New Test for Alzheimer’s Disease Directly Measures Synaptic Loss
Yale researchers have tested a new method for directly measuring synaptic loss in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The method, which uses PET imaging technology to…
Neurology
New Genetic Study Links Stem Cell Mutations to Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is characterized by a dangerous buildup of pressure on the brain caused by excessive amounts of fluid. Researchers have long believed that the condition,…
Neurologists Discover Mechanism That Helps Brain Cells Communicate
The nervous system depends upon the tightly regulated spatial and temporal communication that occurs between neurons at specialized connections called synapses. Chemical signals called neurotransmitters,…
Neuroscientists Discover Fundamental Rule of Brain Plasticity
Our brains are famously flexible, or “plastic,” because neurons can do new things by forging new or stronger connections with other neurons. But if some…
New Technique Fine-Tunes Treatment for Epilepsy Patients
One of three epilepsy patients experience no relief from drugs and are candidates for surgery. An advance by researchers at Yale and the Cleveland Clinic…
Scientists Identify Possible Neurobiological Home for Spiritual Experiences
Yale scientists have identified a possible neurobiological home for the spiritual experience — the sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Activity in the…
Neuroscientists Identify the First Potential Treatment for Cosmic Radiation
Planning a trip to Mars? You’ll want to remember your anti-radiation pills. NASA and private space companies like SpaceX plan to send humans to the…
Turtle and Lizard Brains Shed Light on Human Brain Evolution
Our cerebral cortex, a sheet of neurons, connections and circuits, comprises “ancient” regions such as the hippocampus and “new” areas such as the six-layered “neocortex”,…
Study Shows Early HIV Treatment Helps Halt Brain Damage
Soon after an individual’s initial infection with HIV, damage to brain volume and cortical thickness progressively worsens until anti-retroviral treatment is started, a new study…
Stabilized Supralinear Network – Software with Smarts
A computer-aided network shows how ion channels in the membrane of neurons are able to control such wide-ranging abilities as short-term memory and brain waves….
Scientists Discover Gene Critical for a Healthy Brain
New research has shown how an unusual gene is needed for brain development in young mice. Since the human genome was first sequenced in 2001,…
Scientists Identify Several Genes That Cause Abnormally Small Heads
Scientists have identified several genes that when mutated can cause children to be born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads. But exactly how these genes…
Researchers Regenerate Axons in Nerve Cells Severed by Spinal Cord Injury
Searching the entire genome, a Yale research team has identified a gene that when eliminated can spur regeneration of axons in nerve cells severed by…
Neurologists Track and Precisely Image Myelin Throughout a Lifetime
Myelin acts as insulation for millions of brain cells, allowing for swift and efficient transmission of signals across brain regions. Despite its crucial role, little…
Boosting TREM2 Protein Levels Improves Alzheimer’s Symptoms
Scientists have known for about five years that mutations in the gene TREM2 increase a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Now, UCLA researchers have…
Neurologists Identify a Genetic ‘Switch’ That Could Improve Memory
A neural circuit mechanism involved in preserving the specificity of memories has been identified by investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Regenerative…
Neuroscientists Reveal How the Brain Tracks Objects in Motion
Catching a bouncing ball or hitting a ball with a racket requires estimating when the ball will arrive. Neuroscientists have long thought that the brain…
Neurologists Reveal What Happens in the Split Second Before the Emergence of Consciousness
Our brains are bombarded with information about events around us, but we only become conscious of a few of them. Yale researchers have captured what…