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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.

Scientists identify gene as potential therapeutic target for dementia in people with Parkinson's

Dementia is one of the most debilitating consequences of Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological condition characterized by tremors, stiffness, slow movement and impaired balance.

6 Feb 2020

Survey suggests high burden of GWI in veterans almost three decades after conflict

An online survey of nearly 500 veterans with Gulf War illness suggests a high burden of disease almost three decades after the conflict.

5 Feb 2020

Gut bacteria help regulate contraction and relaxation of colon muscles

Micro-organisms in the gut support healthy digestion by helping nerve cells within the intestine to regulate the contraction and relaxation of the muscle wall of the colon, according to new research from the Crick and Bern University.

5 Feb 2020

Age-linked cognitive decline could be slowed by immune activation

A new study published in February 2020 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), reports that activating a specific type of immune cell found in the brain could delay reduced cognition often found in older people, and even prevent neurologic degeneration of age.

5 Feb 2020

Higher opioid doses do not seem to improve pain, study finds

Increasing chronic pain patients' opioid prescription doses does not seem to improve pain, according to a Veterans Affairs study.

5 Feb 2020

Study sheds new light on genetic relationship between three mood disorders

Researchers shed new light on the genetic relationship between three mood disorders associated with depression--major depression and bipolar disorder types 1 and 2, in a new study in the journal Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

5 Feb 2020

Unique neuron that computes like a compass identified

It's 5 p.m. as you leave the parking garage at work, but you realize you have no idea which way to turn to travel home. You know where you are and what street your house is on--it's just that you can't remember how to get there.

5 Feb 2020

Roughly half of opioid prescriptions by dentists exceed pain-management guidelines

A new study suggests that roughly half of the opioid prescriptions written by dentists in the United States exceed the three-day supply recommended by federal dental pain-management guidelines.

4 Feb 2020

Sleep duration linked to cognitive and mental health in children

Depression, anxiety, impulsive behavior and poor cognitive performance in children is effected by the amount of sleep they have researchers from the University of Warwick have found.

4 Feb 2020

Altruism may begin in infancy

A new study published in February 2020 n the open-access journal Scientific Reports, from the Nature Publishing group, reports that altruism may be born rather than cultivated in human beings. The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, or I-LABS, and centers around the act of giving food away sacrificially.

4 Feb 2020

Making it all work: brain-dependent immune activation in embryos

How does the immune system develop its functionality? This has been an ongoing area of research for biologists. Now, a new study published in the journal NPJ Regenerative Medicine in February 2020 shows that in very early fetal life the brain must signal directions to the developing immune system to help it defend the body from infectious agents. This signaling markedly improves the capability of the embryo to survive when faced with bacterial infection.

4 Feb 2020

Study finds higher suicide rate among people with neurological disorders

Neurological disorders may impact one’s mental health, a new study says as researchers found that there is a higher rate of suicide among individuals living with neurological disorders.

4 Feb 2020

Hendra antibody trial shows promise in a world-first human clinical trial

The Hendra virus is a potent pathogen transmitted to humans from animals that cause a severe and often fatal illness in both infected horses and humans. Originating from fruit bats, the virus caused an outbreak in Australia in 1994.

4 Feb 2020

Novela Neurotech joins hands with UCSF to break down neurodata borders

Just as computer scientists developed standards to deliver digital content across the globe to your laptop, neuroscientists are working to break down barriers in data sharing.

4 Feb 2020

Developing tests for genetic signs could lead to earlier cancer detection

Early signs of cancer can appear years before diagnosis and developing tests for these genetic signs could provide new ways to spot cancer early, according to new research led by the Crick and EMBL-EBI, and supported by an international cancer genomics consortium, the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Project.

4 Feb 2020