Images that predate the formation of toxic clumps of beta-amyloid, the protein believed to be at the root of Alzheimer’s disease, have now been captured by researchers. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have used the MAX IV synchrotron in Lund — the strongest of its kind in the world — to produce images that...
Category: <span>Mental health</span>
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How drugs guided by magnets to precise points in the body will change the way stroke patients are treated
Biochemists mixed drugs with magnetic particles to create ‘nanospheres’ These spheres can be directed to precise points in the body and aid illness Delivering the drugs in this way could make them 1,000 times more effective Drugs guided by magnets to zero in on blood clots are set to revolutionise the treatment of stroke and...
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Studying altruism through virtual reality
A computer-based environment developed with the aim to shed light on the origins of altruism: this is the innovative approach used by a research group at SISSA in Trieste, in collaboration with the University of Udine. This new study — recently published in the journal Neuropsychologia — immersed participants in a virtual environment that reproduced a building...
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World’s largest autism genome database shines new light on many ‘autisms’
Latest study identifies 18 new autism-linked genes, deepening understanding of autism’s broad spectrum The newest study from the Autism Speaks MSSNG project — the world’s largest autism genome sequencing program — identified an additional 18 gene variations that appear to increase the risk of autism. The new report appears this week in the journal Nature Neuroscience....
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Head injuries can alter hundreds of genes and lead to serious brain diseases
Examples of gene networks in the hippocampus affected by brain trauma. UCLA researchers report that the “master regulator” genes (in red) influence many other genes responsible for the effects of brain trauma. Head injuries can harm hundreds of genes in the brain in a way that increases people’s risk for a wide range of neurological...
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Extended Use of MAO-B Inhibitors Slows Decline in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Amsterdam, NL, March 6, 2017 – There has long been interest in whether monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors slow progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and improve long-term outcomes. They have shown neuroprotective effects in cell culture and animal studies of PD, but clinical trial results have been mixed and have failed to convincingly demonstrate...
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Doctor and biomedical engineer team up on nerve stimulation device
By staying nimble in their research, biotech entrepreneurs work to develop a device that could control inflammation DAVID JOLES, STAR TRIBUNEDaniel Romo, left, and Daniel Gulick formed the start-up Aucta Technologies in 2015. It took the pair some time to get used to each other’s methods. Daniel Romo and Daniel Gulick, the young scientists behind...
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Sons of cocaine-using fathers have profound memory impairments
Fathers who use cocaine at the time of conceiving a child may be putting their sons at risk of learning disabilities and memory loss. The findings of the animal study were published online in Molecular Psychiatry by a team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The researchers say the findings...
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Sugar’s ‘tipping point’ link to Alzheimer’s disease revealed
For the first time a “tipping point” molecular link between the blood sugar glucose and Alzheimer’s disease has been established by scientists, who have shown that excess glucose damages a vital enzyme involved with inflammation response to the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Abnormally high blood sugar levels, or hyperglycaemia, is well-known as a characteristic of diabetes and...
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Depression puts psoriasis patients at significantly greater risk of psoriatic arthritis
New study highlights the need for heightened prevention and management of depression in psoriasis patients, reports the Journal of Investigative Dermatology Philadelphia, PA, February 22, 2017 – Psoriasis is a lifelong disease that is associated with significant cosmetic and physical disability and puts patients at increased risk for many major medical disorders. A multidisciplinary team...