Articles tagged with Brain
Researchers used brain imaging to predict the outcome of an anti-smoking email campaign sent to 800,000 smokers in New York State. The study found that brain activity in just 50 smokers was able to predict which messages would be effective at getting people to quit smoking.
A brain imaging study found that certain facial patches prefer both faces and bodies to process an individual. This suggests the brain combines facial and body information to represent a whole person. The findings have relevance for understanding human social processing.
Researchers discovered that dinosaurs utilized their elaborate nasal passages as heat exchangers to maintain optimal brain temperatures. This innovative mechanism allowed them to regulate their body temperature efficiently, solving the long-standing puzzle of how dinosaurs kept their brains from overheating despite their large bodies.
A one-month training program on the Virtual Week computer brain game strengthens prospective memory in older adults, which is crucial for planning and everyday functioning. The study shows that these cognitive gains transfer to real-world activities of daily living, with participants performing more tasks correctly than control groups.
Researchers at the University of Rochester found that humans can detect and process sound delays as short as 40 milliseconds to fine-tune visual distance estimates. Participants consistently perceived shapes paired with delayed clicks as more distant, even when they were not, suggesting an unconscious link between sound delays and visu...
A new study published in PLOS Biology found that people with PTSD have reduced SGK1 protein activity in their prefrontal cortices. Reducing SGK1 activity in rats led to PTSD-like behavior and induced learned helplessness, a key aspect of the disorder.
Robots develop self-taught behaviors through sensory input and adaptation, mirroring natural sensorimotor development. This concept has implications for understanding early stages of evolution and may lead to new strategies for robotic learning.
York U researchers list products expectant mothers should avoid during first trimester, including cleaning solvents, pesticides, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals can disrupt brain development and increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders.
A Johns Hopkins University research team has validated a theory on the brain's mechanism of learning, finding that 'eligibility traces' effectively tag neural synapses activated by stimuli, linking actions with rewards. This discovery could enhance teaching methods and lead to treatments for cognitive problems.
Researchers at NYU have identified brain rhythms that help process music, revealing a role for cortical oscillations in detecting musical sequences. Musicians show enhanced oscillatory mechanisms and better pitch detection accuracy.
Scientists at SDSU's CSNE are working on a brain chip that reroutes neural signals around injured nerves, allowing for the restoration of motor function. The center has received renewed funding from the National Science Foundation to further develop this technology.
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation honors Drs. Beatrix and David Hamburg with the Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health, recognizing their groundbreaking contributions to mental health research and advocacy. The $300,000 annual prize focuses on expanding mental health services globally.
Research finds that men who process negative feelings with aggressive music react negatively to the emotion, while females exhibit increased activity in the mPFC. The study suggests long-term effects of music listening styles on brain activity and mental well-being.
Dr. Joe Z. Tsien's Theory of Connectivity proposes that the brain uses the power of two to create a prewired framework for connecting neurons, enabling knowledge and flexibility. This equation provides a way to wire brain cells in such a way to turn infinite possibilities into organized knowledge.
New findings reveal how betel nut's psychoactive chemical works in the brain, suggesting an addiction treatment may already exist. Researchers found that the active ingredient, arecoline, acts on the same receptor proteins as nicotine, raising the possibility of using existing anti-smoking drugs to treat betel nut addiction.
A University of Florida Health researcher has discovered a key clue about betel nut addiction, finding that the nut's psychoactive chemical works in the brain similarly to nicotine. This raises the possibility that prescription drugs used to break nicotine dependence could also be effective against betel nut addiction.
A new test predicts whether breast cancer will spread to the brain by analyzing high activity in a particular gene called alpha beta-crystallin. Women with aggressive forms of breast cancer are three times more likely to develop secondary brain tumors if they test positive.
Researchers developed a new tumor marker test that may predict breast cancer spread to the brain, based on alpha B-crystallin levels in breast tumors. The test found nearly three times higher likelihood of brain metastasis in women with alpha B-crystallin expression.
Researchers developed a method to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier using nasal mucosal grafting, showing neuroprotection in Parkinson's mouse models. The technique has potential to treat various brain disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric conditions.
Researchers studied female fruit flies' auditory pathways to understand how external stimuli become behavior. They found that longer song segments prompt females to slow down and let males approach, a finding relevant to humans' ability to recognize patterns in the environment.
