Engaging in musical activities such as singing and playing instruments in one-on-one therapy can improve autistic children’s social communication skills, improve their family’s quality of life, as well as increase brain connectivity in key networks, according to researchers at Université de Montréal and McGill University. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The link between autism spectrum disorder...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Studies highlight lasting effects of early life stress on the genome, gut, and brain
Excessive stress during fetal development or early childhood can have long-term consequences for the brain, from increasing the likelihood of brain disorders and affecting an individual’s response to stress as an adult to changing the nutrients a mother may pass on to her babies in the womb. The new research suggests novel approaches to combat...
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Realizing the potential of gene therapy for neurological disorders
Promising findings from preclinical animal studies show the potential of gene therapy for treating incurable neurological disorders. In new research presented today, scientists successfully used gene therapy to slow the progression and improve symptoms of disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2018, the annual meeting of...
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Paralyzed People Walk Again, Even Without Neurostimulation
The word “paralysis” is starting to lose its gloomy permanence, as researchers at top-end institutions around the world have been getting some people back on their legs who were previously thought to have to spend the rest of their lives in wheelchairs. Well targeted electrical nerve stimulation, coupled with specialized rehab training, has been the...
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A neurodegenerative-disease protein forms beneficial aggregates in healthy muscle
Protein aggregation is a characteristic of several neurodegenerative diseases. But disease-associated aggregates of the protein TDP-43 have now been shown to have a beneficial role in healthy muscle. Most neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the build-up of clumps of proteins in the brain1. A prevailing view in the field is that these large protein assemblies...
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Study could help explain how childhood stress contributes to anxiety, depression
SAN DIEGO – New research could help explain why stress early in life can create vulnerabilities to mood and anxiety disorders later on. The study, led by researchers at The Ohio State University, was presented Nov. 5 in San Diego at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting, and highlights the important role of mast cells....
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New gene therapy reprograms brain glial cells into neurons
A new gene therapy can turn certain brain glial cells into functioning neurons, which in turn could help repair the brain after a stroke or during neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases. In a series of studies in animals, a team of Penn State researchers led by Dr. Gong Chen developed a new gene...
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Scientists overturn odds to make Parkinson’s discovery
Immunohistochemistry for alpha-synuclein showing positive staining (brown) of an intraneural Lewy-body in the Substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease. Scientists at the University of Dundee have confirmed that a key cellular pathway that protects the brain from damage is disrupted in Parkinson’s patients, raising the possibility of new treatments for the disease. Credit: Wikipedia Parkinson’s is...
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The Pathways Through which Light Affects Learning and Mood
Research has shown that light is important for more than just vision—it directly impacts mood and learning. In a new study, researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) traced the brain pathways responsible for the effects of light on learning and mood. The findings revealed that these effects are brought about by two...
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Can stimulating the brain treat chronic pain?
An EEG of a naturally occurring alpha oscillation in a human brain. Enhancing these electric oscillations may help treat people with depression. Credit: University of North Carolina Health Care For the first time, researchers at the UNC School of Medicine showed they could target one brain region with a weak alternating current of electricity, enhance...