UCSD

Latest

UCSD

·June 24, 2020

One-time treatment generates new neurons and eliminates Parkinson’s disease

Researchers administered PTB antisense oligonucleotide treatment directly to the midbrain of mice. In the mouse models exposed to the treatment, a small subset of astrocytes converted to neurons, increasing the number of neurons by 30%. Three months after treatment, mice were completely free of Parkinson's disease symptoms and remained in remission for the rest of their lives. Read More

Featured Neuroscience

·June 2, 2020

Your brain needs to be ready to remember?

When hippocampal firing rates are high before exposure to a learning task, people are better able to successfully encode memory. Findings suggest the hippocampus may have a "ready to encode" mode that facilitates memory recall. Read More

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 4, 2020

Exercise boosts motor skill learning via changes in brain’s transmitters

Neurons in the caudal pedunculopontine nucleus, an area of the brain that regulates motor coordination, switch neurotransmitters from acetylcholine to GABA as a result of exercise. The switch appears to provide feedback control that regulates motor coordination and skill learning. Read More

This shows someone holding a box of actemra

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 3, 2020

Arthritis Drug Presents Promise as Treatment for COVID-19 Pneumonia

UCSD has launched a Phase III clinical trial to assess whether tocilizumab (Actemra), a drug commonly prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders, has therapeutic value for those at risk of developing severe COVID-19 infection. The drug is a monoclonal antibody-based therapy that blocks receptors for interleukin-6, a cytokine that triggers inflammation as an early immune response to coronavirus. Blocking IL-6 could prevent the risk of the COVID-19 associated cytokine storm many with severe infection experience. Read More

This shows a woman in a facemask smelling a flower

Featured Neuroscience

·April 27, 2020

Loss of smell associated with milder clinical course and less hospitalizations in COVID-19

COVID-19 patients who reported smell loss as a symptom of their infection are ten times less likely to be hospitalized for coronavirus than those who do not report anosmia. Read More

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 15, 2020

When damaged, the adult brain repairs itself by going back to the beginning

Mouse models of corticospinal injuries reveal adult neurons begin a natural regeneration process by reverting back to an embryonic state. The regeneration is sustained with the help of a gene more commonly associated with Huntington's disease. Read More

This shows covid19 and a depressed woman

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 14, 2020

In wake of COVID-19 pandemic, a crashing wave of neuropsychiatric problems?

Reviewing data from past pandemics, researchers suggest some of those exposed to COVID-19 could have an increased risk of developing neurological and mental health disorders in the long term. Acute viral infections can result in encephalopathy, psychosis, depression, demyelination disorders, and problems with neuromuscular function. Read More

Featured Neuroscience

·April 13, 2020

Loss of smell and taste validated as COVID-19 symptoms in patients with high recovery rate

Study confirms sensory loss associated with taste and smell is strongly linked to early coronavirus infection. Based on the findings, people who report olfactory or taste loss are ten times more likely to have COVID-19 than other infections. Patients reported their sensory loss to be profound rather than mild. Encouragingly, the rate of sensory recovery was high, with patients reporting a return of normal smell and taste function within two to four weeks, which matches the time of disease recovery. Researchers also found people who reported sore throats more often tested negative for COVID-19. Read More

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 31, 2020

Discovery of new biomarker in blood could lead to early test for Alzheimer’s disease

Increased levels of PHGDH exRNA levels were found in the blood approximately two years before people were clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Read More

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos Psychology

·March 12, 2020

How brain biology promotes starvation in patients with anorexia nervosa

Hunger fails to activate food reward circuits in people with anorexia. Read More

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·February 14, 2020

Subtle decline in cognition predicts progression to Alzheimer’s pathology

Cognitive performance may predict the progression from normal to abnormal levels of Alzheimer's associated amyloid-beta. Read More

This shows a doctor giving a newborn a blood prick test

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 13, 2020

Predicting autism risk may begin with a drop of blood

Study will analyze dried blood spots from newborns for over 1,000 different chemicals and molecules. The presence of some of the molecules may predict autism risk years before symptoms appear, allowing for early treatment and possible prevention. Read More

1 2 3 … 7