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.

Head shaking to free trapped water in the ear can cause brain damage in small children

Trapped water in the ear canal can cause infection and even damage, but it turns out that one of the most common methods people use to get rid of water in their ears can also cause complications.

23 Nov 2019

Study shows how drinking patterns reprogram circadian metabolism in the liver

Drinking alcohol is a widespread habit in modern society and can have serious metabolic consequences. Recent studies have uncovered the interplay between nutrition, metabolism and circadian rhythms. But, until now, little has been done to understand the effects of alcohol consumption on circadian metabolism.

22 Nov 2019

Meta-analysis reveals brain areas involved in decision-making for social punishment

Oksana Zinchenko, Research Fellow at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, has conducted meta-analysis of 17 articles to find out which areas of the brain are involved decision-making for rendering social punishment.

22 Nov 2019

DNA-modulated liquid droplets may explain how prion proteins clump

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, have identified that the interaction between prion proteins and DNA may be behind the formation of protein amyloid aggregates and of the emergence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other spongiform encephalopathies.

22 Nov 2019

Researchers estimate MCI prevalence among U.S. Latinos

In the largest dementia study of a diverse group of U.S. Latinos to date, researchers found that nearly 10% of middle-age and older Latinos have a decline in memory and thinking skills known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a new article published online by Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

22 Nov 2019

Accelerating Medicines Partnership program for Parkinson’s disease launches new data portal

The Accelerating Medicines Partnership program for Parkinson's disease (PD) has launched a data portal to provide de-identified information collected from 4,298 PD patients and healthy controls to researchers working to develop effective therapies for the disease.

22 Nov 2019

How the digital age impacts longevity and lifestyle?

Have you ever wondered how does the digital age affect our longevity? What effect new technologies and knowledge advances have on our life?

22 Nov 2019

New targeted treatment for insomnia has fewer side effects

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders, and is most commonly treated with hypnotics. However, hypnotics have motor and cognitive side effects.

22 Nov 2019

Study reveals how adults exposed to alcohol go on to develop compulsive drinking behaviors

Occasional binge drinking isn't uncommon, but about 30 percent of all adults exposed to alcohol go on to engage in compulsive drinking behaviors despite negative effects and consequences - a major feature of alcohol use disorder.

22 Nov 2019

Scientists investigate the dynamics of molecular changes in gliomas

Until relatively recently, cancer was viewed as a single disease with sub-types based on where in the body it arose.

22 Nov 2019

Study underscores the influence of sensory processing in multiple sclerosis

A team of researchers published new findings about the role of sensory processing and disease characteristics in the functional status of individuals with multiple sclerosis.

22 Nov 2019

Researchers discover molecular underpinnings of Alexander disease

Scientists have known that genetic mutations leading to the production of a defective protein called GFAP cause Alexander disease (AxD), a debilitating neurodegenerative condition that can present during infancy, adolescence, or adulthood.

21 Nov 2019

Cancer patients more likely to die from stroke than general public

People living with or beyond cancer are more likely to die from stroke than the general public, according to new Penn State research, and certain types of cancer may boost the risk even more.

21 Nov 2019

UM trial to evaluate new stent as a treatment option for aneurysms

Robert M. Starke, M.D., M.Sc., an experienced neurosurgeon and researcher with the University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine, has been conducting laboratory studies on a specialized stent designed to treat complex aneurysms in the blood vessels of the brain.

21 Nov 2019

New research project could help reduce unnecessary C-sections in Ireland

A new research project at Trinity College Dublin could have far-reaching implications for the management of labour, making monitoring less intrusive and potentially reducing the number of unnecessary caesarean sections in Ireland.

21 Nov 2019

Extra DNA scooped up alongside cancer-causing genes helps drive tumor growth

One of the ways a cancer-causing gene works up enough power to turn a normal cell into a cancer cell is by copying itself over and over, like a Xerox machine.

21 Nov 2019

Frailty: An important predictor of worse outcome after traumatic spinal cord injury

A new study has shown that frailty is an important predictor of worse outcome after traumatic spinal cord injury in patients less than 75 years of age. In patients younger than 75 years, frailty was a predictor of adverse events, acute length of stay, and in-hospital mortality, as reported in an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

21 Nov 2019

Tips for avoiding holiday headaches

Six tips for avoiding holiday headache triggers from Houston Methodist neurologist Bing Liao, M.D., M.Sc.

21 Nov 2019

New study tracks musical rhythm as potential treatment for autism

Researchers from the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center and the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University School of Medicine are partnering to study musical rhythm synchronization as a part of social development and how it's disrupted in children with autism spectrum disorder in hopes of developing music interventions for improving social communication.

21 Nov 2019

Transplanted human brain cells in a mouse brain provide insight into neural circuit formation

The brain cortex, the outside layer of our brain often referred to as grey matter, is one of the most complex structures found in living organisms. It gives us the advanced cognitive abilities that distinguish us from other animals.

21 Nov 2019