Articles tagged with Brain
Researchers have created a new drug that stimulates GPR88 receptor, reducing rats' tendency to drink alcohol. The molecule, RTI-13951-33, is potent and selective for the receptor, crossing the blood-brain barrier more effectively than its predecessor.
Researchers found a significant connection between probiotic use, bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, high levels of D-lactic acid, and brain fogginess. The study suggests that excessive probiotic use can lead to severe bloating and disorienting brain fog.
A study published in eNeuro found a common neural signature of balance maintenance in the healthy brain, which could be used to assess balance in patients with movement disorders. The researchers used EEG and EMG to record electrical activity from the brain and muscles while participants walked or stood on a narrow beam.
Researchers used magnetoencephalography to show that brain's ability to group sounds into sequences disappears during slow wave sleep. However, elementary associations like stimulus-reflex response can be acquired during sleep, suggesting limitations in learning capabilities.
Neurons in brain's master clock exhibit regular activity cycle that is disrupted under constant light conditions. Blocking these neurons reduces the severity of shifts in daily rhythms, suggesting a potential mechanism for modern sleep disorders.
Researchers developed a new technique to decode human motor intention from EEG using subliminal sensory stimulation. This method achieved nearly 90% single-trial decoding accuracy across tested subjects, within 96 ms of the stimulation, with zero user training and no additional cognitive load.
A new study by University of Iowa researchers reveals that older adults are less likely to recognize when they've made a mistake. Despite performing tasks similarly to younger adults, older participants acknowledged errors less often and were more adamant about not having made a mistake. This impaired ability has significant consequenc...
A new study from the University of Zurich reveals that people with high leadership abilities have a greater need for certainty when making decisions that affect others. This characteristic drives their willingness or unwillingness to take on responsibility, distinguishing leaders from followers.
Worms use two neural cells to perform critical calculations for finding food, employing a 'Hot or Cold' computation and constant follow-up checks. This system teaches us the importance of having a backup solution to ensure we're moving in the right direction.
A new study using machine learning has identified four brain-based dimensions of mental health disorders, including mood, psychosis, fear, and disruptive externalizing behavior. These findings suggest that psychiatric symptoms do not neatly fall into established categories, but instead emerge from diverse clinical domains to form dimen...
Zebra finches partition hues from red to orange into two discrete categories, similar to human color perception. The birds' ability to distinguish between colors suggests a cognitive shortcut to reduce ambiguity in decision-making.
Researchers explore the influence of dietary nitrate supplementation on cerebral hemodynamics and cognitive function in veterans with Gulf War Illness. Studies suggest that beetroot juice may improve cerebrovascular system functioning due to its high organic nitrate composition.
In a recent study, biologists found that great tits possess remarkable impulse control, beating 80% of attempts to access food in a test. This cognitive ability surpasses many other animals and is comparable to intelligent species like ravens and chimpanzees.
Humpback whale songs may be used for echolocation, allowing singers to analyze their surroundings and locate other whales. This challenges the long-held assumption that whale songs are primarily used for reproductive purposes, instead suggesting a more complex cognitive process at play.
Researchers debunk claims that brain training games improve working memory and cognitive skills, finding no transfer between trained and untrained tasks. The study's findings support previous research showing that getting good at one game does not enhance IQ or working memory.
Researchers have highlighted the importance of testing and targeting different forms of Aβ protein, which can take various shapes including monomers and twisted tangles. Two new studies found that certain forms of Aβ are more toxic than others, and developed a screening test to identify potential therapeutics.
A subset of dopaminergic neurons are inhibited during the day by light-responsive neuropeptide Pigment Dispersing Factor (PDF) and its receptor (PDFR), promoting wakefulness. High daytime levels of PDF increase daytime sleep, while reducing PDFR expression decreases daytime sleep.
A new LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center study suggests a novel biomarker may help create a diagnostic tool for hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure. Measuring brain adaptation after low blood sugar episodes could detect increased risk of HAAF, allowing for targeted treatment.
Neural circuits use inhibition to adjust excitatory inputs, producing more selective responses. Inhibitory connections often originate from neurons that prefer opposite directions of motion.
