FeaturedNeuroscience·September 7, 2020·7 min readFirst ‘Plug and Play’ Brain Prosthesis Demoed in Paralyzed PersonCombining machine learning with neuroprosthetic technology allowed a patient with paralysis to learn to control a computer cursor by utilizing brain activity without extensive daily retraining.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·July 20, 2020·3 min readOlder Adults Who Can Really Smell the Roses May Face Lower Likelihood of DementiaOlder adults with a higher ability to process sensations, including vision, olfaction, hearing, and touch, had half the risk of being diagnosed with cognitive decline than their peers who were less capable at sensory processing tasks.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 6, 2020·6 min readTo Let Neurons Talk, Immune Cells Clear Paths Through Brain’s ‘Scaffolding’Dropping the level of the IL-33 immune molecule increased the number of synapses in the brain. In older mice, ramping up IL-33 helped push the number of new synapses toward a more youthful state.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·June 15, 2020·7 min readDisrupted circadian rhythms linked to later Parkinson’s diagnosesCircadian rhythm disruptions in older men have been linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The findings suggest circadian disruptions may reflect the neurodegenerative processes already affecting the brain's internal clock prior to the diagnosis of Parkinson's. Circadian disruptions, researchers say, could be considered an early warning sign of Parkinson's.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·June 1, 2020·7 min readOut-of-sync brain waves may underlie learning deficit linked to schizophreniaStudy reveals specific brain wave patterns that underlie the ability to remove irrelevant learned associations to make way for new, updated information. The research shows a particular behavior can be dependent on the synchronization of high-frequency brain waves in different parts of the brain.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·May 11, 2020·3 min readResilience to ALS due to synaptic safety mechanismStudy reveals a self-corrective mechanism within synapses that is activated by neurodegeneration and slows disease progression in animal models of ALS.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 27, 2020·7 min readCOVID-19 is making young adults sick, and is spreading through themThe misconception that young people are more immune to COVID-19 is dangerous, and ignoring social distancing measures means the virus is more likely to spread among the young.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 30, 2020·6 min readBrain’s ‘GPS system’ toggles between present and possible future paths in real timeStudy shows how hippocampal cells can represent different hypothetical scenarios consistently and systematically over time. The findings shed new light on how place cells assist in decision making and imagination.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceNeuroscience Videos·January 30, 2020·6 min readNot ‘brains in a dish’: Cerebral organoids flunk comparison to developing nervous systemHailed by many as a breakthrough for neuroscience research, a new study reports brain-in-a-dish models may not be as useful as reported previously. The study reports instead of differentiating normally into the brain's distinctive cell types, cerebral organoids often express mixed genes normally found in different kinds of cells.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·January 11, 2020·6 min readSpeech-disrupting brain disease reflects patients’ native tongueLanguage difficulties associated with primary progressive aphasia differ depending on a person's native language, a new study reports. Native English speakers with PPA have more trouble pronouncing words, while those who speak Italian had fewer pronunciation problems but tend to produce shorter and grammatically simpler sentences.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·January 8, 2020·7 min readLifestyle choices could slow familial frontotemporal dementiaThose with a genetic predisposition to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can become resilient to the neurodegenerative disease by remaining physically and mentally active.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·October 21, 2019·8 min readPolio-like disease AFM linked to enterovirusResearchers detected immunological remnants of enterovirus in the nervous systems of more than 12 patients with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). The findings provide the strongest evidence to date that AFM is caused by a virus. The discovery could lead to improved diagnostics for the condition and the development of a vaccine for AFM.Read More
