Articles tagged with Brain
A study led by City University of London researchers suggests that people with 'visual ears' may have a disinhibited flow of signals around the brain, allowing them to hear silent flashes or movement. Musicians were more likely to report experiencing visual ear than non-musicians.
Researchers at Caltech have identified specific neurons responsible for salt cravings in the mouse brain, which are triggered by oral sodium signals. These findings could potentially lead to new avenues for regulating sodium intake and mitigating health issues related to excessive salt consumption.
A study found that a hallucinogenic drug reduces signaling in the visual cortex, leading to altered timing of neuron firing and triggering visual hallucinations. The research has implications for understanding neurological underpinnings in disorders like schizophrenia.
Researchers have uncovered large-scale brain patterns and networks that control sleep, revealing new insights into the complex processes of brain activity during sleep. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of sleep disorders such as insomnia.
A study found that patients with type 2 diabetes who are untreated develop signs of Alzheimer's disease 1.6 times faster than those without diabetes. Medication for diabetes may be keeping Alzheimer's away.
Researchers found that people strongly agreed with computer-generated answers on image identification tasks, validating the idea that humans and machines see images differently. This suggests that advances in artificial intelligence may need to be improved to narrow the gap between human and machine visual abilities.
Salk Institute researchers found altered neuron growth patterns and low levels of key genes in SSRI non-responders, leading to abnormal neuronal communication. This discovery provides new insights into the complex neural circuitry underlying depression.
A new study explores the connection between poor sleep and Alzheimer's disease, revealing that sleep helps clear excess amyloid beta and tau proteins from the brain. Disruption of slow-wave sleep can cause a significant increase in these protein levels, suggesting that sleep plays a crucial role in preventing Alzheimer's development.
The Chapman Brain Institute aims to advance efforts in the neurophilosphy of free will through a four-year research project. Researchers will use advanced analysis techniques to decode decisions and actions before they take place and compare human brain activity when making arbitrary versus deliberate decisions.
The University of Arizona Health Sciences has received a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a unique training program for a diverse pool of scientists, addressing the nation's Alzheimer's research needs. The AZ-TRADD program aims to cultivate expertise-diverse teams to develop therapeutics and treatments.
Butler Hospital has been awarded a $12 million, five-year COBRE grant to focus on clinical-translational brain research. The goal of the Center for Neuromodulation (CCN) is to develop novel treatments for neuropsychiatric diseases by understanding and testing methods to change brain circuit functioning.
Researchers at UCI are working on biological TMJ discs in the laboratory that will be suitable for implantation in humans. The new approach eschews synthetic materials and aims to reduce negative effects on quality of life. Successful trials have been conducted in large-animal models, showing complete functionality of the TMJ disc.
The University of Minnesota is leading a $9.7 million NIH grant to develop an implantable device that can restore more natural hearing to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The new technology aims to bypass the cochlea and directly stimulate the auditory nerve, improving activation in noisy environments and music.
A study published in Journal of Neuroscience found that replacing expected aversive events with neutral tones can improve PTSD treatment outcomes. By changing how the brain learns to respond to fearful conditions, researchers hope to develop a new approach to exposure therapy.
The NRG-RTOG 0214 trial found that prophylactic cranial irradiation improved disease-free survival, decreased brain metastasis rates, but did not improve overall survival in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. This suggests PCI may prolong OS in a subgroup without primary tumor surgery.
A comparative animal study published in JNeurosci found that alligators encode sound location like birds but differently than mammals. The reptile's brain constructs neural maps to chart sound location, a feature observed in close relatives of the alligator, but not in mammals.
Researcher Ramana Vinjamuri receives a $500,000 NSF CAREER Award to study how the brain controls complex hand movements and create near-natural robot hands for individuals with disabilities. His goal is to improve daily tasks and develop cybersecurity applications.
Researchers at Kanazawa University developed a method to visualize and manipulate neural circuits in insects, shedding light on the generation of innate behaviors. The study found that a specific neural cluster plays a crucial role in regulating motivation during courtship behavior.
A Danish study of over half a million people found that cholesterol-lowering statin medications lower the risk of brain haemorrhages by 22-35% compared to non-users. The study rebuffs suspicions that statins increase the risk of brain haemorrhages.
