A new study shows that parts of the prefrontal cortex take over when the hippocampus is damaged, a finding that could potentially help scientists develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and other conditions involving damage to the brain. When the brain’s primary “learning center” is damaged, complex new neural circuits arise to compensate for [...]

In a new study, neuroscientists examine how individual experiences influence the development of new neurons, leading to measurable changes in the brains of mice. How do organisms evolve into individuals that are distinguished from others by their own personal brain structure and behavior? Scientists in Dresden, Berlin, Münster, and Saarbrücken have now taken a decisive [...]

A newly published study found that theta brainwave activity in the prefrontal cortex predicts how well people can overcome ingrained biases when better choices are available. The research could be applied to studying and treating conditions such as addiction or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Providence, Rhode Island — Vertebrates are predisposed to act to gain rewards and [...]

In a newly published study, scientists identify the mechanism for controlling calcium influx in cells, helping researchers better understand the molecular causes of the disruption of brain functioning that occurs in stroke and other neurological disorders. When brain cells are overwhelmed by an influx of too many calcium molecules, they shut down the channels through [...]

In a newly published study, researchers detail how they controlled seizures in epileptic mice with the one-time transplantation of medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) cells. Epilepsy that does not respond to drugs can be halted in adult mice by transplanting a specific type of cell into the brain, UC San Francisco researchers have discovered, raising hope [...]

Neurologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have successfully shown that human embryonic stem cells, which have been transformed into nerve cells, can help mice regain the ability to learn and remember. For the first time, human embryonic stem cells have been transformed into nerve cells that helped mice regain the ability to learn and remember. [...]

Using sea snail nerve cells, neuroscientists from the UTHealth Center have reversed memory loss by determining when the cells were primed for learning and retraining the cells through the use of optimized training schedules. Houston – Neuroscientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have taken a major step in their [...]

In a new study, researchers transplanted human glial progenitor cells (GPCs) into mice, finding that the transplanted mice were more rapid learners and acquired new associations and performed a variety of tasks significantly faster than mice without the human glial cells. Glial cells – a family of cells found in the human central nervous system [...]

For the first time, researchers at the Max Planck Institute provide experimental proof that the extremely sensitive olfactory system of fruit flies is based on self-regulation of odorant receptors. Highly developed antennae containing different types of olfactory receptors allow insects to use minute amounts of odors for orientation towards resources like food, oviposition sites or [...]

Researchers at the Waisman Center turned iPS cells from a monkey’s skin into neural progenitor cells and successfully transplant them into its own brain, providing proof of principle that personalized medicine may one day be able to treat diseases like Parkinson’s. For the first time, scientists have transplanted neural cells derived from a monkey’s skin [...]

In a new study, a team of scientists from the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital provide scientific evidence showing that exposure to new activities may delay onset of dementia from Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies have shown that keeping the mind active, exercising, and social interactions may help delay the onset of dementia in Alzheimer’s patients. [...]

By suppressing the Nogo Receptor 1 gene (NgR1) in older mice, scientists at Yale University have reset their brain to adolescent levels of plasticity, recreating a youthful brain that enables both learning and healing. The flip of a single molecular switch helps create the mature neuronal connections that allow the brain to bridge the gap [...]