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.

ED clinicians do not show readiness to offer opioid use disorder therapy

A new study by Yale researchers looking at nearly 400 clinicians at four urban academic emergency departments found that, despite scientific evidence supporting the benefits of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, just 21% of emergency department clinicians indicated readiness to offer it to patients in need.

11 May 2020

Scientists explore why some COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell

Doctors have reported that partial or total loss of the sense of smell is often an early symptom of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

11 May 2020

Simple molecular reagents to fight against neurodegenerative disorders

Sometimes the most complex problems actually have very simple solutions. A group of South Korean researchers reported an efficient and effective redox-based strategy for incorporating multiple functions into simple molecular reagents against neurodegenerative disorders.

11 May 2020

Study shows how our eyes recycle vitamin A

Many of us will remember been told as kids when we refused to eat our vegetables that 'carrots are good for your eyes'. Although our parents may not have fully understood it at the time, there is some truth to this. Carrots are a rich source of the vitamin A essential for healthy vision.

11 May 2020

University of Wisconsin-Madison professor receives 2020 John Dystel Prize for MS research

This year's John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research goes to Ian D. Duncan, a neuroscientist and Professor of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for groundbreaking research on how myelin (the protective nerve coating in the brain and spinal cord) is damaged, particularly in multiple sclerosis (MS), and how it may be repaired.

11 May 2020

Texas A&M study offers hope for young children diagnosed with Menkes disease

A Texas A&M AgriLife Research team has good news for patients with copper-deficiency disorders, especially young children diagnosed with Menkes disease.

9 May 2020

Mice study sheds light on how the brain links events to form a memory

A woman walking down the street hears a bang. Several moments later she discovers her boyfriend, who had been walking ahead of her, has been shot.

9 May 2020

Study finds nearly 40% drop in stroke evaluations during COVID-19 pandemic

The number of people evaluated for signs of stroke at U.S. hospitals has dropped by nearly 40% during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study led by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who analyzed stroke evaluations at more than 800 hospitals across 49 states and the District of Columbia.

8 May 2020

Sleep may help animals adapt to challenging new situations

Flies that cannot take to the air respond by sleeping more as they learn to adapt to their flightlessness, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

8 May 2020

Our pupil can follow rhythms that arise in the environment

When we find something particularly beautiful or impressive, we literally get big eyes: Our pupils dilate. The pupil controls how much light enters the eye and falls on the retina.

8 May 2020

Protein shredder in brain cells indirectly regulates fat metabolism

A protein shredder that occurs in cell membranes of brain cells apparently also indirectly regulates the fat metabolism.

8 May 2020

Foxg1 gene works like a molecular knob to control neocortical activity

It works like a very fine "molecular knob" able to modulate the electrical activity of the neurons of our cerebral cortex, crucial to the functioning of our brain.

8 May 2020

Researchers discover molecular mechanism that helps HSV1 infect the brain

Herpes simplex virus (HSV1) infections are initiated at mucosal surfaces where the virus infects epithelial cells.

8 May 2020

Study: Scant proportion of hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder receive treatment

Despite a national opioid-related overdose epidemic that continues to claim tens of thousands of lives annually, a new nationwide study shows that a scant proportion of hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder receive proven life-saving medications both during and after they're discharged.

8 May 2020

Children who have siblings with ASD are at higher risk of being diagnosed with the condition

A small study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that sleep problems among children who have a sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may further raise the likelihood of an ASD diagnosis, compared to at-risk children who do not have difficulty sleeping.

8 May 2020

New compound significantly reduces multiple pathologies linked to Alzheimer's disease

When tested in brain cells and in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, a new compound significantly reduced the number of amyloid plaques in the brain, lessened brain inflammation and diminished other molecular markers of the disease.

8 May 2020

Eerie emptiness of ERs worries doctors as heart attack and stroke patients delay care

The patient described it as the worst headache of her life. She didn’t go to the hospital, though. Instead, the Washington state resident waited almost a week.

8 May 2020

A sustainable way to recover ammonia from the waste stream of urine

Ammonia is a key component of fertilizer and vital in supporting plant growth and ultimately providing food for populations around the world.

7 May 2020

Researchers to develop new imaging device for infants with brain disorders

Using night-vision goggle technology, near-infrared light, and high-resolution detectors, a wearable imaging device for awake infants with brain disorders was developed by a team of scientists and a pediatric neurosurgeon at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

7 May 2020

Study: Skin-to-skin contact shows significant benefits for pre-term babies

A world-first study led by Monash University has demonstrated significant benefits to a premature baby's heart and brain function when held by the parent in skin-to-skin contact.

7 May 2020