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.

'Methylation clock' gene found to have functional role in aging of the eye

A lengthy-named gene called Elongation of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids Protein 2 or ELOVL2 is an established biomarker of age.

16 Jan 2020

What the 2020s have in store for aging boomers

Within 10 years, all of the nation's 74 million baby boomers will be 65 or older. The most senior among them will be on the cusp of 85.

16 Jan 2020

Blue light exposure therapy can aid in healing people with mTBI

Early morning blue light exposure therapy can aid the healing process of people impact by mild traumatic brain injury, according to new research from the University of Arizona.

16 Jan 2020

Women and men more likely to have another major cardiovascular event after stroke

New research from Western University has shown that both women and men are significantly more likely to have a heart attack or another major cardiovascular event within thirty days of having a stroke.

16 Jan 2020

Essential tremor caused by overactive brain waves

The source of essential tremor--a movement disorder that causes involuntary trembling of the hands, arms, and head--has been enigmatic, impeding the development of effective treatments for a condition that affects 4% of people over 40.

16 Jan 2020

Study reveals overactive brain wave activity as an underlying cause of essential tremor

Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center say that overactive brainwave activity is the underlying cause of essential tremor – a common movement disorder that causes involuntary rhythmic shaking in around 4% of people aged over 40.

16 Jan 2020

Erythropoietin treatment may not provide neuroprotection for preemies

A study published in the Jan 16 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that erythropoietin treatment may not provide neuroprotection for extremely premature babies.

16 Jan 2020

Researchers find potential new target for treating drug addiction

New University of Minnesota Medical School research discovers a novel potential target for treating drug addiction through "the hidden stars of the brain."

16 Jan 2020

First randomized clinical trial finds no harm from population screening for dementia

Research scientists at Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine have conducted the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the pros and cons of population screening for dementia.

16 Jan 2020

Brain parasite makes rodents unafraid of cats, other predators

Cats have the power to control the minds of rodents, through a brain parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The pathogen exerts a strange mind control on rodents that make them lose their fear of cats and become easier to catch.

15 Jan 2020

Alcohol dependence results in remodeling of functional architecture in rodent’s brain

Employing advanced technologies that allow whole brain imaging at single-cell resolution, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that in an alcohol-dependent mouse model, the rodent brain's functional architecture is substantially remodeled.

14 Jan 2020

Parkinson’s disease could be prevented by gut microbes

One common gut organism that helps us digest food better could also be a powerful instrument in preventing or reversing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to a recent study. The changes are due to the ability of this bacterium to delay the build-up of a toxic protein involved in this in the disease condition, or even to eliminate the toxin altogether.

14 Jan 2020

Targeted transcranial electrical stimulation can improve metamemories

HRL Laboratories, LLC, researchers have published results showing that targeted transcranial electrical stimulation during slow-wave sleep can improve metamemories of specific episodes by nearly 20% after only one viewing of the episode, compared to controls. Metamemory describes the sensitivity of whether memories are recalled accurately or not, such as during eyewitness testimony.

14 Jan 2020

Computer model of the brain provides insights into damage caused by stroke, other injuries

He calls it his "chocolate and peanut butter moment." A University at Buffalo neuroimaging researcher has developed a computer model of the human brain that more realistically simulates actual patterns of brain impairment than existing methods.

14 Jan 2020

Protein SV2A levels could explain poor neuronal connections in schizophrenia

A team of researchers have found that persons with schizophrenia may have lower levels of certain specific proteins that show up on their brain scans. This could help as diagnostic tools, say experts. The new study titled, “Synaptic density marker SV2A is reduced in schizophrenia patients and unaffected by antipsychotics in rats”, is published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications.

14 Jan 2020

UT Southwestern researchers explain racial disparities in heart failure risk

Researchers at UT Southwestern have uncovered evidence that the higher prevalence of "malignant" enlargement of the heart among blacks contributes to the higher incidence of heart failure in this population.

14 Jan 2020

Overactivation of neuroimmune gene leads to schizophrenia-like changes in mice

Excessive activity of an immune system gene previously linked to schizophrenia reproduces neural and behavioral aspects of the disease in mice, according to a new study publishing on January 14 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Ashley Comer and Alberto Cruz-Martín of Boston University and colleagues.

14 Jan 2020

Flame retardants and pesticides responsible for intellectual disabilities among millions

A few decades back one of the commonest environmental causes of intellectual disabilities among babies was exposure to lead and mercury. A new study reveals that while exposure to these heavy metals is on the decline, there is risk of other toxic chemicals. Researchers have found that chemicals present in pesticides and flame retardants could be causing over a million cases of intellectual disabilities among babies between 2001 and 2016.

14 Jan 2020

Scientists discover powerful molecule that explains why people with anxiety use marijuana

/news/20200113/Research-could-help-explain-why-some-people-use-marijuana-when-stressed-or-anxious.aspx

14 Jan 2020

Sugar intake influences brain reward circuitry

The idea of food addiction is a very controversial topic among scientists. Researchers from Aarhus University have delved into this topic and examined what happens in the brains of pigs when they drink sugar water. The conclusion is clear: sugar influences brain reward circuitry in ways similar to those observed when addictive drugs are consumed.

14 Jan 2020