Brain News and Research

RSS

The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Study explains the nuances of mechanical signaling in cells

Actin is among the most abundant proteins in cells, and it has many jobs--from giving the cell its very shape and structure to managing networks of proteins crucial to numerous cellular functions. Without it, the fragile fundamental unit of life would crumble.

27 Oct 2020

Study shows how genetic variability may shape mathematical performance in children

According to a study, DNA variation in a gene is linked to early anatomical variations in a region of the brain that plays a crucial role in quantity representation.

26 Oct 2020

Study links gut hormone to Parkinson’s dementia

A team of researchers have discovered that a gut hormone, called ghrelin, is a crucial regulator of new nerve cells that form in the adult brain.

26 Oct 2020

Researchers use digital endocasts technique to reconstruct surface morphology of canine brains

Based on digital endocranial cast models the canine brain does not increase proportionally with body size. Researchers at ELTE Eötvös Loránd and Kaposvár University in Hungary reconstructed the surface morphology of 28 canine brains, including various dog breeds, wolves, coyotes, and jackals.

23 Oct 2020

Metabolite of dietary soy may decrease key risk factor for dementia

A metabolite produced following consumption of dietary soy may decrease a key risk factor for dementia--with the help of the right bacteria, according to a new discovery led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

23 Oct 2020

Simple skin test can accurately identify Parkinson's disease

New research shows a simple skin test can accurately identify Parkinson's disease, demonstrating for the first time the feasibility of the method. Currently diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms but only definitively diagnosed at autopsy, Parkinson's disease is commonly misdiagnosed early in the disease course, complicating clinical trials of potential treatments.

22 Oct 2020

Researchers identify a valuable source for treating pediatric cancer

For many cancers, doctors are increasingly looking to the DNA that solid tumors shed into the blood stream to help with diagnosis and monitoring.

22 Oct 2020

Scientists develop simple, effective fluorescent biosensors widely used in scientific and medical research

Scientists have made it simple for researchers to interpret biological processes all by making a small change to the color palette.

22 Oct 2020

Researchers discover a gene responsible for urination

In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study involving both mice and patients who are part of an NIH Clinical Center trial, researchers discovered that a gene, called PIEZO2, may be responsible for the powerful urge to urinate that we normally feel several times a day.

20 Oct 2020

Visually responsive neurons in zebrafish are arranged in a map to efficiently catch prey

Spotting, pursuing and catching prey - for many animals this is an essential task for survival. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology now show in zebrafish that the localization of neurons in the midbrain is adapted to a successful hunting sequence.

20 Oct 2020

New mechanism of metastatic cancer cells discovered in substrates of different stiffness

During metastasis, cancer cells actively interact with microenvironments of new tissues. How metastatic cancer cells respond to new environments in the secondary tissues is a crucial question in cancer research but still remains elusive.

19 Oct 2020

New laboratory test can capture and analyze the deadliest cells in brain cancer

Researchers have designed a laboratory test that can precisely examine the deadliest cells found in the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer.

19 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

Researchers discover a new mechanism to regulate nerve impulses

Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have discovered a new mechanism by which substances can open a certain type of ion channel and in this way regulate nerve impulses.

13 Oct 2020

Gene variations that regulate dopamine levels may influence the mobility of elders

Variations in a gene that regulates dopamine levels in the brain may influence the mobility of elderly and frail adults, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

13 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

Enzyme SSH1 impairs disposal of damaged tau and mitochondria leaking toxins

In a healthy brain, the multistep waste clearance process known as autophagy routinely removes and degrades damaged cell components - including malformed proteins like tau and toxic mitochondria.

13 Oct 2020

Components leaking from broken muscle fibers activate 'satellite' muscle stem cells

While building a muscle damage model in a cultured system, a research collaboration between Kumamoto University and Nagasaki University in Japan has found that components leaking from broken muscle fibers activate "satellite" muscle stem cells.

13 Oct 2020

Brain News and Research

Study explains the nuances of mechanical signaling in cells

Study shows how genetic variability may shape mathematical performance in children

Study links gut hormone to Parkinson’s dementia

Researchers use digital endocasts technique to reconstruct surface morphology of canine brains

Metabolite of dietary soy may decrease key risk factor for dementia

Simple skin test can accurately identify Parkinson's disease

Researchers identify a valuable source for treating pediatric cancer

Scientists develop simple, effective fluorescent biosensors widely used in scientific and medical research

Researchers discover a gene responsible for urination

Visually responsive neurons in zebrafish are arranged in a map to efficiently catch prey

New mechanism of metastatic cancer cells discovered in substrates of different stiffness

New laboratory test can capture and analyze the deadliest cells in brain cancer

Childhood trauma leads to metabolic changes across generations

Study shows cocaine use in mice leads to formation of synapses

Scientists find sensor protein which enables normal functioning of bladder

Researchers discover a new mechanism to regulate nerve impulses

Gene variations that regulate dopamine levels may influence the mobility of elders

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

Enzyme SSH1 impairs disposal of damaged tau and mitochondria leaking toxins

Components leaking from broken muscle fibers activate 'satellite' muscle stem cells

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

From Memory to Metaplasticity: Unraveling the Brain's Secrets

Revolutionizing Mass Spectrometry: A Deep Dive into Plasmion’s SICRIT® Technology

Latest in Genomics