by The Francis Crick Institute Support cells in the nervous system help protect motor neurons in the early-stages of sporadic motor neuron disease, according to new research from the Crick and UCL. Motor neuron disease is a degenerative condition which destroys the nerve cells (motor neurons) in the brain and spinal cord, which control movement,...
by Kayla Wiles, Purdue University You don’t have to be a drinker for your brain to be affected by alcoholism. A new study shows that just having a parent with an alcohol use disorder affects how your brain transitions between active and resting states—regardless of your own drinking habits. The study, performed by researchers at...
by RMIT University When it comes to memory, immune cells are known as the “bad cops” of the brain. But new research shows they could also be turned into “good cops” to power memory and learning. Inflammation can send the brain’s immune cellsinto damaging hyperdrive, and this has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases that affect...
by Bob Yirka , Medical Xpress A team of researchers from The Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Germany and the U.S. has found evidence showing that the use of cannabis consistently leads to an increase in susceptibility to false memories. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes double-blind, randomized,...
by University of Missouri Stress response is the body’s normal physiological reaction to a situation that it perceives as threatening. However, stress can also impact important aspects of thinking, including problem solving. Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders have discovered a potential...
by Mikayla MacE, University of Arizona A therapeutic intervention for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, could be on the horizon thanks to unexpected findings by University of Arizona researchers. ALS is the progressive degeneration of motor neurons that causes people to lose the ability to move and eventually speak,...
by York University A study by York University psychology researchers provides new evidence that bilingualism can delay symptoms of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, making up 60 to 70 per cent of dementia cases. Of all activities with neuroplastic benefits, language use is the most sustained, consuming the largest proportion...
by John Hewitt , Medical Xpress Although most neurotransmitters perform the same basic role, they are not fungible. Each takes the baton from an incoming action potential and passes the neural message across the synaptic divide, yet each flavor of transmitter adds its own unique twist. Simply put, they have completely different metabolic actions. Properly...
by Cell Press One of the central questions in neuroscience is clarifying where in the brain consciousness, which is the ability to experience internal and external sensations, arises. On February 12 in the journal Neuron, researchers report that a specific area in the brain, the central lateral thalamus, appears to play a key role. In...
Provides clearest picture yet of the 22q syndrome brain UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA What if the key to a better understanding of schizophrenia has been here all along–but researchers haven’t had the resources to study it? Now, thanks to the pooled data and insights from researchers around the world, USC researchers have the clearest picture...