Researchers found that tumor suppressor protein PTEN is lost in brain cancer cells but restored once they migrate to other organs. This reversible loss enables brain metastases growth and protects against cell death.
Researchers found that nicotine increases the speed at which codeine is converted into morphine in the brain, leading to greater pain relief but also a higher risk of addiction. People with more of this enzyme may experience increased pain relief but be more prone to codeine dependence.
Leading US neuroscientists advocate for a coordinated national network of neurotechnology centers to accelerate the BRAIN Initiative. The proposed brain observatories would unite and synergize hundreds of individual laboratories, enabling rapid progress in key areas like connectomics and neural nanoprobe systems.
Researchers at Yale University have identified a rare genetic mutation that significantly extends the survival of lung cancer patients with brain metastases. Patients with this mutation live an average of four years with controlled disease in their brains nearly a year after initial treatment.
A national network of neurotechnology centers is proposed to accelerate the BRAIN Initiative, a decade-long scientific project with over $300 Million budget. The centers would tackle critical areas like Connectomics, Nanotechnology, and Optical Imaging, providing an alternative STEM career path for postdocs and graduate students.
Researchers matched behavioral symptoms to specific brain abnormalities, providing a new way of thinking about schizophrenia. The study found distinct subgroups of patients with schizophrenia that correlate with symptoms, offering a step toward improving diagnosis and treatment.
A team of researchers at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin found that peripheral macrophages can be repurposed to clean up beta-amyloid deposits in the brain. However, even with stimulation, these cells were ineffective and require further investigation into a missing stimulus.
Joshua Levitz, PhD, received the Nemko Prize for his innovative approach to studying G protein-coupled receptors. His method will impact brain circuitry research and our understanding of receptor signaling.
Childhood cancer survivors showed significant improvements in working memory, attention, and processing speed after completing computer-based cognitive training. The training program, using Cogmed, improved performance comparable to stimulant medications and showed changes in brain activity suggesting neuroplasticity.
Dr. Story Landis has been awarded the Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience for her significant contributions to neuroscience research and public service. She is recognized for her groundbreaking work on synapse formation and neurotrophins, as well as her leadership in transforming NINDS into a training and mentorship hub.
Researchers are working on a novel transparent skull implant made from yttria-stabilized zirconia, which could provide a 'window' to the brain and enable laser-based treatments of life-threatening disorders. The project aims to enhance material properties, shape the implant for better fitment, and study its response in animal studies.
The Society for Neuroscience awards recognize two neuroscientists, Adam Gazzaley and E. Paul Zehr, for their contributions to promoting public education and awareness about neuroscience. Diasynou Fioravante and Nicole Baganz are also honored for their outreach efforts and commitment to making science accessible to the public.
Brown University researchers have created a new optoelectronic device that can stimulate multiple neuronal targets optically and record the effects in millisecond precision. This breakthrough allows scientists to control brain cell activity using specific spatial patterns of light pulses, enabling the study of neural circuits and netwo...
Researchers found that individuals with early signs of psychosis relied more heavily on prior knowledge to interpret ambiguous images, leading to improved task performance. This suggests an altered balance in normal brain functions contributing to the emergence of mental illness symptoms.
Gershow's lab will study how fruit fly larvae use the sense of smell to seek out or avoid odor sources using light to read and control individual neurons. The project aims to address broader questions about brain decision-making and sensory input, involving undergraduates and outreach programs.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that individuals with dyslexia struggle to learn complex auditory categories through procedural learning, which may be an effect of the condition. This suggests that difficulty processing speech may be an outcome of dyslexia rather than its underlying cause.
Scientists at NCBS identify new roles for calcium refill mechanisms in regulating dopamine levels in the brain. Inhibiting these mechanisms disrupts dopamine synthesis and transport, affecting gene expression.
A new study at Children's Hospital Los Angeles has confirmed the neuroprotective effects of hypothermia on newborn brain metabolism, using MRS imaging. The study found that therapeutic hypothermia can almost double the chance of a healthy outcome for infants with HIE.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology found that upper limb amputees who learned from fellow amputees using a similar prosthetic device showed significant improvement in motor skills and brain activity. The study suggests that people are better equipped to adapt when learning from someone with similar physical characteristics.
