The McLean Hospital Brain Bank has received a new contract from the NIH to fund 180 brains per year, allowing for enhanced procedures and deeper understanding of brain pathology in psychiatric disorders. The center is part of the NeuroBioBank national resource for investigators using postmortem brain tissue.
A high-salt diet can cause cognitive impairment by activating a pathway in the brain that leads to tau protein clumping, according to a new study. The researchers found that this effect is not due to a loss in blood flow to the brain, but rather to the accumulation of tau protein aggregates that interfere with brain cell function.
Recent advances using lab-grown brain organoids have improved understanding of human brain development and diseases. However, questions remain about how well these brain models mirror the complexity of the cortex. Studies show that organoids can reproduce a rich diversity of cell types found in the cerebral cortex, but fail to capture ...
Research in animals shows that chronic stress during pregnancy triggers an immune response in the brain, leading to potential changes in brain functions. The study found that stressed rats showed evidence of neuroinflammation and increased activity levels of microglia, suggesting a link between gestational stress and postpartum depress...
The NIH BRAIN Initiative has awarded over 180 new projects to accelerate neuroscience discoveries, including developing neural circuit tools, studying non-neuronal cells, and analyzing complex data. These advancements aim to improve treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and stroke.
A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital suggests that glowing particles in the blood of patients with brain cancer may be used to diagnose and monitor the disease. The discovery uses a substance called 5-aminolevulinic acid, which makes tumor cells fluorescent, allowing for non-invasive blood tests.
Researchers found moderate levels of covariation between human and chimpanzee brain and braincase features, but distinct positions of brain sulci relative to cranial sutures in humans. The study suggests that changes in braincase morphology may be related to increased encephalization and bipedalism.
Scientists have developed a simple way to transport medication into the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier. The new technique uses engineered particles that can be packed with drugs and delivered through an intravenous injection, offering a minimally invasive solution for treating neurological disorders.
Researchers developed a method to characterize brain states and simulate brain activity, enabling prediction of stimulation effects on brain state transitions. The study found that systematic external stimulation can awaken the brain in sleep states and may enhance recovery from psychiatric diseases.
Researchers found a gene that responds to brain activity to coordinate the need for sleep, and zebrafish studies suggest that intensive brain activity increases sleep pressure. The findings may help understand sleep disorders and conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
Research reveals how breast cancer cells use exosomes to bypass the blood-brain barrier and spread to the brain. Exosomes trick endothelial cells into taking them up, allowing cancer cells to metastasize, and can also manipulate astrocytes to facilitate tumor growth.
Brain tumor researchers will use advanced sequencing technology to build a functional map of the developing brain, allowing them to analyze all cells in unprecedented detail and potentially discover new drug targets. The team aims to understand how cells 'talk' to their neighbors to determine which signals drive cancer growth.
Researchers found that people with schizophrenia employ different brain circuits to overcome initial lack of understanding, leading to increased brain activity in certain areas. The study aims to develop practical skills to help patients with schizophrenia understand metaphors in everyday speech.
Researchers at Hebrew University have developed an MRI technique that can detect molecular changes in the brain, allowing for early disease diagnosis and treatment. This non-invasive method provides biological readouts of brain tissue, enabling doctors to compare scans over time and differentiate between healthy and diseased tissue.
Researchers found that patients with more connected white matter in targeted brain regions respond better to non-invasive electrical brain stimulation, suggesting a potential breakthrough in personalizing the therapy. The study also showed partial reversal of abnormalities in brain activity caused by traumatic brain injury.
Japanese scientists found that observing one's own hand movements in video-assisted therapy enhances brain activity and speeds up rehabilitation for stroke patients. This technique promotes brain plasticity, allowing the brain to rewire and regain movement and senses.
A new study has created the most detailed 'parts list' of the human brain to date, revealing crucial differences between human and mouse brain cells that could explain why many drugs don't work in humans. The study highlights key changes in gene expression related to serotonin receptors and neuron connections.
Changes in blood pressure in early adulthood have been linked to markers of poorer brain health in later life, according to a UCL-led research study. Higher blood pressure at midlife and faster rises in blood pressure between ages 36 and 43 were associated with smaller brain volumes.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that tumor cells 'hijack' an inflammatory pathway in the brain to spread melanoma, and blocking this pathway could prevent brain metastases. The study found that inhibiting the expression of a specific receptor on melanoma cells significantly inhibited the development of brain metastases.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that increasing brain stiffness as we age causes brain stem cell dysfunction. They developed new materials to study this effect, showing that older stem cells can be rejuvenated into younger, healthier states.
