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Humans can have normal olfaction without typical olfactory bulbs

Our sense of smell depends on the transmission of olfactory information from the nose to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerve. And without olfactory bulbs, smell isn't possible--or so scientists thought.

8 Nov 2019

Study shows how myelinated mammalian nerves propagate nerve impulses at high frequencies

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers, for the first time ever, have achieved patch-clamp studies of an elusive part of mammalian myelinated nerves called the Nodes of Ranvier.

6 Nov 2019

Disruption of cannabinoid receptors has detrimental effect on the development of zebrafish

Disrupting natural cannabinoid receptors has a detrimental effect on the development of zebrafish, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.

6 Nov 2019

Tumour conversion of glial cells when exposed to bowel cancer secretions

A new study has shown that glial cells of the gut (part of the enteric nervous system) when exposed to secretions from colon cancer cells are convert into tumours themselves. These altered glial cells then convert into promoters of tumours said the study researchers.

31 Oct 2019

Scientists identify protein that pulls the brake on nerve growth

During embryonic development, nerve cells form thin, long extensions, which they use to wire up a complex network, the brain. Scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn have now identified a protein that regulates the growth of these extensions by pulling a brake.

31 Oct 2019

Key gene mutated in familial Alzheimer's regulates differentiation of neurons

An international team of researchers led by the Institute of Neuroscience at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona describes a new route that promotes differentiation of neurons.

30 Oct 2019

TDP-43 study could speed up the diagnosis and treatment of ALS

A new study suggests that TDP-43 may be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

30 Oct 2019

Brain function changes could help diagnose and manage depression

Ever heard of the lateral habenula? Very few, outside of neuroscience, probably have. Yet a new study, published in the journal Neuron, shows that characteristic changes in the way this area of the brain fires can result in a total loss of will to do anything – which is characteristic of one form of depression.

29 Oct 2019

Pitt, CMU researchers to develop all-in-one implantable device to record neural activity

The brain is a complex organ full of neurons that work together to help us move, feel, think, and more. A multidisciplinary group from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University is working to expand the amount of information researchers can receive from a neural interface device and received two grants from the National Science Foundation for their collaborative effort.

29 Oct 2019

Patterns of Alzheimer's-related damage differ by subtype and age of onset, study finds

Despite decades of scientific scrutiny, Alzheimer's disease researchers have yet to work out its cause or treatment. Understanding what underlies its three distinct subtypes is thought to be a promising new research avenue.

29 Oct 2019

How the SETD1A gene produces schizophrenia in mice

A new study published in the journal Neuron on October 9, 2019 reports that scientists have unlocked part of the secrets of the SETD1A gene – how mutations in the gene put the individual at risk for the condition.

26 Oct 2019

High-salt diet may trigger dementia

We’ve all heard that taking too much salt can damage your blood vessels, and now a new study published in the journal Nature on October 23, 2019, says it’s true – a diet rich in salt reduces the levels of nitric oxide, which in turn alters the tau protein within the neuron, triggering a fall in cognitive processing by the brain.

24 Oct 2019

Gene linked to schizophrenia likely confers risk for illness

Researchers have discovered in mice how one of the few genes definitively linked to schizophrenia, called SETD1A, likely confers risk for the illness. Mice genetically engineered to lack a functioning version of the enzyme-coding gene showed abnormalities in working memory, mimicking those commonly seen in schizophrenia patients.

24 Oct 2019

Novel agent reduces buildup of toxic proteins in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's animal models

Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center say they have developed and tested an agent that reduces the buildup of toxic proteins in animal models of both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and improves cognitive and motor behavior.

23 Oct 2019

MIT neuroscientists find a way to reverse noise hypersensitivity in mice

People with autism often experience hypersensitivity to noise and other sensory input. MIT neuroscientists have now identified two brain circuits that help tune out distracting sensory information, and they have found a way to reverse noise hypersensitivity in mice by boosting the activity of those circuits.

23 Oct 2019

Taste neurons could be controlling feeding behaviour find researchers

Researchers from the University of California, Riverside used a common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to find the association between taste neurons and control of feeding behaviours. They noted that if they genetically modulated these flies, they could make them selectively avoid certain chemicals including acids, bitter compounds, salty substances etc. The results of their study appeared in the October issue of the journal Cell Reports.

22 Oct 2019

Immune cells rewire, repair brain while we sleep, study shows

Science tells us that a lot of good things happen in our brains while we sleep - learning and memories are consolidated and waste is removed, among other things.

21 Oct 2019

Salk scientists receive NIH funding to map brain circuitry for movement

A team of Salk scientists led by Professor Martyn Goulding has been awarded $14.3 million over five years by the National Institutes of Health to create a high-resolution atlas of how the mouse brain generates and controls skilled forelimb movements, such as reaching and grasping.

18 Oct 2019

New NIH BRAIN Initiative awards accelerate the pace of neuroscience research

Scientists have been developing astounding new tools for exploring neural circuits that underlie brain function throughout the first five years of the National Institutes of Health's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative.

18 Oct 2019