October 1, 2024 by University of Pittsburgh Deep brain stimulation may provide immediate improvement in arm and hand strength and function weakened by traumatic brain injury or stroke, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers report today in Nature Communications. Encouraging results from extensive tests in monkeys and humans open a path for a new...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Neuroscientists discover a mechanism that can reactivate dormant neural stem cells
Image of a single quiescent neural stem cell with its hallmark cellular protrusion extending from the cell body from Drosophila larval brains six hours after larval hatching, with the membrane in orange and nuclear marker in blue. Credit: Mahekta R Gujar An international team of neuroscientists, led by Duke-NUS Medical School, have uncovered a mechanism...
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Global effort to map the human brain releases first data
October 1, 2024 by Allen Institute for Brain Science The BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN) has launched its first major data release, marking a significant milestone in the ambitious effort to map the whole human brain. The data, accessible through the BICAN Rapid Release Inventory, includes single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles from...
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Multiple surgeries could contribute to cognitive decline in older people
September 27, 2024 by University of Sydney Multiple surgeries could lead to cognitive decline, a University of Sydney study has found, using data from the United Kingdom’s Biobank to analyze half a million patients aged 40 to 69 and followed over 20 years of brain scans, cognitive tests and medical records. Many families have stories...
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Treatments that maintain the health of synapses may help prevent, mitigate the symptoms of prion disease
September 27, 2024 by Boston University School of Medicine Genetic prion disease generally manifests with cognitive difficulties, poor muscle control and abrupt jerking movements of muscle groups and/or entire limbs. The three major phenotypes of genetic prion disease are genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (gCJD), fatal familial insomnia (FFI), and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) syndrome. The most common cause...
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Study reveals critical role of tRNA modifying enzyme in brain function
September 27, 2024 by Kumamoto University Loss of TRMT10A led to a decrease in the levels of initiator methionine tRNA (tRNAiMet) and a specific glutamine tRNA (tRNAGln). This reduction weakened the initiation of protein synthesis for certain brain genes and made the genetic code for glutamine harder to recognize. As a result, the production of...
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Mouse study explores how nerve cells repair themselves
September 27, 2024 by Ohio State University Medical Center New mouse model research led by scientists at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, College of Medicine and Imperial College London explored how nerve cells repair themselves, which could lead to new treatments for nerve injuries. Researchers studied how the 3D structure of DNA in...
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Cognitive deficits from meth and PCP use are generated by a common neurotransmitter switch, neurobiologists show
September 26, 2024 by Mario Aguilera, University of California – San Diego In normal mice (left), magenta neurons express the excitatory transmitter glutamate and green neurons express the inhibitory transmitter GABA. Methamphetamine (right) causes glutamate-expressing neurons to express GABA, demonstrated by neurons co-expressing magenta and green labels (arrowheads) in methamphetamine-treated mice but not in untreated...
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Researchers uncover unexpected role of hippocampus in skilled movement control
September 26, 2024 by University of Birmingham The hippocampus is a region of the brain largely responsible for memory formation. Credit: Salk InstituteResearchers at the University of Birmingham have uncovered a surprising role of the hippocampus—linking this part of the brain to the control of skilled actions such as handwriting, typing, and playing music. The...
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Turning brain cells on using the power of light
University of Rochester researchers have demonstrated a noninvasive method using BL-OG, or bioluminescent optogenetics, that harnesses light to activate neurons in the brain. The ability to regulate brain activation could transform invasive procedures such as deep brain stimulation, which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT: Study coauthor Aniya Means spent summer...