FeaturedNeuroscience·May 2, 2020Temporarily suppressing immune system during early COVID-19 infection may prevent severe symptomsA new mathematical model examined the immune response in patients with coronavirus. The findings suggest adaptive immune response may kick in before target immune cells are depleted, slowing the infection. The interaction of the innate and adaptive immune response may explain why some with coronavirus experience a second wave infection, appearing to get better before the symptoms return and get worse. Other studies have shown those who received immunosuppressants at the start of infection had a better clinical outcome than those who did not. Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·April 29, 2020APOE4 triggers early breakdowns in the blood-brain barrierAPOE4, a gene implicated as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, triggers leaks in the blood-brain barrier. The damage to capillaries APOE4 causes correlates with increased levels of cyclophilin, a protein that causes the inflammation that is a signature of early Alzheimer's. Read More
artificial intelligencedeep learningFeaturedGeneticsmachine learningNeuroscience·April 22, 2020Scientists track the link between wildlife and COVID-19Virologist and computational neuroscientists agree, how humans treat and trade animals may have played a significant role in the coronavirus pandemic and other viral infections. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·April 20, 2020Early antibody testing results reveal more COVID-19 infections than confirmed casesThe first round of antibody testing in L.A country reveals approximately 4.1% of the adult population has COVID-19 antibodies. Adjusting for margin of error, between 2.8% to 5.6% of the adult population has antibodies to the virus. This means between 221,000 and 442,000 adults in the Los Angeles area have been infected with coronavirus. The estimate is up to 55 times higher than confirmed cases reported for the area. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 25, 2020Why the U.S. wasn’t more prepared for COVID-19In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers discuss the limits of the US being prepared for coronavirus and the dangers of being unprepared. Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·March 12, 2020Specific gene can impact neurodevelopment, leading to autism and macrocephalyMutations of the RAB39b gene lead to macrocephaly and autism-like behaviors in mouse brain organoid models, and enlargements and impairments in human organoids. Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesRobotics·February 20, 2020Baby’s Kicks Provide Clues About Infant DevelopmentHuman-robot interaction and monitoring motor movement may provide clues to developmental disorders such as ADHD and autism in children. Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·February 12, 2020Multi-center neuroimaging study offers new insights on schizophreniaThose with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome had significantly lower brain volume, as well as lower volumes in specific structures, including the thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience VideosneurotechOpen Neuroscience ArticlesRobotics·January 19, 2020Findings about sea star locomotion could aid in development of simpler, decentralized systems in roboticsMuch of a sea star's locomotion is determined by local sensory-motor response at the tube feet level as opposed to global sensory-motor commands. It appears the nervous system relies on the physics of the interaction between the body and the environment to control movement. The findings will help with the development of new robotic systems that utilize a decentralized component to learn hierarchically. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 18, 2020How does your body respond to feelings of moral outrage? Depends on your politicsStudy reveals liberals and conservatives feel certain violations of moral concerns, such as loyalty and purity, in different areas of their bodies. Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·November 21, 2019Exposure to PM 2.5 pollution linked to brain atrophy and memory declineOlder women exposed to higher levels of air pollution were more likely to experience greater memory decline and Alzheimer's-like brain atrophy compared with those exposed to cleaner air. Read More
artificial intelligencedeep learningFeaturedmachine learningNeuroscienceneurotechPsychology·October 31, 2019Why music makes us feel, according to AIArtificial intelligence helps shed light on how people's brains, bodies, and emotions react to listening to music. Music influences parts of the auditory cortex, including the Heschl's gyrus and superior temporal gyrus, specifically responding to pulse clarity. Changes in dynamics, rhythm, timbre, and the introduction of new instruments cause an uptick in the response. The study also identified the best song types for the perfect workout, sleep, and study. Read More
