Research on how the brain is built and how it governs body and behavior. Covers neural circuits, sleep, sensory systems, brain structure, and the brain-body connection.
A long-term study of Mexican Americans found a significant decline in recurrent strokes, with rates dropping by 64.7% between 2000 and 2013, compared to a 37.4% decrease among non-Hispanic whites.
Research on Drosophila melanogaster reveals that dopaminergic neurons respond to both internal behavioral states and external signals, enabling flexible and individualized decision-making. The study provides insights into how dopamine contributes to neural circuit functionality and behavior.
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have discovered a new link between impaired brain energy metabolism and delirium, a disorienting disorder common in the elderly. Collectively, their research suggests that therapies focusing on brain energy metabolism may offer new routes to mitigating delirium.
Amber Alhadeff, a behavioral neurobiologist at Monell Chemical Senses Center, has been awarded a $225,000 Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award in Neurosciences to study the role of gut signals in hunger-related neurons. Her research aims to improve understanding of diet-related diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A nationwide project aims to engage 30,000 people in memory training to understand its cognitive benefits. The study will explore how different training methods affect individuals and shed light on the underlying mechanisms of brain training.
Researchers at Medical University of South Carolina found that the brain uses similar visual areas for mental imagery and vision, but with less precision. This study has potential applications for understanding PTSD and other mental health disorders affecting mental imagery.
Researchers found that brain activity and perception of sensory stimuli change with the cardiac cycle, suppressing heartbeat perception but affecting other stimuli perception. The study may provide insight into anxiety conditions associated with heart rate changes.
A global review of COVID-19 cases found neurological complications such as strokes, delirium, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The study analyzed data from over 900 patients and highlights the need for doctors to recognize COVID-19's potential to cause devastating brain problems.
International laboratories joined forces to create BrMPanel, a repository of over 60 cell lines for brain metastasis research. The platform facilitates knowledge exchange and speeds up the development of effective therapies.
Researchers found that a dying brain can respond to sound even in an unconscious state, up to the last hours of life. The study used EEG to analyze brain activity from hospice patients and healthy controls, revealing similar responses to common and rare sounds.
A new study from Penn Medicine found that abnormal function of sensory neurons outside the brain contributes to autistic social behaviors. Peripheral sensory systems can serve as more accessible therapeutic targets for treating ASD-related symptoms.
Neurobiologists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München found the brain requires disproportionate amounts of oxygen for energy consumption. The study directly correlates oxygen consumption with nerve cell activity, showing that only about 50% of oxygen is used for nerve cell function.
Researchers will generate a novel mouse model of TSC, characterize molecular pathways, and test two potential drug therapies to treat SEGAs. Early intervention improves prognosis for children with TSC.
A 10-year follow-up study found that premature babies treated with a 'brain washing' technique called Drainage, Irrigation and Fibrinolytic Therapy (DRIFT) were almost twice as likely to survive without severe cognitive disability. The treatment, pioneered by University of Bristol researchers, has been shown to reduce secondary severe ...
A study from the University of Georgia found that light to moderate drinking may preserve brain function in older adults. The study examined cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older adults in the US and found a correlation between light drinking and better cognitive performance.
Researchers have identified a critical step in how brain cells function in people with one of the most common forms of epilepsy, which could lead to new treatment approaches. Changes in gene activity and polyadenylation processes were found to be dramatically altered in people with epilepsy, changing protein production in the brain.
The Human Brain Project is entering its final phase with a focus on advancing three core scientific areas: brain networks, consciousness, and artificial neural nets. EBRAINS infrastructure will provide researchers with a comprehensive atlas and database, as well as powerful computing and simulation tools.
A new study found that moving together in time with music increases social closeness between individuals, regardless of their cultural familiarity with the music. The study showed that people who enjoy the music they move to experience stronger social bonds than those who do not.
A recent study by the University of Kentucky's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging has identified a previously under-recognized form of dementia, quadruple misfolded proteins (QMP), linked to TDP-43 proteinopathy. The study found that about 20% of participants with dementia had QMP, resulting in the most severe dementia cases.
Researchers developed a new calcium indicator that accumulates only in neuron bodies, reducing crosstalk and improving signal accuracy. This breakthrough allows for more precise monitoring of individual neurons and their roles in brain functions.
