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.

FDA-approved medication for opioid addiction is increasing except in the youngest group

An analysis of national data on buprenorphine use found that treatment with the FDA-approved medication for opioid addiction is increasing in all age groups except the young (age 15-24 years), in whom use of the medication is decreasing.

21 Jan 2020

New analysis method shows how the brain regulates its signals using glutamate

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University in Sweden have achieved something long thought almost impossible - counting the molecules of the neurotransmitter glutamate released when a signal is transferred between two brain cells. With a new analysis method, they showed that the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously realised.

21 Jan 2020

TBI impairs growth hormone production, disrupting cognition, memory and sleep

More than 2.5 million people in the United States alone experience a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, each year. Some of these people are plagued by a seemingly unrelated cascade of health issues for years after their head injury, including fatigue, depression, anxiety, memory issues, and sleep disturbances.

21 Jan 2020

Diagnosed with dementia, she documented her wishes. They said no.

When she worked on the trading floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, long before cellphone calculators, Susan Saran could perform complex math problems in her head. Years later, as one of its top regulators, she was in charge of investigating insider trading deals.

21 Jan 2020

EXPLORER scanner captures real-time videos of blood flow and heart function

Positron Emission Tomography, or PET scanning, a technique for tracing metabolic processes in the body, has been widely applied in clinical diagnosis and research spanning physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology.

21 Jan 2020

Alarming link between marijuana and increased heart risk

Marijuana use is rising steadily across the US as more and more states enact laws making it a legal recreational and medicinal agent. However, a new study underlines the fact that this is, in fact, playing with an unknown substance, which may cause serious bodily harm. The review article, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, shows that more than 2 million adults who currently have heart or vascular disease gave a history of being currently on marijuana products, or having used them in the past.

20 Jan 2020

Childhood adversity and violence exposure can alter the brain

Childhood adversity is a significant problem in the US, particularly for children growing up in poverty.

17 Jan 2020

Researchers identify how certain areas of the brain respond to ADHD drug

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurobiological disorder characterized by symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity.

17 Jan 2020

Cannabis exposure during pregnancy has measurable impact on placental and fetal growth

A new study from researchers at Western University and Queen's University definitively shows that regular exposure to THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, during pregnancy has significant impact on placental and fetal development.

17 Jan 2020

New method can improve resolution of brain magnetic resonance imaging using artificial intelligence

Researchers of the ICAI Group -Computational Intelligence and Image Analysis- of the University of Malaga have designed an unprecedented method that is capable of improving brain images obtained through magnetic resonance imaging using artificial intelligence.

17 Jan 2020

Study links use of acid reflux drugs with poorer concentration, memory in breast cancer survivors

Acid reflux drugs that are sometimes recommended to ease stomach problems during cancer treatment may have an unintended side effect: impairment of breast cancer survivors' memory and concentration.

17 Jan 2020

CALCR neurons may influence long-term control of food intake and body weight

Ever eaten something, gotten sick and then didn't want to eat that food again because of how it made you feel? That's because a signal from the gut to the brain produced that sickness, creating a taste aversion.

17 Jan 2020

Amblyopia treatment may need to be revised, research suggests

When University of California, Irvine neurobiologist Carey Y.L. Huh, Ph.D., set her sights on discovering more about amblyopia, she brought personal insight to her quest. As a child, Huh was diagnosed with the condition, which is often called "lazy eye."

17 Jan 2020

Improved microfluidic brain chip can assess the effectiveness of cancer drugs in record time

The Akay Lab biomedical research team at the University of Houston is reporting an improvement on a microfluidic brain cancer chip previously developed in their lab.

17 Jan 2020

Discovery of mechanism by which Zika virus enters brain cells

Two independent studies published by Cell Press on January 16, 2020, report that the mechanism by which Zika virus enters brain cells has been identified and even more, exploited to prevent Zika infection and to kill cancer cells instead.

16 Jan 2020

Air pollution plus early life stress may lead to cognitive difficulties in children

Children with elevated exposure to early life stress in the home and elevated prenatal exposure to air pollution exhibited heightened symptoms of attention and thought problems, according to researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia Psychiatry.

16 Jan 2020

UK-wide trial aims to find treatments that can slow or reverse MND

Hundreds of people living with motor neurone disease are being invited to take part in one of the UK's most comprehensive clinical trials in a generation.

16 Jan 2020

Researchers use new eye movement test to study brain aging effects

A new study, published in PeerJ, shows how University of Liverpool researchers have used a newly developed eye movement test to improve the understanding of how parts of the brain work.

16 Jan 2020

Antipsychotics linked to higher risk of head, brain injuries among persons with Alzheimer's

The use of antipsychotics is associated with increased risks of head and brain injuries among persons with Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. The risk increase was highest at the initiation of antipsychotic use.

16 Jan 2020

Study identifies molecular 'bridge' between ALS-causing genes

The enzyme Gemin3 was identified as the molecular 'bridge' between genes whose mutation or disruption causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a new study in Nature's Scientific Reports from scientists at the University of Malta.

16 Jan 2020