Neuroscience News and Research

RSS

Scientists aim to treat and prevent disease by understanding exercise benefits

A top exercise researcher and colleagues at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have launched an ambitious effort to understand the whole-body benefits of exercise so that doctors can use that information to prevent and treat disease.

11 Dec 2020

Damage to brain cells causes a chain reaction that impacts 'bystander' neurons

Injury or disease that afflicts a relatively small number of brain cells causes a chain reaction that stops activity across a vast network of neural circuits, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University.

9 Dec 2020

Astrocytes modulate balance in neural networks, control decision making

Decision-making during goal-directed behaviors is deliberative process involving different brain areas that considers pros and cons of each option.

8 Dec 2020

Researchers develop new tool to study genes associated with autism spectrum disorder

Researchers have developed technology to analyze the function of different types of genes found in many types of cells in a living organism, at the same time.

1 Dec 2020

Scientists successfully edit SIV virus from genomes of non-human primates

Taking a major step forward in HIV research, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University have successfully edited SIV - a virus closely related to HIV, the cause of AIDS - from the genomes of non-human primates.

1 Dec 2020

New gene therapy can protect visual function in patients with dominant optic atrophy

Researchers have created a novel gene therapy approach that shows promise for someday treating an eye disease that results in progressive vision loss.

27 Nov 2020

Biologists unravel how tissue geometry influences cell migration

Cells move constantly throughout our bodies, performing myriad operations critical to tissue development, immune responses, and general wellbeing. This bustle is guided by chemical cues long studied by scientists interested in cellular migration.

23 Nov 2020

Study identifies molecular mutation more common in African Americans with late-onset Alzheimer’s

Scientists have identified a molecular mechanism that leads to a “traffic jam” of enzymes, resulting in the accumulation of amyloid-beta.

19 Nov 2020

Salk’s HPI receives $30 million from Bezos Earth Fund to fight climate change

Salk's Harnessing Plants Initiative will receive $30 million from the Bezos Earth Fund to advance efforts to increase the ability of crop plants, such as corn and soybeans, to capture and store atmospheric carbon via their roots in the soil.

17 Nov 2020

Polβ enzyme prevents breakdown of DNA in the hippocampus region

It's a fact of life that things break down. And when they do, whether it's your car, the roof, or a blocked artery, there are people who we can call to help with the repairs.

From Osaka University 12 Nov 2020

Study unravels how perceptions of beauty drive our appetite and healthiness judgments

As the holiday season nears, thoughts of pumpkin pies, roasted chestnuts and turkey dinners fill our dreams and our grocery shopping lists. While visions of holiday food may be pleasing to the eyes and tantalizing to the palate, it would be a mistake to conclude that pretty food is healthier than other food.

10 Nov 2020

Researchers describe how drug use change specific brain cells responsible for motivation

In the October 28, 2020 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina and the National Institutes of Health describe how reminders of drug use can change specific brain cells responsible for motivation, increasing the desire to seek drugs.

30 Oct 2020

Researchers reveal the features of T cells for treating multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder that develops as immune cells attack the nervous system. T cells are a critical part of our immune system, with a complex array of subtypes - some drive the autoimmune response, while others try to suppress it.

27 Oct 2020

Researchers identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection

To identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2, a team of scientists at the New York Genome Center, New York University, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, performed a genome-scale, loss-of-function CRISPR screen to systematically knockout all genes in the human genome.

27 Oct 2020

Childhood trauma leads to metabolic changes across generations

People who experienced childhood trauma usually suffer lifelong consequences that impact their physical and mental health.

19 Oct 2020

Study shows cocaine use in mice leads to formation of synapses

Drugs of abuse, like cocaine, are so addictive due in part to their cellular interaction, creating strong cellular memories in the brain that promote compulsive behaviors.

16 Oct 2020

Scientists find sensor protein which enables normal functioning of bladder

A team co-led by scientists at Scripps Research has found that the main sensor protein enabling our sense of touch also underlies the feeling of having a full bladder and makes normal bladder function possible.

15 Oct 2020

Regular cannabis exposure during pregnancy may cause cognitive deficiencies, anxiety in offspring

Regular cannabis exposure in rats during pregnancy may cause their offspring to have long-term cognitive deficiencies, asocial behavior, and anxiety later in adulthood.

15 Oct 2020

Dopamine and serotonin found to be involved in perception, cognitive capacities

In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals -- dopamine and serotonin -- are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers use physics to map the chaos of movement in living organisms

The behavior of living organisms might obey the same mathematical laws as physical phenomena, such as weather and the motion of planets, says new research from the Biological Physics Theory Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

6 Oct 2020