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Researchers discover 15 genetic 'hotspots' that speed up or slow down brain aging

Researchers from a USC-led consortium have discovered 15 "hotspots" in the genome that either speed up brain aging or slow it down -; a finding that could provide new drug targets to resist Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain disorders, as well as developmental delays.

6 Apr 2022

High-resolution 3D map reveals cellular structure of the human metathalamus

A new, high-resolution 3D map of a previously unmapped area of the brain has been reconstructed by a team of researchers as part of the Human Brain Project (HBP). The German-based group developed a cytoarchitectonic map (a map of the cellular structure of the brain, down to the individual neurons) of the metathalamus, an area involved in processing audiovisual information.

4 Apr 2022

Noncoding DNA mutations prevent the brain from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

When a condition is connected to a genetic mutation, it is generally negative news.

4 Apr 2022

Understanding how cleaning up bad mitochondria affects stem cell division

Most of us remember enough biology to recall that mitochondria are known as "the powerhouse of the cell." Even that audacious term may downplay the importance of mitochondria and what happens when mitochondria go bad.

1 Apr 2022

Minuscule involuntary eye movements are not drivers of brain signals underlying attention

Minuscule involuntary eye movements, known as microsaccades, can occur even while one is carefully staring at a fixed point in space.

28 Mar 2022

Gene mutation influences autism development, study finds

A research team discovered that interruption of a circadian clock gene may be implicated in the formation of autism spectrum disorder.

25 Mar 2022

Insight into oligodendrocyte cells could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

New research may help scientists locate immature cells in the central nervous system that could shed light on the causes of neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis-;and autoimmune disease that affects the brain and nervous system-;and allow for the development of better therapeutic treatments.

14 Mar 2022

Study takes a deep dive into the molecular biology of the brain in bipolar disorder patients

In a comprehensive study involving one of the largest-ever samples of post-mortem brains, scientists at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, in collaboration with researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, have pinpointed significant differences in gene expression in two specific regions of the brains of hundreds of patients who had bipolar disorder.

8 Mar 2022

Study identifies two types of brain cells that play a key role in creating memories

In a study led by Cedars-Sinai, researchers have discovered two types of brain cells that play a key role in dividing continuous human experience into distinct segments that can be recalled later.

8 Mar 2022

New technique uses microscopic magnetic particles to remotely activate brain cells

Scientists at UCL have developed a new technique that uses microscopic magnetic particles to remotely activate brain cells; researchers say the discovery in rats could potentially lead to the development of a new class of non-invasive therapies for neurological disorders.

From University College London 24 Feb 2022

New study uncovers potential driver of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease may be driven in part by cell stress-related biochemical events that disrupt a key cellular cleanup system, leading to the spread of harmful protein aggregates in the brain, according to a new study from scientists at Scripps Research.

24 Feb 2022

Cryo-electron microscopy reveals structures of a muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

New research co-led by a University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine professor is shedding light on some of the mysterious dynamics that define the interplay between nerves and muscle.

17 Feb 2022

A peptide could prove to be useful in stopping nerve cell degeneration

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago found promising results in their search for a treatment to stop nerve cell degeneration that happens in some types of disorders, such as hereditary spastic paraplegia and Parkinson's disease, which can cause significant disability.

17 Feb 2022

MIT researchers create a new cerebrovasculature atlas

While neurons and glial cells are by far the most numerous cells in the brain, many other types of cells play important roles. Among those are cerebrovascular cells, which form the blood vessels that deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the brain.

16 Feb 2022

Researchers develop enhanced version of microscope that produce high-throughput 3D adaptive optical imaging

Microscopes are chosen to be a helpful tool in biomedical research as they permit for close inspection and visualization of tissues.

15 Feb 2022

Three proteins as potential new therapeutic targets in movement disorders

Three members of a family of proteins have been identified that are important to helping us fine tune the activity of brain chemicals which enable us to walk or stand at will, scientists report.

11 Feb 2022

Scientists use genetically informed brain atlases to identify hundreds of genomic loci

An international team of scientists has used atlases of the human brain informed by genetics to identify hundreds of genomic loci. Loci is plural for locus, and in genetics indicates the physical location of a gene or variant on a chromosome.

From UC San Diego 8 Feb 2022

Researchers provide first evidence of the gene-environment interaction in the social dysfunctions typical of autistic disorders

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by a wide range of behavioral issues.

2 Feb 2022

Researchers catalog the complete cells that form the blood vessels of the human brain

Researchers at UC San Francisco have cataloged all of the cells that make up the blood vessels in the human brain, as well as their positions and the genes produced.

31 Jan 2022

Experts unravel a new form of communication between brain cells

Scientists discovered hundreds of proteins that are constantly transferred throughout the healthy brain in small membrane-enclosed sacs.