Researchers at MIT are developing a computer system that uses genetic, demographic, and clinical data to predict the effects of neurodegenerative disease on brain anatomy. By combining MRI data with additional patient information, they found that predictions were improved by half in cases where changes were drastic.
A study by Professor Victor Boucher of the University of Montreal found that repeating aloud boosts verbal memory, especially when done in a context of communication. The research showed that repeating aloud to someone else increased information recall compared to repeating silently or in one's head.
Scientists identified mushroom body output neurons, which transform sensory information into clear instructions for a fly's response. Each cell had a characteristic response pattern that differed between flies, suggesting individual odor preferences develop through experiences.
Researchers found that activating pleasure and reward receptors in the brain can provide a similar high as exercise, potentially leading to new treatments for drug addicts. Highly active rats reduced their activity when their mu-opioid receptors were chemically activated.
UT Dallas researchers aim to develop a new therapy using targeted plasticity therapy with vagus nerve stimulation to reduce anxiety in PTSD patients. The four-year DARPA grant will support research at nine labs and a team of 30 researchers.
A high-fructose diet has been shown to slow down the brain's ability to recover from head trauma, according to a new US study published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. The research found that rats fed a fructose-infused diet took 30% longer to solve a maze after being subjected to a simulated traumatic brain injury.
Action video games have been shown to improve attention skills and cognitive functions, while 'brain games' lack equivalent impact on perception and cognition. Video game play predicts poorer attention in the classroom, but benefits can be positive or negative depending on content.
A Stanford study suggests a malfunctioning enzyme may contribute to the development of alcoholism in individuals who binge drink. The researchers identified a previously unknown biochemical assembly line that produces an essential neurotransmitter called GABA, which is thought to play a key role in countering addiction.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $38 million in grants to support the BRAIN Initiative, a large-scale effort to understand neural circuit function and capture dynamic views of the brain. The initiative aims to treat devastating brain disorders that affect over one billion people worldwide.
Researchers at the University of Geneva have confirmed that glutamate is an essential energy source for the brain, which cannot store glucose. In its absence, the brain sends signals to the liver to increase glucose production, leading to muscle loss and growth deficits.
Scientists at the NIH discovered a link between human endogenous retroviral genes and ALS, suggesting that reactivated viral genes may destroy neurons. Activation of HERV-K genes may be controlled by TDP-43, a gene-regulating protein linked to ALS.
A University of Texas at Arlington professor will analyze complex data using imaging genomics to identify biomarkers predicting Alzheimer's disease risk. He aims to develop advanced algorithms to study the brain, incorporating biological knowledge into data sets.
Stroke patients with spatial neglect are at higher risk of falls, have longer hospital stays, and are less likely to return home. The study found that screening for spatial neglect and early intervention can help mitigate these negative outcomes.
Researchers replicate previous finding on how the brain processes music using a naturalistic free listening context, demonstrating reliable results and ecologically valid findings. The study fine-tunes previous findings, concluding which brain areas are involved in processing different musical elements.
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation has awarded $13.3 million in NARSAD Young Investigator Grants to 191 promising young scientists working on groundbreaking neurobiological research to identify causes, improve treatments and develop prevention strategies for psychiatric disorders affecting one in four people.
A paraplegic man was able to take steps without manual control using an electroencephalogram-based system that bypasses the spinal cord. The study, led by Zoran Nenadic and An Do, used a custom-made system to process brain waves into signals that stimulate leg muscles.
Researchers found that fruit flies exhibit a similar craving for salt during pregnancy as humans, and this preference increases offspring production. The study suggests the existence of unifying biological principles underlying this behavior across species.
Researchers at University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich develop new treatment methods for rare brain disease PML. A vaccine against the disease could be developed using specific antibodies that recognize the most important mutants of the JC virus.
Researchers aim to create a 'smellscape' to understand how critters navigate by scent and convert odors into spatial information. They will use computational modeling to simulate odor navigation processes and test their models on diverse species.
A participant with complete paralysis regained walking ability using a brain-controlled system that utilizes electroencephalogram signals. The study, published in Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, demonstrates the feasibility of non-invasive leg muscle stimulation using direct brain control.
Researchers at UW linked two human brains to play a question-and-answer game via direct brain-to-brain connection. Participants successfully identified objects in 72% of real games, outperforming control rounds.