Neuroscience News and Research

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Electrical trigger sites in the brain change with experience, shows study

To process information in our brains, nerve cells produce brief electrical impulses, called action potentials, triggered from one highly specialized region.

22 Jan 2021

Common insecticides affect the amount of night's sleep in bumblebees and fruit flies

Just like us, many insects need a decent night's sleep to function properly, but this might not be possible if they have been exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides, the most common form of insecticide used worldwide, suggests research by academics at the University of Bristol.

21 Jan 2021

Scientists identify the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2 and signals that it's time to mount an antiviral response.

13 Jan 2021

Automated electron microscopy helps visualize neural function and behavior

Researchers are still clueless about how the neural networks are linked together to make functional circuits.

12 Jan 2021

Study shows how the brain navigates places and tracks someone else in the same location

As COVID cases rise, physically distancing yourself from other people has never been more important. Now a new UCLA study reveals how your brain navigates places and monitors someone else in the same location.

24 Dec 2020

New model shows how the brain uses "gating" phenomenon to control information

Getting computers to "think" like humans is the holy grail of artificial intelligence, but human brains turn out to be tough acts to follow. T

17 Dec 2020

Microglia surveillance helps prevent seizure activity in the brain

An important part of the brain's immune system, cells called microglia constantly extend and retract "branches" from their cell body to survey their environment.

15 Dec 2020

Scientists aim to treat and prevent disease by understanding exercise benefits

A top exercise researcher and colleagues at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have launched an ambitious effort to understand the whole-body benefits of exercise so that doctors can use that information to prevent and treat disease.

11 Dec 2020

Damage to brain cells causes a chain reaction that impacts 'bystander' neurons

Injury or disease that afflicts a relatively small number of brain cells causes a chain reaction that stops activity across a vast network of neural circuits, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University.

9 Dec 2020

Astrocytes modulate balance in neural networks, control decision making

Decision-making during goal-directed behaviors is deliberative process involving different brain areas that considers pros and cons of each option.

8 Dec 2020

Researchers develop new tool to study genes associated with autism spectrum disorder

Researchers have developed technology to analyze the function of different types of genes found in many types of cells in a living organism, at the same time.

1 Dec 2020

Scientists successfully edit SIV virus from genomes of non-human primates

Taking a major step forward in HIV research, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University have successfully edited SIV - a virus closely related to HIV, the cause of AIDS - from the genomes of non-human primates.

1 Dec 2020

New gene therapy can protect visual function in patients with dominant optic atrophy

Researchers have created a novel gene therapy approach that shows promise for someday treating an eye disease that results in progressive vision loss.

27 Nov 2020

Biologists unravel how tissue geometry influences cell migration

Cells move constantly throughout our bodies, performing myriad operations critical to tissue development, immune responses, and general wellbeing. This bustle is guided by chemical cues long studied by scientists interested in cellular migration.

23 Nov 2020

Study identifies molecular mutation more common in African Americans with late-onset Alzheimer’s

Scientists have identified a molecular mechanism that leads to a “traffic jam” of enzymes, resulting in the accumulation of amyloid-beta.

19 Nov 2020

Salk’s HPI receives $30 million from Bezos Earth Fund to fight climate change

Salk's Harnessing Plants Initiative will receive $30 million from the Bezos Earth Fund to advance efforts to increase the ability of crop plants, such as corn and soybeans, to capture and store atmospheric carbon via their roots in the soil.

17 Nov 2020

Polβ enzyme prevents breakdown of DNA in the hippocampus region

It's a fact of life that things break down. And when they do, whether it's your car, the roof, or a blocked artery, there are people who we can call to help with the repairs.

12 Nov 2020

Study unravels how perceptions of beauty drive our appetite and healthiness judgments

As the holiday season nears, thoughts of pumpkin pies, roasted chestnuts and turkey dinners fill our dreams and our grocery shopping lists. While visions of holiday food may be pleasing to the eyes and tantalizing to the palate, it would be a mistake to conclude that pretty food is healthier than other food.

10 Nov 2020

Researchers describe how drug use change specific brain cells responsible for motivation

In the October 28, 2020 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina and the National Institutes of Health describe how reminders of drug use can change specific brain cells responsible for motivation, increasing the desire to seek drugs.

30 Oct 2020

Researchers reveal the features of T cells for treating multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder that develops as immune cells attack the nervous system. T cells are a critical part of our immune system, with a complex array of subtypes - some drive the autoimmune response, while others try to suppress it.

27 Oct 2020