Researchers have identified a cellular response to repeated concussions that may contribute to seizures in mice like those observed following traumatic brain injury in humans. The study, published in JNeurosci, establishes a new animal model that could help improve our understanding of post-traumatic epilepsy. 3D reconstructed confocal image depicting cortical grey matter of a mouse...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Blood test detects Alzheimer’s damage before symptoms
A simple blood test reliably detects signs of brain damage in people on the path to developing Alzheimer’s disease—even before they show signs of confusion and memory loss, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Germany. Credit: CC0 Public Domain...
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Unexpected link found between feeding and memory brain areas
The search for a mechanism that could explain how the protein complex NCOR1/2 regulates memory has revealed an unexpected connection between the lateral hypothalamus and the hippocampus, the feeding and the memory centers of the brain, respectively. The findings, which were published today in the journal Nature Neuroscienceby a multidisciplinary team led by researchers at...
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Zap: How Electric Therapy Is Curing Navy SEALs of PTSD … And Could Remake Brain Science
Tony didn’t know what to expect when he walked into the Brain Treatment Center in San Diego, California, last spring. The former Navy SEAL only knew that he needed help. His service in Iraq and Afghanistan was taking a heavy toll on his mental and physical wellbeing. He had trouble concentrating, remembering, and was given...
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Study shows dopamine plays a role in musical pleasure
An international team of researchers has found evidence of dopamine in the brain playing a role in the pleasure people feel when they listen to music. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes experiments they carried out with volunteers who were given a dopamine precursor or antagonist...
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Personalised treatments for Parkinson’s disease
Scientists at Cardiff University are helping to bring personalised treatments for Parkinson’s disease closer to the clinic, thanks to a major investment of over £50,000 from American charity, The Summit for Stem Cell Foundation. Working in partnership with Professor Jeanne Loring of the Scripps Research Institute, Cardiff University’s Dr Mariah Lelos is testing the potential...
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Multiple sclerosis – helping cells to help themselves
Diseases such as multiple sclerosis are characterized by damage to the myelin sheath, a protective covering wrapped around nerve cells akin to insulation around an electrical wire. Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered how the body initiates repair mechanisms to limit the extent of any damage to this sheath. Their findings, which provide...
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Scientists have reversed memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease
By focusing on the epigenetic changes that influence gene expression, scientists at the University of Buffalo have managed to reduce memory loss and improve cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Sebastian Kaulitzki | Shutterstock For the study, the team studied mice with gene mutations for familial Alzheimer’s and analyzed post-mortem brain tissues...
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Teaching human cells to clean house to delay ageing and fight neurodegeneration
Monash researchers have unlocked a key process in all human cells that contributes to diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases as well as ageing. The discovery reveals how cells efficiently get rid of cellular junk, which when it accumulates, can trigger death and the health problems associated with getting older. IMAGE: THE IMAGE SHOWS CELLS...
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How To Stop Overthinking Everything, According To Therapists
Rumination — aka thinking about something in endless circles — is exhausting *and* makes you more susceptible to depression and anxiety. The last time you saw your grandma before she died. That work presentation last month. Yesterday’s argument with your SO. Your performance eval next quarter. That damn toast you agreed to give at the...