Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

French scientists suggest nicotinic agonists could treat COVID-19

Contrary to the warnings issued by health agencies worldwide against cigarette smoking amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a new paper suggests the possibility that nicotine, a component of tobacco, could prevent coronavirus infection.

28 Apr 2020

Exploring the use of stem cells for COVID-19 disease

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has ravaged across the, infecting more than 3.11 million people in just over four months. As the virus continues to spread, scientists are struggling to find an effective treatment for the infection. Now, a breakthrough discovery on stem cells could help in the battle against COVID-19.

28 Apr 2020

Studies show how sex-determining genes affect courtship and aggression behaviors

Fruit flies, like many animals, engage in a variety of courtship and fighting behaviors. Now, Salk scientists have uncovered the molecular mechanisms by which two sex-determining genes affect fruit fly behavior.

28 Apr 2020

Study unravels mechanisms underpinning how the heart influences our perception

Heart and brain communicate constantly. For example, when we encounter a dangerous situation, signals from the brain make sure that the heart beats faster.

28 Apr 2020

Study explores impact of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis usage on unborn children

An unforeseen consequence of normalization of marijuana use is that adolescents and adults of childbearing age are increasingly engaged in a practice of Simultaneous Alcohol and Cannabinoid (SAC) use, or co-ingestion.

28 Apr 2020

Father's Toxoplasma infection can impact their offspring's brain health and behavior

Australian researchers have revealed for the first time that males infected with the Toxoplasma parasite can impact their offspring's brain health and behavior.

28 Apr 2020

Schizophrenia related to abnormal fatty metabolism in the brain

Researchers discovered a brain deficiency in people with schizophrenia that could lead to development of new drug therapies.

28 Apr 2020

'Smart contact lens' technology can detect and treat diabetes

Diabetes is called an incurable disease because once it develops, it does not disappear regardless of treatment in modern medicine. Having diabetes means a life-long obligation of insulin shots and monitoring of blood glucose levels.

28 Apr 2020

New technology could prevent the spread of COVID-19

Researchers in Brazil have created a system capable of measuring body temperature from a distance and in crowded environments, such as hospitals, supermarkets and factories.

28 Apr 2020

Free online resource provides soothing music and videos to support people during COVID-19

A free new online resource, which combines science and technology to provide a catalogue of soothing and calming music and videos, has been developed to support people who may feel anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic.

28 Apr 2020

New method developed to study the fundamentals of human interaction

Researchers at Aalto University and Turku PET Centre have developed a new method for simultaneous imaging brain activity from two people, allowing them to study social interaction.

28 Apr 2020

Researchers identify a new risk factor for multiple neurodegenerative diseases

Scientists at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), have identified a new risk factor for multiple neurodegenerative diseases.

28 Apr 2020

Researchers develop new app to track the COVID-19 pandemic

To respond to the spread of the new coronavirus, public health authorities need to know who's getting sick. Now, a new app, developed through an unusual partnership, empowers nearly anyone in the United States to share their health status.

27 Apr 2020

Researchers develop new method for remotely stimulating activity in deep brain regions

University of Texas at Dallas researchers have developed a promising method for remotely stimulating activity in deep brain regions, advancing understanding of how molecules act in the brain and paving the way for better cancer treatments and therapies for other diseases.

27 Apr 2020

Gut microbiome influences pattern of activation in rat’s brain during opioid addiction

When Sierra Simpson was in college, she was sick for a year with recurring fevers and vomiting. Her doctors couldn't figure out what she had. Suspecting a bacterial infection, they tried treating her with high doses of antibiotics.

27 Apr 2020

Prolonged corticosteroid treatment increases adrenal gland inflammation

New research by academics at the University of Bristol has found evidence that prolonged treatment of synthetic corticosteroid drugs increases adrenal gland inflammation in response to bacterial infection, an effect that in the long-term can damage adrenal function.

27 Apr 2020

Light-based deep brain stimulation used to treat motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease models

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have used deep brain stimulation based on light to treat motor dysfunction in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.

27 Apr 2020

Researchers report promising new therapy for recurrent pediatric brain cancers

Two pediatric brain cancers that are challenging to treat if they recur, medulloblastoma and ependymoma, are the target of a clinical trial using a new type of therapy.

27 Apr 2020

Study reveals how general anesthesia works

Hailed as one of the most important medical advances, the discovery of general anesthetics - compounds which induce unconsciousness, prevent control of movement and block pain - helped transform dangerous and traumatic operations into safe and routine surgery.

27 Apr 2020

Study finds eye pupil as an indicator of effective decision making

A team of Army and academic researchers are investigating how eye-pupil size changes can indicate a person's cognitive state as a means to enable teaming with autonomous agents.

27 Apr 2020