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The image shows a capillary regeneration model. The caption best describes the image.

·February 11, 2013·4 min read

Simulations Show how Blood Vessels Regroup after Stroke

By simulating patterns of microvasculature cell growth and compare the results with real networks grown in lab, researchers hope to direct how they grow into the tiny blood vessels that feed the brain and help people regain functions lost to stroke and disease.

The photograph shows a bulldog with a sad looking face.

Featured Genetics

·February 8, 2013·2 min read

Putting our Heads Together: Canines may Hold Clues to Human Skull Development

Reviewing research on dog cranium development, scientists consider how the information garnered over the past eight years could help us understand human skull development.

This is a photo of lead researcher Josef Bless.

Featured Psychology

·February 8, 2013·2 min read

Smartphone App Offers New Possibilities For Psychological Research

Researchers show that the iDichotic smartphone app can be successfully used for psychological testing. A new version of this app has been specially developed for schizophrenic patients suffering from auditory hallucinations.

The image shows the ECoG grid location and ECoG signal modulation. The image is best described in the caption.

Featured

·February 8, 2013·3 min read

Researchers Describe Technology that Lets Spinal Cord Injured Man Control Robot Arm with Thoughts

Researchers describe how an electrode array sitting on top of the brain enabled a 30-year-old paralyzed man to control the movement of a character on a computer screen in three dimensions with just his thoughts. It also enabled him to move a robot arm to touch a friend’s hand for the first time in the seven years.

The image shows a lego man acting as a gatekeeper for the brain activity to neuronal growth.

Featured Psychology

·February 7, 2013·4 min read

Researchers Uncover Key to Antidepressant Response

Researchers identify a protein that appears to be the target of both antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive therapy. The experimental results explain how these therapies likely work to relieve depression by stimulating stem cells in the brain to grow and mature.

The image shows Jacob with a female researcher.

Featured Genetics

·February 7, 2013·5 min read

Experimental Gene Therapy Treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy offers Hope for Youngster

A nationwide clinical trial for a new type treatment that could offer help to those suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a devastating neuromuscular disease.

The image shows comparative brain scans of veterans with mild TBI and those without TBI.

Featured Neurology

·February 7, 2013·3 min read

Veterans with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury have White Matter Abnormalities

A new study found soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild TBI have measurable abnormalities in white matter when compared to returning veterans who have not experienced TBI. These abnormalities appear to be related to the severity of the injury and are related to cognitive deficits.

The image shows an over-sized terminal forms a synapse with a dendritic spine. The caption best describes the image.

Featured Neurology

·February 7, 2013·3 min read

Excess Protein Linked to Development of Parkinson’s Disease

Researchers suggest the overexpression of a protein called alpha-synuclein appears to disrupt vital recycling processes in neurons. The study may have major implications for more fully understanding the causes and mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease.

The image shows Newborn neurons in the brain of a 3 month old mouse.

Featured Neurology

·February 7, 2013·3 min read

Dickkopf Makes Fountain of Youth in the Brain Run Dry

Scientists have discovered that significantly more neurons are generated in the brains of older animals if the signaling molecule Dickkopf-1 is turned off. The results give rise to the question whether the function of Dickkopf-1 may be turned off using drugs to prevent age related cognitive decline.

Featured Psychology

·February 6, 2013·2 min read

Induction of Mild Inflammation Leads to Cognitive Deficits Related to Schizophrenia

Researchers have identified an exceptional mouse model of schizophrenia. The study identified a mutant mouse lacking the Schnurri-2 protein (Shn-2 KO) that exhibits behavioral deficits and other brain features consistent with schizophrenia.

The image is The Fruit Vendor by painter J W Godward. The image shows a woman sleeping next to a statue of a lion and a table of fruit.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 6, 2013·4 min read

Eat to Dream: Study Shows Dietary Nutrients Associated with Certain Sleep Patterns

A study shows for the first time that certain nutrients may play an underlying role in short and long sleep duration and that people who report eating a large variety of foods; an indicator of an overall healthy diet, had the healthiest sleep patterns.

The image shows the structure of protein LRRK2.

Featured Genetics

·February 6, 2013·4 min read

Study Points to Possible Cause and Treatment for Non-familial Parkinson’s

Researchers identify a protein trafficking defect within brain cells that may underlie common non-familial forms of Parkinson’s disease. The study implicates two genetic variants that disrupt protein sorting in neurons.