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.

New study confirms brain's waste-clearance pathways in humans

Scientists have long theorized about a network of pathways in the brain that are believed to clear metabolic proteins that would otherwise build up and potentially lead to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. But they had never definitively revealed this network in people -; until now.

7 Oct 2024

Understanding behavioral changes in early dementia

When most people think of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, they probably think of memory loss first.

7 Oct 2024

Exploring the challenges of auditory magic tricks

Magic tricks make the impossible seem possible. Magicians have long captivated audiences with visual tricks, such as pulling a bunny from a hat or sawing someone in half, but tricks that rely on sound are scarce.

7 Oct 2024

New deep-learning framework identifies non-addictive pain relief options

An estimated one in five Americans live with chronic pain and current treatment options leave much to be desired.

7 Oct 2024

Researchers link air pollution to cerebral atrophy but find no impact on cognitive function

Exposure to mid- to high-range PM2.5 is linked to cerebral atrophy, but there is no significant impact on cognitive function. The findings suggest that urbanization plays a role in modulating the effects of air pollution on brain structure.

6 Oct 2024

How carnitine transporters boost reproductive health

Research uncovers the critical role of carnitine transporters in maintaining fertility by regulating energy metabolism and protecting reproductive cells from oxidative stress. It suggests new pathways for treating infertility through carnitine supplementation and targeted therapies.

6 Oct 2024

Schizophrenia-related hallucinations linked to disrupted motor-sensory signals

Researchers identified that impaired corollary discharge (CD) and noisy efference copy (EC) in schizophrenia disrupt self-monitoring, leading to auditory hallucinations. A computational model revealed how these motor-to-sensory dysfunctions contribute to hallucinations.

6 Oct 2024

CheekAge: Next-gen epigenetic clock accurately predicts mortality risk

Researchers developed CheekAge, an epigenetic clock based on buccal cells, and found it predicted mortality risk with significant accuracy. This study validates CheekAge as a reliable aging biomarker, outperforming first-generation clocks.

6 Oct 2024

Jefferson Lab team explores proton therapy as a safer cancer treatment

Radiation therapy techniques have been used for more than a century to treat cancers. Physicists in the Radiation Detector and Imaging group and associated with the Biomedical Research & Innovation Center (BRIC) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have been for several years pursuing radiation therapy technology improvements in collaboration with the Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute (HUPCI).

4 Oct 2024

New drug could extend the lives of breast cancer patients

LMU researchers have successfully tested a new drug which can significantly extend the lives of breast cancer patients.

4 Oct 2024

Collaborative study investigates underlying cause of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is most known for its movement-related symptoms: tremors and rigidity, slowness and falls, caused by the loss of the brain's dopamine-producing neurons.

4 Oct 2024

Study identifies ophthalmic acid as an alternative to dopamine in motor control

A research team from the University of California, Irvine is the first to reveal that a molecule in the brain – ophthalmic acid – unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar to dopamine in regulating motor function, offering a new therapeutic target for Parkinson's and other movement diseases.

4 Oct 2024

New approach enhances radiation treatment for lung cancer brain metastases

In new research, a team led by University of Cincinnati researchers has identified a potential new way to make radiation more effective and improve outcomes for patients with lung cancer that has spread to the brain.

4 Oct 2024

Study unravels the unique patterns of brain shrinkage in Alzheimer's disease

The way in which brains shrink in those who develop Alzheimer's disease follows no specific or uniform pattern, finds a new study by researchers at UCL and Radboud University in the Netherlands.

4 Oct 2024

Identical twins study uncovers insights into multiple sclerosis mechanisms

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system.

4 Oct 2024

LXRβ emerges as a promising target for depression and anxiety treatments

In a state-of-the-art Bench to Bedside review published in the journal Brain Medicine (Genomic Press), researchers Dr. Xiaoyu Song and Professor Jan-Åke Gustafsson from the University of Houston and Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) shed light on the therapeutic potential of liver X receptor beta (LXRβ) in treating depression and anxiety.

4 Oct 2024

Imagery rescripting offers new hope for treating hoarding disorder

Rehearsing alternative outcomes of discarding through imagery rescripting shows promise as a treatment strategy for people who hoard, a study by UNSW psychology researchers has shown.

4 Oct 2024

Researchers unveil complete neuronal map of fruit fly brain

Researchers map the whole brain of Drosophila melanogaster, or the fruit fly, which comprises about 140,000 neurons and over 50 million synapses.

4 Oct 2024

Stroke remains a leading cause of death globally, with increased risk linked to lifestyle factors

The Lancet Neurology study provides updated estimates on stroke burden and risks, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions in high-risk regions.

4 Oct 2024

NIH supports research on non-opioid pain relief for oral cancer patients

The School of Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) earned the first National Institutes of Health grant under its new Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research, addressing pain in patients with head and neck carcinoma.

4 Oct 2024