary research study of the University of Barcelona identified two potential candidates to treat Alzheimer's disease. These are two marine molecules, meridianine and lignarenone B, able to alter the activity of GSK3B activity, a protein associated with several neurodegenerative diseases.

28 May 2020

Characterizing immune cells in malignant brain tumors

It is not always possible to completely remove malignant brain tumors by surgery so that further treatment is necessary.

28 May 2020

Novel medical devices can help repair cognitive functions

One of the most invalidating neuropsychological conditions is the impossibility to communicate with others.

28 May 2020

Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in American Indians and Alaska Natives

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects American Indians and Alaska Natives at approximately three times the rate of white Americans and is closely linked to the disproportionately high rates of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, according to the American Heart Association Scientific Statement "Cardiovascular Health in American Indians and Alaska Natives," published today in the Association's flagship journal Circulation.

28 May 2020

Early exposure to anesthetics may cause alcohol use disorder in adolescents

Early exposure to anesthetics may make adolescents more susceptible to developing alcohol use disorder (AUD), according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

28 May 2020

Searching for safety: Where children hide when gunfire is all too common

Champale Greene-Anderson keeps the volume up on her television when she watches 5-year-old granddaughter Amor Robinson while the girl's mom is at work.

28 May 2020

Studies advance the understanding of sensory disconnection during sleep and anesthesia

During sleep and under anesthesia, we rarely respond to such external stimuli as sounds even though our brains remain highly active.

28 May 2020

Fluctuating estrogen levels could make alcohol more rewarding to women

Fluctuating estrogen levels may make alcohol more rewarding to female mice, according to new research in JNeurosci. Untangling the involved signaling pathways could unveil sex-based treatments for alcohol use disorders.

28 May 2020

Monash study confirms new approach to measure consciousness

An international study involving Monash physicists has confirmed a new approach to measure consciousness, potentially changing our understanding complex neurological problems.

28 May 2020

Frog brain discovery may pave the way for repairing birth defects in humans

A team of researchers from Tufts University, Universitat de Valencia, and Harvard University has discovered that the brains of developing frog embryos damaged by nicotine exposure can be repaired by using “ionoceuticals” that can help in the recovery of bioelectric patterns in the embryo.

28 May 2020

Faulty ApoE4 gene increases risk for Alzheimer’s and for COVID-19

It has not been clear whether dementia worsens the infection or if it has resulted from the patient's old age and the severity of care home outbreaks. Now, a new study sheds light on the reason why people with dementia are at a high risk of developing severe disease caused by the coronavirus disease.

27 May 2020

Research provides new evidence for potential blood-based biomarker for Alzheimer's

A potential blood-based biomarker for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases seems even more promising thanks to new research from a Massachusetts General Hospital-led study.

27 May 2020

USAMRDC receives FDA marketing approval for severe malaria treatment

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing approval for Artesunate for Injection, an initial treatment for severe malaria.

27 May 2020