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.

Landmark 30-year study describes clinical course of patients with Crigler-Najjar syndrome

A new study summarizes more than 30 years of clinical experience and describes the clinical course of 28 individuals homozygous for damaging mutations in the UGT1A1 gene who were born between 1984 and 2015 with Crigler-Najjar syndrome.

17 Apr 2020

Rare structural genetic variants could play a role in schizophrenia

Most research about the genetics of schizophrenia has sought to understand the role that genes play in the development and heritability of schizophrenia. Many discoveries have been made, but there have been many missing pieces.

17 Apr 2020

Solving the mystery of unidentified late-onset neurodegenerative disorder

When a patient with puzzling neurological symptoms enrolled in the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, researchers led by Dr. Hugo J. Bellen were set on solving the mystery.

16 Apr 2020

Researchers map function of special group of nerve cells found in the eye

Researchers from Aarhus University have discovered the function of a special group of nerve cells which are found in the eye and which sense visual movement.

16 Apr 2020

Super-resolution microscopy offers insight into the synapses

When people think of glutamate, the first thing they remember is the flavor enhancer that is often used in Asian cuisine.

16 Apr 2020

Researchers find way to prevent spasticity after spinal cord injury in mice

In experiments with mice, researchers have studied neuronal mechanisms and found a way to by and large prevent spasticity from developing after spinal cord injuries.

16 Apr 2020

Researchers to study link between arterial structure and cognition

A new grant will support a collaboration between researchers in the U.S. and Australia to study the link between arterial, brain, and cognitive integrity in healthy older adults.

16 Apr 2020

A specialized gut-brain circuit mediates sugar preference

A little extra sugar can make us crave just about anything, from cookies to condiments to coffee smothered in whipped cream. But its sweetness doesn't fully explain our desire. Instead, new research shows this magic molecule has a back channel to the brain.

16 Apr 2020

Neuroscientists show how expectations influence learning

During learning, the brain is a prediction engine that continually makes theories about our environment and accurately registers whether an assumption is true or not.

16 Apr 2020

Adult brain cells revert back to embryonic state after injury, study finds

When adult brain cells are injured, they revert to an embryonic state, according to new findings published in the April 15, 2020 issue of Nature by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere.

16 Apr 2020

Virtual reality increases ability to empathize more with others

Virtual reality activates brain networks that increase your ability to identify with other people, according to new research published in eNeuro. The technology could become a tool in the treatment of violent offenders to empathize more with others.

16 Apr 2020

Discovery of specialized gut-brain circuit offers insight into sugar preference

Artificial sweeteners have never fully succeeded in impersonating sugar. Now, a Columbia study in mice has identified a brain mechanism that may explain why.

15 Apr 2020

Depression, anxiety may be side effects of COVID-19 pandemic

Millions of Americans are being impacted by the psychological fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath, and large numbers may experience emotional distress and be at increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, according to a new article published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

15 Apr 2020

New drug preserves cognitive function in mice after brain irradiation

A study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified a possible new drug that could help prevent cognitive decline in people who undergo radiation therapy for brain tumors.

15 Apr 2020

Alzheimer's patients may need modified dosing regimens for selected drugs

Patients with Alzheimer's disease are often prescribed drugs for other conditions -- including diabetes or high blood pressure -- at the same doses as those without dementia.

15 Apr 2020

Bacterial metabolism of bile acids boosts generation of immune cells, study shows

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has discovered a novel means by which bacterial colonies in the small intestine support the generation of regulatory T cells--immune cells that suppress autoimmune reactions and inflammation.

15 Apr 2020

Review: The effect of probiotics in ameliorating altered CNS functions in neurological disorders

As per the WHO report, one in every four people are affected by a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives making mental disorders among the leading cause of ill-health and disability worldwide.

15 Apr 2020

'Chaperone protein' protects against autoimmune diseases, mice study shows

Like a parent of teenagers at a party, Mother Nature depends on chaperones to keep one of her charges, the immune system, in line so that it doesn't mistakenly attack normal cells, tissues and organs in our bodies.

15 Apr 2020

A gut-to-brain circuit drives sugar preference and may explain sugar cravings

By visualizing brain activity when the rodents consumed sugar versus artificial sweetener or water, researchers have identified a brain region that responds solely to sugar: the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNST).

15 Apr 2020

Childhood secondhand smoking exposure associated with poorer midlife cognitive function

A Finnish study coordinated by the Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Turku, Finland, shows that exposure to parental smoking in childhood and adolescence is associated with poorer learning ability and memory in midlife.

15 Apr 2020