Researchers have found that improving lymphatic vessel function can enhance cognitive ability in aged mice and reduce the accumulation of harmful amyloid plaques. This breakthrough discovery offers new hope for treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered that meningeal lymphatic vessels in the brain play a crucial role in maintaining healthy brain function, and dysfunction can contribute to cognitive decline. Treating these vessels with a molecule increased fluid flow and improved learning and memory tasks in aged mice.
Researchers propose 'Event Memory Retrieval and Comparison Theory' that explains how people update memory representations to facilitate processing of changes in everyday actions. The study found older adults had difficulty tracking changes, which accounted for their lower memory performance.
A study published in JNeurosci found that increased frontal brain activity in healthy older adults is associated with reduced cognitive efficiency, not compensation for age-related decline. The research suggests that the extent to which an older brain operates like a younger one is a key determinant of cognitive function in old age.
A study from the University of Waterloo found that suppressing brain activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increases desire for high-calorie foods. Participants who underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation showed stronger urges and consumption of such foods after a placebo stimulation.
Researchers developed an artificial synapse inspired by the human brain, which efficiently processes information and demonstrates excellent energy efficiency. This breakthrough could lead to the development of energy-efficient neuromorphic computing, revolutionizing AI devices and transforming industries.
A new study by Cornell University neuroscientists suggests that cognitive bias can be a major obstacle to saving money. The researchers found that people tend to spend more brain power on earning than saving, leading to warped time perception and making it harder to prioritize saving over earning.
A new Mayo Clinic research study found that general anesthesia and surgery are associated with a subtle decline in memory and thinking skills in adults over 70. The study analyzed nearly 2,000 participants and found that exposure to anesthesia after age 70 was linked to long-term changes in brain function.
Researchers have successfully mapped the adult fruit fly brain in unprecedented detail, tracing the path of neurons to any other neuron throughout the entire brain. The high-resolution digital snapshot has also revealed a new cell type and other surprises, including tightly bundled olfactory projection neurons.
PKC alpha integrates two signaling pathways to process information at the single spine level, enabling complex processing of information. Mice lacking PKC alpha take longer to learn tasks but eventually catch up with intact PKC alpha.
A study reveals that small changes in a fruit fly's brain wiring can greatly impact its mating behavior, leading to different responses to the same pheromone. The research suggests that variations in brain circuits may underlie species-specific reactions to specific scents.
A Stanford University School of Medicine study found structural and functional abnormalities in the brain's mesolimbic reward pathway in children with autism. The research supports the social motivation theory of autism, suggesting that social interaction is inherently less appealing to those with the disorder.
A new study published in Nature Medicine found that fetal gene therapy can prevent and cure neonatal lethal neurodegenerative diseases in humans in utero. The therapy was tested on mice with Gaucher disease and showed promising results, including improved brain degeneration and increased survival time. Researchers believe this approach...
New research on the Neohelice granulata crab reveals that it combines visual information from both eyes to track moving targets. This complex binocular processing may be essential for capturing prey and interacting with other crabs.
Researchers found that stimuli in the environment can influence what we think about and activate subconscious 'sets' that override conscious intentions. This challenge traditional views of a private conscious mind, suggesting it may be more permeable than thought.
Checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to double median survival and more than double four-year survival rates for patients with melanoma brain metastases. The study analyzed data from over 1,500 cancer programs, revealing a significant improvement in overall survival.
Scientists at Washington University discovered that activating only 10% of VIP neurons can rapidly shift a mouse's daily schedule. The study suggests that VIP neurons produce vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, an essential compound for synchronizing daily rhythms.
A preliminary study suggests that soccer players who head the ball more often may experience balance problems due to repetitive subconcussive impacts. The study found a correlation between the number of headers and balance responses, indicating potential undermining of balance control.
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study found that brain metastases are a common occurrence in stage IV ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer. The study also showed that patients with ROS1 mutations had similar progression-free survival rates as ALK patients when treated with crizotinib, but with a higher risk of brain metastas...
Researchers from the University of Adelaide conducted a systematic review of over 70 studies on vitamin D's role in neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest that vitamin D is unlikely to protect against these brain-related disorders.
Researchers developed a personalized Therapeutic Intervention Fingerprint (pTIF) to predict the effectiveness of targeting specific biological factors for controlling neurological disease progression. This technique can categorize patients with their unique physiological needs, leading to more effective and tailored treatments.
