Researchers have succeeded in making superficial white matter visible in a living human brain. Read More
Even without a concussion, repetitive impacts experienced by those who play contact sports have clear effects on the brain. Rugby players who reported no concussions had alterations in the microstructure of the brain, specifically in the brain stem. Alterations in the functional organization of the brain were also discovered in MRI images of those who played contact sports. Read More
People with schizophrenia have lower levels of S1P, a type of fatty molecule found in white matter. Evaluating post mortem tissue of those who died from a range of psychiatric disorders, researchers found the decreased levels of S1P in the brain was only attributed to those with schizophrenia. The findings could lead to new targeted treatments for the mental health disorder. Read More
Hypertension in young-to-mid life is associated with worse gait and cognitive problems during middle age. Read More
Celiac disease, an autoimmune response to ingesting gluten, has been linked to an increased risk of neurological damage and negative mental health outcomes. Those with celiac disease are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm, in addition to a reduction in reaction times and cognitive function. Neuroimaging of patients with the disorder reveals white matter changes in the brain. Read More
Greater hippocampal volume is not always a reliable predictor of learning and memory ability in older adults. Faster learning was only found in older adults who had both greater hippocampal volume and more uniform white matter connections to other parts of the brain. Read More
Smoking causes white matter scarring in the brain, and the effects do more harm than previously believed. Read More
Study reveals lower microstructural integrity in white matter tracts supporting language and emergent literacy skills in prekindergarten aged children exposed to excessive screen time media. Read More
White matter tracts were significantly altered in babies whose mothers experienced stress during pregnancy. Read More
White matter tracts show increasing maturation with age from the back to the front of the brain. The maturations begin as a child reaches 9-12 years of age. The maturity correlates with a critical and formative period of development. Read More
Four genetic regions have been identified as playing a role in left-handedness. Three of the four genes were associated with proteins involved in brain development and structure. Neuroimaging revealed those who were left-handed had increased functional connectivity between left and right language networks. Researchers also found correlations between the genetic regions associated with left-handedness and slightly reduced Parkinson's risk, but a slightly increased risk for schizophrenia. Read More
Microscopic alterations in white matter may affect how patients with neurological conditions respond to non-invasive electrical brain stimulation. Read More