Researchers developed a tissue model that mimics blood-brain barrier disruption in Alzheimer's disease, showing how damaged barriers allow harmful molecules to enter the brain. The model also revealed that restoring the blood-brain barrier with certain drugs can slow down neuron cell death.
Researchers found that restful REM sleep helps brain circuits adapt to stress, while restless REM sleep disrupts this process. This finding has significant implications for treating mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
A study led by Dr. Stephanie Kullmann found that exercise improves brain function in overweight and obese individuals by normalizing brain functions important for metabolism and increasing regional blood flow in areas of the brain dependent on dopamine. Participants also reported improvements in mood and executive function.
Researchers found that brain networks are spatially and functionally fluid, with rapid changes in network activity over time. This challenges the long-held assumption that brain regions contribute to each network in a fixed way.
Researchers created a living blood-brain barrier that functions as in the human body, opening new avenues for studying brain disorders and predicting drug effectiveness. The breakthrough uses induced pluripotent stem cells and Organ-Chips technology.
The University of Texas at Arlington has received a DURIP grant to purchase equipment that can determine the severity of brain injuries, even those that are not immediately apparent. The new equipment will be used to expand associate professor Ashfaq Adnan's research in damage detection for blast-related traumatic brain injuries.
Researchers tracked outcomes from 537 people with brain haemorrhage while taking antiplatelet medicines, finding fewer recurrences compared to those who didn't take these treatments. The study suggests treatments may reduce rather than increase risk of further bleeding in the brain.
Studies found that all brain parts process touch signals, complementing each other for perception. Brain network processing information as a single network with partially different functions from situation to situation.
The study identifies a distinct control architecture in brain networks, characterized by a distributed and overlapping control system that enables robustness against targeted attacks and high efficiency in switching between network states. This finding has broad implications for cognitive neuroscience and clinical applications.
Researchers have discovered a new way to measure brain function in milliseconds using MRE, allowing scientists to visualize responses in the brain as they unfold. This breakthrough could help diagnose and understand neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, dementia, and epilepsy.
Researchers at Yale University successfully restored circulation and cellular activity in a pig's brain four hours after its death using a specially designed chemical solution. However, the treated brain lacked recognizable global electrical signals associated with normal brain function.
A new study published in PLOS ONE found that ICU patients with non-brain-related injuries often experience cognitive deficits, despite lack of brain injury. The study used online tests to detect cognitive impairments in 20 patients and revealed significant cognitive deficits in memory, attention, decision-making, and reasoning.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a 3D-printed transparent skull implant that allows for real-time brain activity monitoring. The device, called See-Shell, provides unprecedented control and precision in studying brain function, enabling new insights into human brain conditions.
A new study suggests that deep brain stimulation boosts the number and strength of mitochondria in brain cells, which may help reduce Parkinson's symptoms. The treatment, used for late-stage Parkinson's disease, involves surgically implanting thin wires into the brain to deliver small electric pulses.
Researchers analyzed brain connectomes to understand healthy brain development and contribute to disorders like epilepsy. The study identified abnormalities in the salience network of subjects with autism, providing insights into the neural basis of autism.
A new study has created a 3D reconstruction of a marmoset brain and mapped neuronal connectivity across the entire brain with unparalleled detail. The resulting data set may offer insights into human neural connectivity and potentially lead to therapeutic advances for human diseases.
Researchers created a high-resolution map of the brain's immune system, showing that all microglia have the same core signature but adapt differently depending on their function. This discovery is significant for understanding brain diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's.
A new study using brain vital signs technology detected neurophysiological impairments and cognitive processing deficits in ice hockey players with concussions, even those who were cleared for return-to-play. The study also found significant delays in cognitive processing for players without diagnosed concussions.
A team of scientists has captured a high-resolution, three-day image of the fly brain using expansion plus lattice light-sheet microscopy. The new imaging technique allows for rapid 3D images of brain tissue with details as small as 60 nanometers across.
A large-scale study published in Neurology found a significant link between excessive body fat around the middle and reduced brain volume, specifically lower gray matter volumes. Researchers measured BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and overall body fat in 9,652 participants and found those with higher ratios had lower brain volume.
