KING’S COLLEGE LONDON New research from King’s College London and The Open University could help explain why memory in old age is much less flexible than in young adulthood. Through experiments in mice the researchers discovered that there were dramatic differences in how memories were stored in old age, compared to young adulthood. These differences,...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
BARseq builds a better brain map
COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Anthony Zador has taken the next step in his quest to solve exactly how the brain is wired. Zador, a neuroscientist whose lab studies how the brain’s circuitry mediates and controls complex behaviors, set out about 10 years ago to map three pillars of brain function:...
Molecular control of neurotransmitter linked to autism described
Many neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism have been linked to disruption of the key neurotransmitter GABA, but the underlying causes of the disruptions have been difficult to pinpoint. In two new papers published Oct. 15 in Science Signaling, researchers from Yale, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom have zeroed in on a...
Study shows mouse cerebellum quite different from human
by Bob Yirka , Medical Xpress An international team of researchers has found that the mouse cerebellum may not be a good model for the human cerebellum in brain studies. In their study published in the journal Science, the group describes their comparison study that involved the human, mice and macaque cerebellums as they developed....
Tetris gameplay reveals complex cognitive skills
by Torie Wells, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute In a fraction of a second, a colorful digital block shaped like the letter “L” falls from the top of the computer screen. In even less time, fingers float across a controller, striking the arrow keys in rapid succession to rotate the figure so it falls in line with...
Early warning sign of dementia may be missed in women because they perform better at memory tests
Up to 10% of women pass tests for cognitive impairment when they should not This is important because cognitive impairment frequently leads to dementia If not picked up early, medications and lifestyle changes may not work as well By VICTORIA ALLEN SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT FOR THE DAILY MAIL Memory problems may be missed in women because they perform better in certain tests than men. A study has found...
Brain tunes itself to criticality, maximizing information processing
Posted Today Researchers long wondered how the billions of independent neurons in the brain come together to reliably build a biological machine that easily beats the most advanced computers. All of those tiny interactions appear to be tied to something that guarantees an impressive computational capacity. Over the past 20 years, evidence mounted in support of a...
Epigenomic ‘map’ helps predict nerve cells’ ability to regenerate after injury
by Genevieve Timmins, Imperial College London An Imperial-led study has provided new insights into the biological processes which determine nerve cells’ ability to regenerate after injury. The study, published today in Nature Neuroscience, sheds new light on why nerve cellsfound in our peripheral nervous system can regenerate following injury, whereas those found in our central...
The effectiveness of electrical stimulation in producing spinal fusion
JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY PUBLISHING GROUP CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (OCTOBER 8, 2019). Researchers from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data on the effect of electrical stimulation therapies on spinal fusion. They found significant improvement overall in the rates of bone fusion following a course of electrical stimulation...
Team discovers surprise contributor to multiple sclerosis
Cells that scientists have largely ignored when studying multiple sclerosis are actually key contributors to MS development, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine shows. The discovery suggests new avenues for devising treatments and is a vital step toward finding a cure. Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Scientists had assumed that these cells, known...