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Investigational Drug Stops Toxic Proteins Tied to Neurodegenerative Diseases
An investigational drug that targets an instigator of the TDP-43 protein, a well-known hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), may reduce the protein’s buildup and neurological decline associated with these disorders, suggests a pre-clinical study from researchers at Penn Medicine and Mayo Clinic. Results were published in Science Translational Medicine.
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First ‘Plug and Play’ Brain Prosthesis Demonstrated in Paralyzed Person
In a significant advance, researchers working toward a brain-controlled prosthetic limb at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences have shown that machine learning techniques helped a paralyzed individual learn to control a computer cursor using their brain activity without requiring extensive daily retraining, which has been a requirement of all past brain-computer interface (BCI) efforts.
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Thyroid inflammation linked to anxiety disorders
Patients with autoimmune inflammation of their thyroid may be at greater risk of developing anxiety, according to a study being presented at e-ECE 2020. The study found that people with anxiety may also have inflammation in their thyroid gland that can be reduced by taking the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, ibuprofen. These findings suggest that thyroid function […]
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Rubbing skin activates itch-relief neural pathway
Stop scratching: rubbing skin activates an anti-itch pathway in the spinal cord, according to research in mice recently published in JNeurosci.
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The brain can induce diabetes remission in rodents, but how?
In rodents with type 2 diabetes, a single surgical injection of a protein called fibroblast growth factor 1 can restore blood sugar levels to normal for weeks or months. Yet how this growth factor acts in the brain to generate this lasting benefit has been poorly understood. Clarifying how this occurs might lead to more […]
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Brain imaging expertise supports new discoveries on decision-making process
Research carried out by a University academic has shed new light on the fundamentals of how, and why, we make the decisions we do. In two separate studies, UKRI Future Leader Fellow and Lecturer in Psychology, Dr Elsa Fouragnan has used her expertise in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and computational analysis to discover exactly […]
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Study of Siblings Finds Moderate Cannabis Use Impacts Cognitive Functioning
A new study led by researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine compares adolescent siblings to determine the impact of early and frequent use of marijuana on cognitive function. This study, published in the journal Addiction, contrasts with previous studies by finding that moderate adolescent cannabis use may have adverse effects that cannot […]
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UAB study targets gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are on the track of a gene that might play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The research team is studying a gene called BIN1, which was first linked to Alzheimer’s disease in 2009.
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Offspring of mice fed imbalanced diets shown to be neurologically ‘programmed’ for obesity
Pregnant mice fed a diet high in omega-6 fats and low in omega-3 fats produce offspring that go on to exhibit “hedonic”–pleasurable but excessive–levels of consumption of hyper-caloric diets, according to researchers at Hiroshima University.
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Time and brain size – of mice and men
The neocortex, the largest part of our brain, enables us to speak, dream and think. During human evolution, the size of the neocortex has increased dramatically. To understand what caused this expansion, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden have focused in previous studies on a gene […]