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.

COVID-19 may damage the central nervous system

Researchers at University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany, have provided important insights into the potential impact that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could have on the central nervous system.

21 May 2020

Researchers receive $5 million to study two types of parasitic infection

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received two grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling more than $5 million to study two types of parasitic worm infection that cause devastating illness in millions of people worldwide.

21 May 2020

Lowering blood pressure reduces risk of developing dementia, research shows

Research completed in NUI Galway has shown that lowering blood pressure by taking blood pressure medications reduces the risk of developing dementia and cognitive impairment by 7%.

21 May 2020

UBC scientists discover gene that plays a role in resisting weight gain

Why can some people eat as much as they want, and still stay thin?

21 May 2020

LLNL engineers address shortage of nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19

In this era of COVID-19, tracking the disease adequately enough to allow state and local officials to lift shelter-in-place orders and return to a semblance of normalcy in the absence of a vaccine will require widespread testing, according to medical experts.

21 May 2020

Synchrony within a group may enhance cohesion and influence performance

Group work and cooperation are crucial in everyday life. As such, it is important to explore the avenues by which synchrony within a group may enhance cohesion and influence performance.

21 May 2020

Magnetic core-shell iron nanowires can be used for noninvasive medical imaging

Living cells inside the body could be placed under surveillance--their location and migration noninvasively tracked in real time over many days--using a new method developed by researchers at KAUST.

20 May 2020

Fewer COVID-19 patients suffer from stroke than previously reported

Fewer people than previously reported suffer from stroke as a result of COVID-19, a new analysis finds. However, strokes that accompany the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2, appear to be more severe.

20 May 2020

Complex analytical methods contribute to variability of research outcomes

A new Tel Aviv University-led study published on May 20 in Nature offers new evidence that the complexity of contemporary analytical methods in science contributes to the variability of research outcomes.

20 May 2020

New NIMH plan provides a framework for advancing mental health research

The National Institute of Mental Health has released its 2020 Strategic Plan for Research. The new plan provides a framework for advancing research priorities that support the institute's mission: To transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.

20 May 2020

Despite their safety, birth control pills are associated with several side effects

Birth control pills are an effective and safe form of birth control; however, they are associated with a number of side effects, including mood alterations.

20 May 2020

Family environment and socioeconomic status affect brain development during adolescence

Childhood environment and socioeconomic status affect cognitive ability and brain development during adolescence independently of genetic factors, researchers at Karolinska Institutet report in a new study published in the journal PNAS.

20 May 2020

New computer model predicts the age of the human brain

Scientists have trained a computer to analyze different types of brain scan and predict the age of the human brain, according to a new study in the open-access journal eLife.

20 May 2020

UCLA study shows link between diesel exhaust and risk of Parkinson's

A new UCLA study in zebrafish has identified the process by which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson's disease.

20 May 2020

Exercise boosts blood flow into brain regions associated with memory

Scientists have collected plenty of evidence linking exercise to brain health, with some research suggesting fitness may even improve memory. But what happens during exercise to trigger these benefits?

20 May 2020

Brain activity reveals working memory capabilities of children

A child’s unique brain activity reveals how good their memories are, according to research recently published in JNeurosci.

20 May 2020

New technique determines lipid composition in a brain region

Researchers at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new technique that can determine the specific molecular form, location, and the number of lipids in samples of rat brain tissue.

20 May 2020

Study examines 5-aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence in surgery of brain metastases

Two-thirds of brain metastases give off fluorescence following administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid, which could potentially assist surgeons in identifying such tumors.

20 May 2020

MU researchers examine how menopause can impact cognitive function

Characterized by a buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain, Alzheimer's is an irreversible disease that leads to memory loss and a decrease in cognitive function.

19 May 2020

Researchers explore how a small change in protein shape causes long-term consequences

Sometimes proteins misfold. When that happens in the human brain, the pileup of misfolded proteins can lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS.

19 May 2020