Parkinson’s disease affects around one million people in the US and between seven and ten million worldwide. In people with Parkinson’s disease, the neurons in the brain that produce dopamine die off. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that helps send messages in the brain. It is involved in many functions such as movement, reward,...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Ultra-high-field brain scanner receives FDA approval for clinical use
The ultra-high-field 7T Terra magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (INI) of the Keck School of Medicine of USC has received FDA approval for clinical use, opening up new avenues of care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other diseases that affect the...
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Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Versus Parkinson’s Disease
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare brain disorder that affects approximately 6 in 100,000 people worldwide. It causes muscle weakness and affects gait, balance and overall movement, as well as the patient’s mood, cognitive skills and behavior. While no treatment is available at this time, various symptoms can be managed with the use of medication or other...
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New epilepsy warning device could save thousands of lives
A new high-tech bracelet, developed by scientists from the Netherlands detects 85 percent of all severe night-time epilepsy seizures. That is a much better score than any other technology currently available. The researchers involved think that this bracelet can reduce the worldwide number of unexpected night-time fatalities in epilepsy patients. They published the results of...
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An end to arachnophobia ‘just a heartbeat away’
Researchers have discovered that exposing people with phobias to their fear—for examples, spiders for those who have arachnophobia—at the exact time their heartbeats, led to the phobia reducing in severity. Hugo Critchley, Chair of Psychiatry at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) and principle investigator, said: “Many of us have phobias of one kind or...
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Brainwave activity reveals potential biomarker for autism in children
Kanazawa, Japan – Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can impair communication ability, socialization, and verbal and motor skills. It generally starts in early childhood and is diagnosed through behavior observation. This means of assessment can be imprecise, which is especially problematic when early identification is vital for developmental follow up. A...
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It started as a ‘weird idea,’ but a new study shows the appendix can initiate Parkinson’s
Asquishy, 4-inch gut organ whose function has baffled anatomists for centuries is about to have its moment of fame: The lowly appendix, scientists reported in a study on Wednesday, can initiate Parkinson’s disease. It does so, they suspect, by serving as a reservoir of misfolded, clumping, neurotoxic proteins that travel to the brainstem via the vagus nerve, which runs from the gut...
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Breakthrough Neurotechnology for treating paralysis
Three patients with chronic paraplegia were able to walk thanks to precise electrical stimulation of their spinal cords via a wireless implant. In a double study published in Nature and Nature Neuroscience, Swiss scientists Grégoire Courtine (EPFL and CHUV/Unil) and Jocelyne Bloch (CHUV/Unil) show that after a few months of training, the patients were able...
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Researchers discover new clues on how sleep works in the brain
Star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes appear to play an essential role in sleep, a new study by scientists from the Washington State University Sleep and Performance Research Center confirms. Published today in PLOS Genetics, their study shows that astrocytes communicate to neurons to regulate sleep time in fruit flies and suggests it may do the...
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Brain wave device enhances memory function
The entrainment of theta brain waves with a commercially available device not only enhances theta wave activity but also boosts memory performance. That’s according to new research from the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis, published recently in the journal Cognitive Neuroscience. Image: The device uses light and sounds to stimulate theta brain waves. Credit: UC...