Cortex News and Research

RSS

Drug abuse appears to foster brain changes that resemble schizophrenia

Teens who were heavy marijuana users -- smoking it daily for about three years -- had abnormal changes in their brain structures related to working memory and performed poorly on memory tasks, reports a new Northwestern Medicine- study.

16 Dec 2013

Neuroscientists use new technique to enhance a form of self-control through brain stimulation

If you have ever said or done the wrong thing at the wrong time, you should read this. Neuroscientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the University of California, San Diego, have successfully demonstrated a technique to enhance a form of self-control through a novel form of brain stimulation.

14 Dec 2013

Study: Brain blood vessel cells may be therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease

A study in mice shows how a breakdown of the brain's blood vessels may amplify or cause problems associated with Alzheimer's disease. The results published in Nature Communications suggest that blood vessel cells called pericytes may provide novel targets for treatments and diagnoses.

14 Dec 2013

Adolescent brain remodeling goes awry in schizophrenia

A crucial reorganization process that occurs in the adolescent brain may be disturbed in those who go on to develop schizophrenia, a study suggests.

12 Dec 2013

Researchers discover new mechanism in brain which controls tics in children with TS

A mechanism in the brain which controls tics in children with Tourette Syndrome (TS) has been discovered by scientists at The University of Nottingham.

12 Dec 2013

Elevated BACE1 activity in mild cognitive impairment could be early indicator of AD, says study

The critical enzyme beta-secretase1 (BACE1) is known to be elevated in brains with sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD). Scientists have now found increased levels of BACE1 in brains with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), suggesting that BACE1 activity is important for conversion of mild cognitive impairment to AD and may be an early indicator of AD.

12 Dec 2013

Shifts in zinc's location could be exploited for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

Zinc, an essential nutrient, is found in every tissue in the body. The vast majority of the metal ion is tightly bound to proteins, helping them to perform biological reactions. Tiny amounts of zinc, however, are only loosely bound, or "mobile," and thought to be critical for proper function in organs such as the brain, pancreas, and prostate gland. Yet the exact roles the ion plays in biological systems are unknown.

9 Dec 2013

New computational model explains how brain maintains balance between plasticity, stability

To learn new motor skills, the brain must be plastic: able to rapidly change the strengths of connections between neurons, forming new patterns that accomplish a particular task. However, if the brain were too plastic, previously learned skills would be lost too easily.

9 Dec 2013

Penn researchers identify protein that could clear Alzheimer's plaques

The body is structured to ensure that any invading organisms have a tough time reaching the brain, an organ obviously critical to survival. Known as the blood-brain barrier, cells that line the brain and spinal cord are tightly packed, making it difficult for anything besides very small molecules to cross from the bloodstream into the central nervous system. While beneficial, this blockade also stands in the way of delivering drugs intended to treat neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's.

9 Dec 2013

Underlying loss of awareness during partial seizures is same as deep sleep

Epilepsy patients with complex partial seizures have impaired consciousness during seizure episodes and typically have no memory of the event. However, the mechanisms of seizure unconsciousness are unclear.

9 Dec 2013

Scientists receive 2013 Horwitz Prize for discoveries on how brain calculates location, navigation

Edvard and May-Britt Moser of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and John O'Keefe, from University College London have been awarded the 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for discoveries that have illuminated how the brain calculates location and navigation.

9 Dec 2013

Downregulation of caveolin-1 contributes to synaptic plasticity deficit in hippocampus of aged rats

Caveolin-1 may be a new target for interfering with age-dependent decline in synaptic plasticity. To explore the relationship between synaptic plasticity in the aging process and changes in learning and memory, Dr. Yang Liu and coworkers from the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, China examined synaptophysin expression in the hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum of rats at different ages, and analyzed the association between synaptophysin expression and cognition and behaviors.

9 Dec 2013

Study reports new links between brain cell activity and choices where two options have equal appeal

Life presents us with choices all the time: salad or pizza for lunch? Tea or coffee afterward? How we make these everyday decisions has been a topic of great interest to economists, who have devised theories about how we assign values to our options and use those values to make decisions.

6 Dec 2013

Scientists receive 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for advancements in field of neuroscience

For discoveries about how the brain calculates and remembers where it is—which could be part of the foundation of memory—Columbia University will award the 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to Edvard I. Moser, PhD, and May-Britt Moser, PhD, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway, and John Michael O'Keefe, PhD, of University College London in the UK.

6 Dec 2013

Brain anatomy affects cognitive control in children

The anatomy of the brain affects cognitive control, an essential skill for learning and academic success. This is the result of studies performed by the Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education de l'Enfant (CNRS/Université Paris Descartes/Université de Caen Basse-Normandie), in collaboration with the NeuroSpin Center (CEA).

5 Dec 2013

Research highlights value of fathers in both neurobiology and behavior of offspring

Even with today's technology, it still takes both a male and a female to make a baby. But is it important for both parents to raise that child? Many studies have outlined the value of a mother, but few have clearly defined the importance of a father, until now.

5 Dec 2013

Western University research points to promising avenue for PTSD treatment

Pioneering research conducted at Western University (London, Canada) points to a promising avenue for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: utilising neurofeedback training to alter the plasticity of brain networks linked to the condition.

4 Dec 2013

Missing inhibitory connection in brain can trigger social phobias

Fear, at the right level, can increase alertness and protect against dangers. Disproportionate fear, on the other hand, can disrupt the sensory perception, be disabling, reduce happiness and therefore become a danger in itself.

4 Dec 2013

Cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD affects underlying biology of the disorder

A new paper published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder not only reduces symptoms but also affects the underlying biology of this disorder.

4 Dec 2013

Prenatal alcohol exposure impacts brain development and change behavior

Prenatal exposure to alcohol severely disrupts major features of brain development that potentially lead to increased anxiety and poor motor function, conditions typical in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, according to neuroscientists at the University of California, Riverside.

3 Dec 2013

Cortex News and Research

Drug abuse appears to foster brain changes that resemble schizophrenia

Neuroscientists use new technique to enhance a form of self-control through brain stimulation

Study: Brain blood vessel cells may be therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease

Adolescent brain remodeling goes awry in schizophrenia

Researchers discover new mechanism in brain which controls tics in children with TS

Elevated BACE1 activity in mild cognitive impairment could be early indicator of AD, says study

Shifts in zinc's location could be exploited for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

New computational model explains how brain maintains balance between plasticity, stability

Penn researchers identify protein that could clear Alzheimer's plaques

Underlying loss of awareness during partial seizures is same as deep sleep

Scientists receive 2013 Horwitz Prize for discoveries on how brain calculates location, navigation

Downregulation of caveolin-1 contributes to synaptic plasticity deficit in hippocampus of aged rats

Study reports new links between brain cell activity and choices where two options have equal appeal

Scientists receive 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for advancements in field of neuroscience

Brain anatomy affects cognitive control in children

Research highlights value of fathers in both neurobiology and behavior of offspring

Western University research points to promising avenue for PTSD treatment

Missing inhibitory connection in brain can trigger social phobias

Cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD affects underlying biology of the disorder

Prenatal alcohol exposure impacts brain development and change behavior

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Latest News