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.

A collaborative partnership to understand the impact of music therapies on mental health

The Health and Technology District has partnered with Music Heals and SFU on a new research study using advanced neuroscience and functional brain imaging to understand the neuro-physiological impacts of music therapies on improved mental health.

31 Jan 2020

Exercise found to improve video game performance

Time spent playing video games is often seen as time stolen from physical activities. Research has shown that exercise has many physical and cognitive benefits.

31 Jan 2020

Multimodal analysis of tumors could give new insights into treating cancer patients

Melding the genetic and cellular analysis of tumors with how they appear in medical images could give physicians and other cancer therapy specialists new insights into how to best treat patients, especially those with brain cancer, according to a new study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope.

31 Jan 2020

Modified form of poliovirus shows potential as cancer vaccine in animal studies

A modified form of poliovirus, pioneered at Duke Cancer Institute as a therapy for glioblastoma brain tumors, appears in laboratory studies to also have applicability for pediatric brain tumors when used as part of a cancer vaccine.

31 Jan 2020

Low and high exercise intensities differentially influence brain function, study shows

A new study shows for the first time that low and high exercise intensities differentially influence brain function.

30 Jan 2020

Potential new biomarker for vascular dementia identified

Vascular dementia is caused by a defect on blood flow arrival to the brain, which consequently generates neuronal damage.

30 Jan 2020

First in-depth analysis of primate ovarian aging at single-cell resolution

Due to the modern tendency to postpone childbirth until later in life, a growing number of women are experiencing issues with infertility.

30 Jan 2020

Increased brain growth, mutations and autism linked in new study

Salk Institute researchers have now found a pattern of DNA damage that is unique to brain cells derived from individuals with a single form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) called macrocephalic ASD. The study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell in January 2020, may offer an explanation about the developmental misstep that caused this disease.

30 Jan 2020

Gene-editing taken to advanced levels in human stem cells

A new study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports in January 2020 reports the use of an adaptation to a commonly used gene editing technology to achieve a more than 900% increase in efficiency.

30 Jan 2020

New genetic screen for Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease is a genetic disease that is debilitating and progressive leading to severe brain damage and eventual death. In patients with this autosomal dominant disease, there is presence of a protein called the Huntingtin protein that forms clumps within the brain leading to the symptoms of the disease.

30 Jan 2020

Scientists discover small molecule that may slow or stop Parkinson's disease progression

A collaboration between scientists at Rutgers University and Scripps Research led to the discovery of a small molecule that may slow down or stop the progression of Parkinson's disease.

30 Jan 2020

Research explores how prior actions affect a person's ability to perform simple movements

The human brain's ability to recall a single movement is significantly affected by the characteristics of previous actions it was learned with, a new study has shown.

30 Jan 2020

A high flavonol intake could lower the risk for Alzheimer’s dementia

Older people with a high intake of the antioxidant flavanol may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s dementia, compared with those who have a low intake.

30 Jan 2020

Defective ATP13A2 gene can lead to Parkinson's disease, shows study

Biomedical scientists at KU Leuven have discovered that a defect in the ATP13A2 gene causes cell death by disrupting the cellular transport of polyamines.

30 Jan 2020

Researchers examine abnormal neuron activity in Rett syndrome

The brain undergoes dramatic change during the first years of life. Its circuits readily rewire as an infant and then child encounters new sights and sounds, taking in the world and learning to understand it. As the child matures and key developmental periods pass, the brain becomes less malleable--but certain experiences create opportunities for parts of the adult brain to rewire and learn again.

29 Jan 2020

New method for delivering NSCs to spinal cord injuries may boost repair efforts

Writing in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, an international research team, led by physician-scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, describe a new method for delivering neural precursor cells (NSCs) to spinal cord injuries in rats, reducing the risk of further injury and boosting the propagation of potentially reparative cells.

29 Jan 2020

High intake of dietary flavonols tied to lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia

People who eat or drink more foods with the antioxidant flavonol, which is found in nearly all fruits and vegetables as well as tea, may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's dementia years later, according to a study published in the January 29, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Jan 2020

Buck study uncovers how astrocyte senescence promotes neurodegeneration

Although a link has been established between chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases, there have been many open questions regarding how cellular senescence, a process whereby cells that stop dividing under stress spew out a mix of inflammatory proteins, affects these pathologies.

29 Jan 2020

Link between autism and poor cognition

Autistic people are often brilliant, but they may also have poor cognitive skills. The relationship between autism and either condition, inside the brain, has been far from clear. However, now a new study shows that poor cognition in autism could be due to the influence of a small gene fragment.

29 Jan 2020

New strategy using organoids to study childhood brain tumors

A new study reports the creation of in vitro models of brain tumors in children using organoids derived from stem cells, which will help to screen new drugs for efficacy and thus improve the rate of drug development. The study, titled 'Modeling medulloblastoma in vivo and with human cerebellar organoids,' is published in the journal Nature Communications.

29 Jan 2020