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white matter

·June 17, 2020·3 min read

Even without concussion, athletes in contact sports may have brain changes

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.

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·April 29, 2020·4 min read

Schizophrenia related to abnormal fatty metabolism in the brain

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.

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·March 4, 2020·4 min read

Hypertension in young adulthood associated with cognitive decline in middle age

Hypertension in young-to-mid life is associated with worse gait and cognitive problems during middle age.

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·March 1, 2020·4 min read

Celiac disease can damage the brain

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.

This shows a pink brain on top of a pile of white brains

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·January 16, 2020·4 min read

Are bigger brains better?

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.

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·December 2, 2019·3 min read

Smoking may cause white scars on the brain

Smoking causes white matter scarring in the brain, and the effects do more harm than previously believed.

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·November 4, 2019·5 min read

Screen-based media associated with structural differences in brains of young children

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.

This shows the DTI of the white matter tracts

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·October 8, 2019·4 min read

Prenatal stress could affect baby’s brain

White matter tracts were significantly altered in babies whose mothers experienced stress during pregnancy.

This shows a teenage girl with flowers in her hair

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·September 25, 2019·5 min read

Brain anatomy changes with maturation to adolescence

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.

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·September 5, 2019·4 min read

Genes associated with left-handedness linked with shape of the brain’s language regions

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.

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·August 30, 2019·5 min read

White matter affects how people respond to brain stimulation therapy

Microscopic alterations in white matter may affect how patients with neurological conditions respond to non-invasive electrical brain stimulation.

This shows astrocyte in the corpus callosum

Featured Neuroscience

·August 19, 2019·6 min read

Study identifies type of brain cell involved in stuttering

In mice genetically engineered to carry human stuttering mutations, vocalization defects are derived from abnormalities in astrocytes in the corpus callosum.