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.

Stem cells can repair parkinson's-damaged circuits in mouse brains

The mature brain is infamously bad at repairing itself following damage like that caused by trauma or strokes, or from degenerative diseases like Parkinson's.

28 Sep 2020

Researchers identify new therapeutic target for spinocerebellar ataxia

Scientists have created an animal model that simulates cerebellar neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction.

25 Sep 2020

Biomarker for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases identified in the eye

A new study led by Boston Medical Center researchers indicates a well-known biomarker that serves as a marker for earlier diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases is now detectable in the eye.

24 Sep 2020

New brain-inspired nanodevice can identify mutations in viruses

In the September issue of the journal Nature, scientists from Texas A&M University, Hewlett Packard Labs and Stanford University have described a new nanodevice that acts almost identically to a brain cell.

24 Sep 2020

Study reveals how the loss of a protein affects proper brain development

Normal brain development requires a precise interplay between neuronal and non-neuronal (also called glial) cells. In a new study, researchers from the University of Tsukuba revealed how the loss of protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) 1 causes disruptions in glial cells and affects proper brain development.

24 Sep 2020

Alzheimer's disease may be driven by overactivation of fructose made in the brain

New research released from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus proposes that Alzheimer's disease may be driven by the overactivation of fructose made in the brain.

24 Sep 2020

UB biophysicist receives $2 million NIH grant to explore protein-RNA droplets

Inside human cells, proteins and RNA can cluster together to form spherical droplets that play vital roles in cellular processes as well as in certain human diseases.

23 Sep 2020

ADHD study reveals genetic differences between African Americans and people of European ancestry

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have shown there may be key genetic differences in the causes of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between African Americans and people of European ancestry, which may play an important part in how patients of different ethnic backgrounds respond to treatments for this condition. The findings were published online by the journal Scientific Reports.

23 Sep 2020

New insight into how people with retinal degenerative disease can maintain night vision

New insight on how people with retinal degenerative disease can maintain their night vision for a relatively long period of time has been published today in the open-access eLife journal.

23 Sep 2020

Star-shaped brain cells are essential for blood-brain barrier health, shows study

Hard skulls help protect our brains from physical injuries.In addition to a tough outer shell, brains have internal defenses, including a powerful shield called the blood-brain barrier that defends brain cells from substances in the bloodstream that are toxic and dangerous to nerve cells. If the blood-brain barrier is breached, then health problems arise.

22 Sep 2020

Genetic differences between domesticated and wild chickens linked to epigenetic changes

Some of the genetic differences that have arisen between domesticated chickens and their wild ancestors, the red junglefowl, are linked to epigenetic changes, according to a new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

22 Sep 2020

New mathematical tools reveal the evolution and spread of tumors

Interpreting the particular mutations that play a role in different forms of cancer is crucial to enhance diagnosis and treatment.

21 Sep 2020

How do hallucinogenic drugs exert their actions on the brain?

Not much is known about the fundamental mechanisms in the brain of hallucinogenic drugs and the way they induce their hallucinogenic effects.

21 Sep 2020

Smart drug delivery system may help treat spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders

A Rutgers-led team has created a smart drug delivery system that reduces inflammation in damaged nervous tissues and may help treat spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders.

From Rutgers University 18 Sep 2020

Artificial upwelling could help mitigate the thermal stress on corals

The risk of severe coral bleaching--a condition in which corals lose their symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae--is five times more frequent today than it was forty years ago.

17 Sep 2020

Mouse model reveals neurons responsible for guiding adaptive behavior

Humans, like other animals, have the ability to constantly adapt to new situations. Researchers at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich have utilized a mouse model to reveal which neurons in the brain are in command in guiding adaptive behavior.

17 Sep 2020