A study published in Psychological Science found that our brains automatically prioritize self-referential stimuli, such as our names or faces, over random information. This 'self-referential bias' can drive decisions and behaviors, potentially leading to selfish outcomes.
Researchers found that nilotinib increases dopamine levels by reducing toxic alpha-synuclein protein, allowing normal dopamine release. The study also showed a significant reduction in alpha-synuclein levels and increased TREM-2 activity, indicating an elevated immune response against misfolded proteins.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that loss of blood vessels in the retina may signal Alzheimer's disease, even before cognitive symptoms appear. The study used non-invasive technology to analyze retinal blood vessels and detected differences between people with Alzheimer's and those with healthy brains.
Scientists investigate how humans make mistakes and find that pupil dilation is linked to the brain's level of norepinephrine. Four sources of suboptimal decision-making are identified, including unequal weighing of evidence and noise in the brain.
Researchers at UNH identified 204 proteins more highly regulated in females than males, with 31% associated with autism. The study suggests that female brains may have a protective mechanism preventing autism development.
Columbia engineers and neuroscientists use SCAPE microscope to create 3D videos of individual nerve cells moving, stretching, and switching on inside fruit fly larvae. The study reveals how nerve cells called proprioceptive neurons work together to help the body sense its position in space.
Researchers found that people with elevated symptoms of depression were 75% more likely to develop an ischemic stroke than those without depression. This association was seen even after adjusting for other risk factors.
A study of 2,621 people found that those who followed Mediterranean and APDQS diets had less decline in cognitive function and poor thinking skills. The results suggest that maintaining good dietary practices throughout adulthood can help preserve brain health at midlife.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania propose that humans' ability to detect patterns stems from the brain's desire for simplicity. By prioritizing overall structure over individual details, people can more quickly recognize complex patterns and anticipate what comes next. The study's findings have significant implications for ...
A team of neuroscientists found that the brain's pathways play a crucial role in shaping speech rhythms, with some people synchronizing their speech to match external rhythms while others do not. High synchronizers have more white matter volume in key brain pathways and better language learning abilities than low synchronizers.
Researchers identified protocadherin 15 as a key protein responsible for converting bending forces from sound waves into electrical signals. This discovery sheds new light on the causes of hearing loss and how sound is transmitted to the brain.
University of Guelph researchers found that environmental cues activate brain areas where memories are processed, making it difficult to counter addiction. This study could have implications for treating drug addiction in humans.
Researchers tested an experimental treatment boosting Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) to regenerate dopamine brain cells in patients with Parkinson's. After nine months, the group receiving GDNF showed a 100% improvement in affected brain areas, offering hope for a potential reversal of the condition.
A new method uses AI to screen for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) by analyzing eye movements, providing an affordable and efficient way to detect the condition. The tool has the potential to reach millions of children worldwide who may be at risk, reducing secondary cognitive and behavioral disabilities.
A study published in Psychological Science found that participants' brains automatically attended to their own faces, even when they were instructed not to. The researchers used EEG to monitor brain activity and confirmed that the phenomenon occurs with more complex stimuli like faces, which require detailed analysis to recognize.
Researchers have identified anomalies in the dorsal language stream of the brain connected to speech in children with apraxia. This discovery could lead to more targeted treatments for children with the debilitating disorder, which affects their ability to form social relationships and quality of life.
Researchers at Aalto University used brain scanning to study how people reconstruct facts from clues, revealing the brain's ability to activate a range of properties associated with a concept. The method has potential applications in detecting memory disorders and understanding individual differences in perception.
Researchers found that brain metastases from melanoma are equipped to thwart immunotherapies and targeted therapies due to their reliance on oxidative phosphorylation metabolism. This metabolic pathway presents a potentially new therapeutic against these lethal tumors.
Researchers discuss the potential of brain-computer interfaces to aid and restore communication for people with severe speech and physical impairments. The talk highlights the importance of choosing the right technology that maximizes reliability and minimizes fatigue and frustration.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have created a novel brain slice model that captures features observed in patients with mitochondrial epilepsy. The model reveals the critical role of astrocytes in driving seizure generation and demonstrates the involvement of the GABA-glutamate-glutamine cycle.
Researchers at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health develop new therapeutic molecules that rapidly improve memory symptoms and renew underlying brain impairments. The compounds target specific impaired brain receptors causing memory loss, reversing cognitive deficits and improving brain function.
