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·February 5, 2013·3 min read

Grooming Helps Insects Keep Their Senses Sharpened

Studying the functions of the grooming behavior, researchers discover grooming helps insects maintain acute olfactory senses, as well as removing both environmental pollutants and chemicals produced by the insects themselves.

The image shows amyloid plaques in a mouse's hippocampus. The caption best explains the image.

Featured Neurology

·February 5, 2013·5 min read

Damaged Blood Vessels Loaded with Amyloid Worsen Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers have discovered that amyloid peptides are harmful to the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood in Alzheimer's disease, thus accelerating cognitive decline by limiting oxygen-rich blood and nutrients.

The image is a topography of the primary motor cortex, on an outline drawing of the human brain. Different body parts are listed in this area.

Featured Neurology

·February 5, 2013·3 min read

Stroke Damage in Mice Overcome by Training Which ‘Rewires’ Brain Centers

A new study discovers mice can recover from physically debilitating strokes that damage the primary motor cortex, if the rodents are quickly subjected to physical conditioning that rapidly “rewires” a different part of the brain to take over lost function.

A man is standing with the help of a walker in front of a tower of electronics as a woman sits nearby.

Electrophysiology Featured Neurology

·February 5, 2013·5 min read

Reflex Control Could Improve Walking After Incomplete Spinal Injuries

A training regimen to adjust the body's motor reflexes may help improve mobility for some people with incomplete spinal cord injuries. During training, the participants were instructed to suppress a knee jerk-like reflex elicited by a small shock to the leg. Those able to calm hyperactive reflexes saw improvements in their walking.

The image shows a person with Lupus erythematosus from around 1900.

Featured Genetics

·February 4, 2013·5 min read

Scientists Find a Key Element of Lupus: Suggesting Better Drug Targets

Researchers have identified specific cellular events that appear key to the debilitating autoimmune disease, lupus. The findings suggest that blocking this pathway in lupus-triggering cells could be a potent weapon against the disease.

The image shows multi-colored jigsaw pieces around a dictionary definition of autism.

Autism Featured

·February 4, 2013·3 min read

Children with Autism at Significant Risk for Feeding Problems and Nutritional Deficits

A comprehensive analysis of feeding behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders indicates that these children are five times more likely to have a feeding problem, including extreme tantrums during meals, severe food selectivity and ritualistic mealtime behaviors.

Featured Neurology

·February 4, 2013·2 min read

Chemical Reaction Keeps Stroke Damaged Brain from Repairing itself

When the brain produces too much nitric oxide, it contributes to the severity and progression of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Researchers recently discovered that nitric oxide not only damages neurons, it also shuts down the brain’s repair mechanisms.

The image shows a synaptic cleft. The caption best describes the image.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 4, 2013·4 min read

Finding the Way to Memory

A new study reveals DCC, the receptor for a crucial protein in the nervous system known as netrin, plays a key role in regulating the plasticity of nerve cell connections in the brain.

The image shows brain scans of damage to the amgydala. The caption explains this best.

Featured Neurology

·February 4, 2013·4 min read

Human Brain is Divided on Fear and Panic

A new study provides proof that the amygdala is not the only gatekeeper of fear in the human brain. Other regions, such as the brainstem, diencephalon, or insular cortex, could sense the body’s most primal inner signals of danger when basic survival is threatened.

The FMRI image shows regions of activation including primary visual cortex (V1, BA17), extrastriate visual cortex and lateral geniculate body.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 3, 2013·3 min read

Pioneering Research Helps to Unravel the Brain’s Vision Secrets

A new study has identified the two areas of the brain responsible for our perception of orientation and shape. Research found that the two neighbouring areas, known as human visual field maps, process the different types of visual information independently.

Featured Neurology

·February 2, 2013·3 min read

Researchers Identify Biomarker and Potential Therapy Target in MS

Researchers discover proteins in the IL-6 signaling pathway may be leveraged as novel biomarkers of multiple sclerosis (MS) to gauge disease activity and as a target for new therapies.

The image shows a section of mouse liver showing an apoptotic cell.

Electrophysiology Featured

·February 2, 2013·3 min read

Caught in the Act: Researchers Capture Key Moments in Cell Death

Researchers visualize the molecular changes in a critical cell death protein that force cells to die. Defects in cell death have been linked to the development of diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative conditions.