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.

Analysis of single-cell data indicates that SARS-Cov-2 targets many cell types

Before it can sicken people, the new coronavirus must first sneak into their cells. But not any cell will do. The virus can enter only those with a certain combination of molecules on their surfaces.

13 May 2020

Scientists discover the 'brain's steering wheel' that controls mice’s movements

Walking is one of the most important motor skills for animals and humans. And for almost all people, being able to walk is deeply essential. In spite of this, researchers are still working to map out which signals and electrical impulses from the brain control our walking.

13 May 2020

New rapid CRISPR-based test for sensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection

A new study reports the approval of a new CRISPR-based coronavirus test that is both sensitive and rapid and intended to help reduce the time required to test symptomatic or potentially contagious cases.

13 May 2020

New method to control inflammatory response induced by COVID-19

Severe COVID-19 illness can result in excessive inflammation throughout the body, including the lungs, heart and brain. University of Minnesota Twin Cities student Molly Gilligan recently published an article in the journal Cancer & Metastasis Reviews that studied the human body's robust inflammatory response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is now recognized as a hallmark symptom.

13 May 2020

Research shows how traumatic stress can cause aggression

Traumatic stress can cause aggression by strengthening two brain pathways involved in emotion, according to research recently published in JNeurosci.

13 May 2020

New method allows researchers to guide neurons in 3D

Highly complex organisms can arise from a single cell, which is one of the true miracles of nature. Substances known as morphogens have an important role in this development, namely by signalling to cells where they should go and what they should do.

13 May 2020

Study reveals how the brain processes sensory cues and generates survival behaviors

You know that feeling when everything suddenly goes quiet? Researchers have identified a novel neural circuit that plays a critical role in processing sound cues of danger to trigger defense responses in rats when silence falls.

13 May 2020

Abnormal calcium levels in mitochondria may cause neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease

For the first time, using a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, scientists have documented a link between raised levels of calcium in mitochondria and neuronal death in the living brain.

13 May 2020

COVID-19 may contribute to exponential growth of Parkinson's disease in future

Parkinson's disease (PD) is expected to reach over 14 million cases worldwide by 2040. As longevity increases, so does the number of persons living with PD.

12 May 2020

AI techniques in medical imaging may lead to false positives and false negatives

Machine learning and AI are highly unstable in medical image reconstruction, and may lead to false positives and false negatives, a new study suggests.

12 May 2020

Eating one meal high in saturated fat may hinder our ability to focus

Fatty food may feel like a friend during these troubled times, but new research suggests that eating just one meal high in saturated fat can hinder our ability to concentrate - not great news for people whose diets have gone south while they're working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

12 May 2020

New technology enables simultaneous imaging of multiple proteins

Degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's often involve complex interactions between multiple proteins and other biomolecules.

12 May 2020

Physical presence of spouses can alter each other's brain activity

A study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) researchers has revealed how the physical presence of spouses who are co-parenting can alter each other's brain activity.

12 May 2020

Study: Prediction errors also play a role in the context of highly dynamic perceptual events

A popular theory in neuroscience called predictive coding proposes that the brain produces all the time expectations that are compared with incoming information.

12 May 2020

Transcranial direct current stimulation does not affect metabolism, study shows

Transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS, is a promising treatment for conditions such as depression and addictive disorders.

12 May 2020

How the brain makes a limb feel like it does not belong

What is body integrity dysphoria (BID)? News-Medical speaks to Professor Peter Brugger and Dr. Gianluca Saetta to find out.

12 May 2020

UC Santa Barbara researcher receives NSF award to study the coordinated behavior of neural circuits

Everything we do comes down to a series of neural signals that translate into physical behaviors. We receive information through our senses, sensory neurons convert this information into electrical and chemical signals that are processed by other neurons in our brains and ultimately, motor neurons fire muscles that move our limbs.

12 May 2020

Odor habituation is driven by important signal filtering process, shows study

Imagine a dog playing in a garden and smelling all of these different flowery smells, and then somewhere in the distance a predator appears, like a fox.

12 May 2020

Smart health system to monitor people in COVID-19 quarantine

The global coronavirus pandemic has spread to 187 countries and territories, infecting more than 4.17 million people. Most countries, especially those with a skyrocketing caseload, grapple with a lack of hospital beds and facilities to cater to every patient infected with the virus. Now, a team of researchers may have the solution to this problem – a smart health system to monitor patients who are in home isolation.

12 May 2020

Study pinpoints potential neural basis for monogamous reunion

When it comes to forming a lasting bond, our longing for a partner may be as important as--if not more important than--how we react when we're with them, suggests a surprising new brain imaging study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.

11 May 2020