A WSU study using metabolomics found that shift work schedules alter 24-hour rhythms in digestive organs, disrupting metabolism and increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes. The study suggests that separate biological clocks in the liver, gut, and pancreas play a key role in this disruption.
Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a unique type of signaling from damaged DNA that triggers huntingtin activity in DNA repair. This signaling is defective in Huntington's disease and can be restored with a molecule called N6-furfuryladenine, reversing symptoms and restoring mutant huntingtin protein levels to normal.
Researchers found that consuming savory umami-rich broths can cause subtle changes in the brain that promote healthy eating behaviors. The study used laboratory tools to detect changes in brain activity while participants made food choices, and found that the broth reduced saturated fat intake in those at higher risk of obesity.
Research suggests that oxygen therapy can improve the function of blood vessels in the brains of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common cause of dementia. This study found that delivering additional oxygen increased blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, matching its demands during activity.
A study found that amyloid beta protein in the brain traps and prevents herpes virus particles, protecting against infection. Chronic herpes infection may accelerate Alzheimer's progression by inducing overproduction of A-beta and causing inflammation.
Research study found that consciousness is not fully lost during general anesthesia, with brain processing words and sounds even when subjects do not recall them. The study used EEG and PET to monitor changes caused by anaesthetics.
Researchers found that some brain networks become more densely connected during adolescence, while others become less so. These changes may underlie the refinement of cognitive abilities that develop during the teenage years.
A study found that impairing glucose conversion in ApoE4 brains may lead to reduced risk or delayed disease onset. The research highlights the potential therapeutic strategy of promoting brain energy conversion to mitigate Alzheimer's risk.
Researchers found that mice lacking the melanocortin 4 receptor exhibit increased attraction to environments associated with inflammation, nausea, or discomfort. This suggests a link between this receptor and the regulation of negative emotions.
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland found that adolescent drinking is associated with changes in metabolite profiles, which can lead to reduced brain grey matter volume. Heavy-drinking adolescents showed increased concentrations of 1-methylhistamine, linked to decreased brain grey matter volume.
An international team of researchers has identified the electrical activity specific to the start of migraines and demonstrated a way to stop it in animal experiments. They found that spreading depolarization, seen in migraines, can be stopped with an opposite direction of electrical current used to turn off seizures.
Scientists investigate how high blood pressure affects the balance between blood flow and neuron activity in the brain. High blood pressure can lead to increased calcium levels in astrocytes, which may trigger inflammation and alter protective mechanisms.
Researchers discovered the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of Ataxin-2 facilitates its association with other pathogenic proteins, contributing to ALS and SCA2 progression. It also plays a vital role in long-term memory formation and rewiring the nervous system.
Researchers have identified a novel form of calcium signaling called store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) as the key to expressing specific proteins on individual neurons. This discovery has implications for understanding brain development, behavior, and disease, including neurodegenerative disorders such as spinocerebellar ataxia 15.
A new study found that Transcendental Meditation significantly improves psychological distress and brain functioning in school administrators and staff, with enhanced performance and well-being. The study, published in Brain and Cognition, is the largest randomized control trial investigating the impact of TM on brain functioning.
A team of scientists developed a computer model that can predict the outcome of eye diseases by simulating retinal circuitry and measuring its effects. The study shows that a single element of the retinal circuitry can lead to a variety of effects, and the model accurately reproduces changes observed in experiments.
New research found that replication under low RNA conditions alters disease features when transmitted back to hamsters, suggesting that RNA levels during replication influence prion adaptation. This study's findings may improve understanding of cross-species prion transmission and disease in mammals.
Researchers found that ASMR users had significantly reduced heart rates while watching ASMR videos compared to non-users. They also experienced increased positive emotions, relaxation, and social connection.
Researchers have identified a genetic variation associated with an increased risk of developing neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a potentially fatal disease that blinds and paralyzes patients. The study, published in Nature Communications, may help scientists develop targeted treatments for NMO.
Researchers at MIT's CSAIL have developed a system that allows people to control robots using brainwaves and hand gestures. The system uses EEG and EMG feedback to detect errors and correct robot mistakes on multi-choice problems, enabling more natural human-robot interactions.