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Research challenges conventional wisdom about key autism trait
A new study into the causes of sensorimotor impairments prevalent among autistic people could pave the way for better treatment and management in the future, say psychologists. Publishing findings in the leading journal BRAIN [today: Friday 25 September], the scientists from the universities of Exeter and Bath present fresh evidence that sensorimotor difficulties associated with […]
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Anxious, moody older adults are vulnerable to worse cognitive function
Our aging brains collect tangles and sticky plaques that can interfere in our cognition and memory. But some older adults with this neuropathology have more cognitive resilience than others, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
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A Genetic Variant That Protects Against Alzheimer’s Promotes Immune Cell Functions
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland found that the PLCG2-P522R genetic variant, which protects against Alzheimer’s disease, enhances several key functions of immune cells. The results obtained in the study highlight the importance of immune cells as a target of future development of new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.
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Stem cells can repair Parkinson’s-damaged circuits in mouse brains
The mature brain is infamously bad at repairing itself following damage like that caused by trauma or strokes, or from degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Stem cells, which are endlessly adaptable, have offered the promise of better neural repair. But the brain’s precisely tuned complexity has stymied the development of clinical treatments.
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160 genes linked to brain shrinkage
A new study implicates 160 genes in brain shrinkage seen on MRIs of 45,000 healthy adults. The shrinkage is in the cortex, the dimply outer layer of the brain that gives rise to thinking, awareness and action, and largely consists of gray matter.
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Insomnia, sleeping less than six hours may increase risk of cognitive impairment
New research from Penn State College of Medicine may help health care professionals understand which patients who report insomnia are at increased risk for developing dementia. Middle-aged adults who report symptoms on insomnia and sleep less than six hours of asleep a night may be at increased risk of cognitive impairment.
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大脑内的果糖与阿兹海默症的发病有关
果糖是一种单糖，通常大量存在于水果中。但事实上，人脑也能制造果糖，且科罗拉多大学的一项研究指出，大脑内过度活跃的果糖代谢与阿兹海默症（AD）的发病具有直接联系。在将大脑内的大量葡萄糖转化成果糖的过程中，线粒体会出现供能不足的情况，从而导致脑组织无法维持正常功能。如果大脑长期处于果糖代谢过度活跃的状态，那么大脑内的氧化应激水平就会久高不下，最终导致脑细胞出现大面积死亡。这便解释了为何糖尿病和肥胖人群具有较高的阿兹海默症患病风险。该研究成果的确立为AD的防治指明了一条新的路径，只要对大脑内的果糖代谢进行干预，就有望能减缓AD的发病进程。
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冥想有助于提高BCI操作能力
脑机接口（BCI）技术能帮助人们使用意念控制体外设备，一般分为有创和无创两种。在使用无创BCI设备控制计算机鼠标时，使用者需要在脑中想象鼠标的运动轨迹，而EEG设备则负责将读取到的脑电信号转化成计算机指令。卡耐基梅隆的贺斌教授实验结果表明，冥想训练能有效提升使用BCI时所需的这种想象力和注意力。无论是在刚接触BCI设备时还是在提高熟练度的过程中，经历过冥想培训的人群其操作水平都显著高于未接受过培训的人群，且两者的差异甚至能通过脑电图显现出来。冥想的这一效用的发现为BCI设备的算法设计以及后期调试提供了重要的理论信息。
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二甲双胍或能延缓老年痴呆
二甲双胍广泛用于II型糖尿病的治疗，能帮助机体降低肝糖的输出并增加体内组织对葡糖糖的利用。在对123名糖尿病人进行跟踪调查后，研究人员发现，相对于使用其他疗法的糖尿病患者，长期服用二甲双胍的人群其认知能力衰退得更慢，更不容易患老年痴呆。在正常情况下，II型糖尿病病人将有很大的几率会出现痴呆症等认知方面的问题，而二甲双胍这一常规用药将在帮助患者降低血糖的同时延缓其认知衰退的进程。
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科学家揭露血脑屏障得以维持的奥秘
头骨能保护大脑免受外界的伤害，而在头骨的内部，血脑屏障负责保护脑细胞免受血液中有毒物质的侵害。包括创伤性脑损伤、脑梗、癫痫、阿兹海默症以及帕金森在内的诸多脑部疾病都会伴有血脑屏障受损的情况，严重损害病患的认知以及运动能力。因此，找到能帮助血脑屏障维持正常机能的因素就变得尤为重要。使用基因敲除技术对小鼠大脑中的星形胶质细胞进行部分移除后，研究人员发现，小鼠的血脑屏障产生了泄漏，且损伤程度与所移除的星形胶质细胞数量成正比。该团队成员认为，星形胶质细胞或许能通过释放有助于屏障细胞紧密贴合的因子来维持其正常机能。这一研究结果的发现加深了科研人员对血脑屏障的理解，将有助于相关疾病的针对性治疗。