A large study analyzing living patients found an association between repeated head impacts and later-life symptoms of depression and cognitive decline. The study revealed that exposure to repetitive head impacts had a stronger effect on depression symptoms than traumatic brain injury alone.
Researchers from UNIGE developed a computational model that reproduces the brain's mechanism for analyzing spoken language. The model uses predictive coding to optimize perception by constantly trying to predict sensory signals. It has successfully recognized thousands of syllables in hundreds of sentences, validating the idea that neu...
A study of 153 hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 found that stroke was the most common brain complication, affecting 77 patients. Psychiatric conditions also emerged, including new-onset psychosis, dementia-like syndrome, and mood disorders, in 23 patients.
Researchers identified important molecules to study and manipulate specific glial cells integral to synapses. This discovery provides a highly specific glial 'bar code', identifying vital cell subtype and enabling targeted therapy development for neuromuscular diseases such as ALS and SMA.
A study found that middle-aged women are more likely to have changes in the brain related to Alzheimer's disease, even when controlling for age and other factors. The researchers suggest that hormonal changes during menopause may play a role in this increased risk.
A $2.5 million Simons Foundation grant is supporting an international collaboration of neuroscientists to develop new tools for studying brain control over behavior across species, from songbirds to rats. The project aims to create a framework for understanding motor agility in any species or behavior.
A new study from Purdue University finds that mothers do not have diminished attention and may even have better executive control attention compared to non-mothers. The research used a revised Attention Network Test to compare reaction times among 60 mothers and 70 non-mothers, finding no evidence to support the 'mommy brain' stereotype.
A recent study found that the human brain processes speech with exceptional temporal fidelity, unlike other sounds. The researchers used millisecond-scale brain recordings to decode and reconstruct spoken words, discovering a unique time-locked encoding mechanism for speech.
A protein fragment derived from soybeans has been shown to improve working and long-term memory in mice with simulated Alzheimer's disease. The dipeptide, named Tyr-Pro, is the first known molecule to enter the brain intact after ingestion.
Researchers created an electrical signature that mimics an odor in the brain's smell-processing center, advancing our understanding of olfactory perception. The approach revealed key spatial and temporal neural features that combine to form a code for converting sensory information into perception of an odor
Researchers have made significant breakthroughs in understanding chandelier cells, which are key regulators of brain signaling. Abnormalities in these cells have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, and studying them may provide insights into disease mechanisms.
Researchers found abnormal growth and increased neuroinflammation in the brains of animals exposed to air pollution, suggesting a potential risk for changes in developing brain relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders. The study used rodent models to mimic real-time exposure to traffic-related air pollution.
A recent study published in Molecular Brain suggests that an imbalance of human gut microorganisms and excessive propionic acid consumption may contribute to autism. The researchers found that propionic acid disrupts autophagy, a natural cell mechanism, leading to reduced dendritic spine formation and hindering child brain development.
A recent clinical trial published in The Lancet Neurology found that patients with brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) can experience a significant reduction in stroke risk and mortality when left alone to follow their natural course. In contrast, standard medical interventions may pose more harm than benefit.
A new study found that depressive and anxious symptoms are linked to reduced opioid receptors in the brain, which can be an important mechanism in treating depression. The study, conducted with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, suggests that drugs affecting the opioid system may help treat depression.
A computer model of a sea slug's brain network became addicted to a highly rewarding but nutritionally empty drug, mimicking addiction in other organisms. The creature cycled between eating and chasing the drug due to desire for reward and satiation, eventually experiencing full-fledged withdrawal.
Researchers found that living among land's rich topography forced animals to plan rather than act based on habits, increasing survival rates. The optimal level of barriers in the environment played a crucial role in this planning ability.
Blood vessels in the brain have evolved to form a protective barrier, but recent research shows they can also sense the metabolic state of neighboring neural cells. This allows them to respond to changes in nutrient availability and prevent disease states such as Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
Researchers have successfully developed a biohybrid artificial synapse that can communicate with living cells using electrochemistry. The device mimics the learning process of biological synapses and has potential applications in brain-inspired computers and medical devices.
The Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging will continue to follow and document risk factors for cognitive and brain aging in 1,600 male twins. The study aims to identify early signs of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that a lack of mitochondria causes severe disease in children, including brain dysfunction and neurological impairment. The study, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, suggests that inhibition of mitochondrial degradation may provide a new treatment strategy for affected patients.
Researchers found that the human brain minimizes cognitive capacity usage when reading, focusing on essential information. By analyzing brain activity, they developed a model to determine word informativeness and predict information gain.
Feng Xiong is developing a two-dimensional synaptic array to enable computers to process vast datasets with less power and greater speed. This technology aims to mimic the brain's efficient learning process, allowing for more precise adjustments between states.
Researchers studied maritime networks to understand how their organization impacts international trade and economy. They applied methods from brain network analysis to reveal new insights into modular connectivity and structural core organization in complex networks.
Researchers found that most people's color awareness is limited to a small area around the dead center of their visual field. The brain likely fills-in much of our perceptual experience when color is removed from the periphery, with nearly a third of observers not noticing desaturated areas.
Researchers at University of Warwick discover that tanycytes, a type of glial cell in the brain, can increase appetite by delivering signals to neurons. The study found that stimulating tanycytes leads to an increase in food intake due to the activation of two pathways involved in feeding behavior.
A study published in Cognition found that 14-month-old infants expect to communicate with others who speak the same language, and that their environment influences these expectations. Infants from bilingual environments were more likely to predict successful communication across languages.
Artificial neural networks became unstable after continuous unsupervised learning, but exposure to Gaussian noise mimics slow-wave sleep stabilized them. This finding has implications for the development of biologically realistic AI systems.
Researchers used cognitive science methods to test philosophical question: Can people see the world objectively? They found that people can't separate an object's true identity from their own perspective, even when certain it's round. This challenge our understanding of perception and the brain's role in shaping reality.
An observational study tracked stroke cases caused by intracerebral hemorrhage from 1948 to 2016. The rate of this deadly type of stroke decreased significantly during the 10-year period, contradicting previous findings.
A new analysis of the Framingham Heart Study found that brain bleeds called intracerebral hemorrhages remained stable in incidence among all age groups over the past 30 years. However, they increased in people 75 and older, with a threefold increase in seniors taking anticoagulants. The study suggests that thinners could be a factor, b...
Researchers found that continued nicotine use promotes brain metastasis in lung cancer patients, who often struggle to quit due to nicotine addiction. Parthenolide, a compound from the herb Feverfew, blocks this effect and may prevent brain tumors, offering new hope for treatment.
Scientists discover that nicotine, found in tobacco, promotes the spread of non-small-cell lung cancer cells into the brain. Researchers identify parthenolide as a potential treatment option to prevent brain metastasis.
The largest ever study of radiosurgery for brain metastases from small cell lung cancer has been published in JAMA Oncology. The analysis found that patients treated with first-line stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) had a median overall survival of 8.5 months, compared to 6.2 months for those treated with whole-brain radiation (WBRT). Ad...
Researchers found a link between gram-negative bacteria and cerebral cavernous malformations, which can cause hemorrhagic strokes, seizures, or headaches. The study showed that gut bacteria from CA patients produced more lipopolysaccharide molecules, driving CA formation in mice.
The new app, called neureka, uses brain games and self-reflection challenges to collect data on mental health and dementia research. It aims to identify modifiable risk factors for disorders of the mind and capture complex datasets to develop individualized understanding of brain health.
The Center for BrainHealth provides online cognitive training modules, video series, and live sessions to help front line workers mitigate stress and boost cognitive performance. The program aims to empower participants with tools and practices to impact their capacity for stress resilience.
A new study found that lower body fat percentage is associated with higher levels of N-acetyl aspartic acid in white matter, a marker of neuronal health. Fitter adults show improved structural brain connectivity.
A new study on corvid birds reveals how biology, environment, and social life allow young birds to learn difficult skills that improve survival. Extended parenting plays a key role in this process.
A University of Minnesota Medical School researcher used functional MRI to demonstrate differences in visual motion perception among individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Brain responses show less neural suppression in the visual cortex, which may explain symptoms like sensory hypersensitivity.