The My Brain Robbie campaign aims to fill an educational gap in dementia prevention by providing public health education for children aged 6-12. The project uses an animated video and free resources to teach eight simple steps to keep brains healthy, connecting with modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline.
The endocast of Australopithecus fossil Little Foot shows a brain with asymmetrical structures similar to modern humans, but also features distinct from us, including an expanded visual cortex and reduced parietal association cortex. This suggests that the brain's complexity evolved over time in response to environmental pressures.
A study published in BRAIN journal used a brain wiring diagram to reconcile inconsistent neuroimaging findings for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers found that all 26 studies reported abnormalities within the same connected brain network, improving reproducibility and understanding of the disease.
Researchers developed high-resolution functional ultrasound imaging to study brain activity in awake and behaving mice. They found that out of 181 consistently identified brain regions, 87 were modulated during the optokinetic reflex, a stabilizing eye movement response.
Researchers have developed a tiny device that electrically stimulates the brain, paving the way for minimally invasive treatments for conditions such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. The Stentrode can deliver targeted stimulation without open-brain surgery, opening up new possibilities for treating neurological disorders.
Researchers used genetically modified mice with a highly permeable blood-brain barrier to test whether prions in blood can enter the brain. Their results suggest that passage of prions through the blood-brain barrier may not be relevant to disease development. Instead, prions likely reach the brain by traveling along nerves.
The Blue Brain Cell Atlas provides detailed information on major cell types, numbers, and positions in all 737 brain regions, accelerating progress in brain science. The atlas is freely available online, allowing users to visualize brain regions and download data for new analyses and modeling.
Researchers have used magnetoencephalography to measure magnetite levels in the human brain, which could lead to new studies on its role in neurodegenerative diseases. The study found greater accumulation of magnetite in the brains of older individuals, primarily in the hippocampus.
A UCLA cell study has discovered the impact of head injuries on individual cells and genes, leading to serious brain disorders. The researchers found that hundreds of genes are adversely affected by mild traumatic brain injury, which can later lead to diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
A Columbia-led team has been awarded $16.75 million from the BRAIN Initiative to study the primary visual cortex, a region crucial for making sense of visual information. The five-year project aims to bridge the gap in knowledge between theoretical and experimental neuroscience.
Researchers have successfully detected brain tumor DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using a cheap and widely available technique, opening up new possibilities for monitoring and treating brain tumors. The test has the potential to increase detection rates and provide more tailored treatment approaches for patients with brain tumors.
The NIH has increased investment in the BRAIN Initiative to over $400 million, supporting more than 200 new awards for cutting-edge brain research. These projects aim to develop new tools and knowledge to discover answers for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals the nature of immune cells in the human brain, including their location and function. The research provides valuable insights into the immune system's role in brain disorders such as multiple sclerosis and tumors.
A new radiation treatment approach, hippocampal-avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy with memantine, demonstrated better preservation of cognitive function compared to traditional whole-brain radiotherapy. The study found similar cancer control and overall survival outcomes for both groups.
A randomized phase III trial found that avoiding the hippocampal region during whole-brain radiotherapy significantly reduces the risk of cognitive decline. The study results have far-reaching implications for brain tumor treatment, offering a safer alternative to traditional whole-brain radiation therapy.
Researchers have discovered a potentially new approach to deliver therapeutics more effectively to the brain, harnessing the brain's waste removal system. This method could revolutionize the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and brain cancer.
A new study by Imperial College London reveals that kisspeptin, the master regulator of reproduction, affects brain activity in healthy volunteers, leading to decreased sexual aversion and increased brain activity associated with sexual arousal. The hormone also boosts networks involved in mood and depression.
A new study using computational models shows promise in understanding how brain structure impacts performance on language-related tasks. The research found relationships between brain characteristics and task speed, potentially leading to advancements in treating diseases and enhancing human performance.
Researchers found that brain activity patterns during sleep can reveal which memories are stored and which forgotten. The brain reactivates memory traces during certain sleep phases, especially when gamma band activity from deep processing is reactivated during ripples in the hippocampus, leading to later recall of images.
Researchers discovered how the brain encodes speech production, finding that it controls both goals (speech sounds) and individual movements (lip, tongue, and larynx movements). This breakthrough aims to develop better brain machine interfaces to decode speech for paralyzed individuals.