Researchers have discovered a biological pathway leading to age-related cognitive decline and found clues to reverse the aging process. Disruptions in the blood-brain barrier allow proteins to leak into the brain, causing havoc and contributing to cognitive decline.
A newly isolated human gut bacterium, Evtepia gabavorous, has been found to have a surprising dependency on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its metabolism is highly linked to mental health. Research suggests that low abundance of the Bacteroides fragilis bacteria may be associated with elevated brain activity during depression.
A study published in JNeurosci found that children's brains have trouble focusing on speech in noisy environments, a phenomenon known as the 'cocktail party effect'. This ability develops from childhood to adulthood and may not fully mature until the teenage years.
A study from Cornell University has identified the culprit behind decreased blood flow in the brain of people with Alzheimer's: white blood cells stuck to the inside of capillaries. This blockage leads to decreased blood flow in multiple downstream vessels, impacting cognitive function.
A mutant gene encoding a human brain protein linked to autism has been introduced into the brains of fruit flies, producing abnormal behaviors reminiscent of autism impairments. The study found hyperactivity, repetitive behavior, and impaired social interaction in the fruit flies.
A study by Harvard Medical School researchers suggests that axon growth cones can make decisions locally and function semi-autonomously without the cell body. This challenges traditional dogma about neurons, proposing a more intricate web of decision-making and the existence of semi-independent units.
Researchers found that intensive blood pressure lowering reduces the risk of bleeding in the brain after 'clot-busting' treatments for acute ischaemic stroke, making thrombolysis safer. However, this didn't translate to improved overall outcomes for patients.
Neuroscientists have identified the brain's preparation for complex actions, including speech, handwriting, sports, and music, by analyzing tiny magnetic fields outside participants' heads. This research reveals unique patterns that distinguish skilled from error-prone executions.
Two studies reveal pregnant women face a significantly greater risk of hemorrhagic stroke, with some groups facing even higher risks. Women with pre-existing medical conditions and those with abnormal blood vessel tangles in the brain are at particular risk.
A new study suggests that estrogen plays a crucial role in the brain's response to methamphetamine, with female rats showing a stronger response due to higher levels of estrogen. This finding has important implications for developing more effective male- and female-specific treatments for addiction.
Researchers found that bees can recognize colors as symbolic representations for basic math operations and use this information to solve problems. The study suggests that advanced numerical cognition may be found widely in nature among non-human animals.
Researchers have launched an ultra-large virtual docking library with over 1 billion molecules, expanding the number of 'make-on-demand' compounds for chemical biology and drug discovery. The larger library improves its odds of weeding out inactive decoy molecules.
Researchers studied Syrian hamster brain changes during hibernation and found that phosphorylated tau, a protein implicated in AD, is rapidly reversed upon waking. Hibernating animals show high levels of long-chain ceramides, which may help protect neurons from oxidative damage.
Researchers developed an antibody to target TDP-43 protein aggregates in mouse brains, resulting in significant improvements in cognitive and motor performance. The breakthrough paves the way for immunotherapy development for ALS and frontotemporal dementias.
A new paper in Current Anthropology proposes that early human ancestors acquired a taste for fat by eating marrow scavenged from large animal skeletons. This fatty diet provided the necessary calories to develop bigger brains, contradicting the widely held view that meat consumption was crucial for human evolution.
Researchers compared two groups of patients who underwent clot retrieval with either a balloon-guided catheter or a conventional guide catheter. Patients treated with the balloon-guided catheter showed improved restoration of blood flow scores and clinical outcomes, highlighting its potential to enhance stroke patient care.
PET scans reveal female brains are metabolically 3-4 years younger than males, affecting resilience to neurodegeneration. Sex differences in metabolic brain aging may influence later life outcomes.
Researchers developed a deep-learning model that detects fake news by analyzing language patterns, finding favoritism towards exaggerations in false stories. The model achieved high accuracy in distinguishing fact from fiction, particularly when tested on novel topics.
Researchers found that rats without a Y chromosome develop as males due to the expression of different zinc finger protein genes. These genes compensate for the absence of SRY and stimulate male sexual differentiation.
A new Cornell study reveals that serotonin neurons play a crucial role in the brain's ability to make appropriate decisions during emergency situations. In high-threat situations, stimulating these neurons elicits escape attempts, while in lower threat environments, they cause pausing.