De Novo Somatic Mutations Likely Cause Hemimegalencephaly
A team of scientists analyzed and compared DNA sequences from 20 patients with hemimegalencephaly, finding that de novo somatic mutations in a trio of genes…
Neuroscience
Examining the Relationship between Diabetes and Cognitive Decline
A newly published study examined the relationship between diabetes and cognitive decline, finding that greater levels of glycosylated hemoglobin were associated with more severe cognitive…
Mysterious Gene Mutation Provides Window into the Biology of Language Cognition
David Skuse, a psychiatrist and an expert on language development working at the Institute of Child Health at University College London, encountered a mysterious ailment…
New Research on the Relationship of Obesity and Increased Drive of the Reward Circuitry
New research from Yale University provides a contrasting view to the contemporary belief that obesity is associated with the increased drive of the reward circuitry,…
Noninvasive Ultrasound Device Opens the Blood-Brain Barrier
Using an FDA approved contrasting agent containing tiny gas-filled microbubbles, coupled with a noninvasive ultrasound device that targets precise locations of the brain, a team…
Stem Cell Biologists Grow Optic Cups from Human ESCs
In a new study from stem cell biologists at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, scientists demonstrate self-formation of optic cups and storable stratified neural…
Scientists Use Modified Version Rabies to Trace Neural Pathways in the Brain
Harvard scientists are using a genetically modified version of the rabies virus to trace neural pathways in the brain, believing that this research may lead…
Conscious Perception from a Global Network of Neurons
New research from scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics supports the view that the content of consciousness is not localized in a…
Imbalance Between Neuronal Excitation and Inhibition May Account for Seizure Susceptibility in Angelman Syndrome
A new study from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine indicates that an imbalance between neuronal excitation and inhibition is a common abnormality…
Microglia Are Crucial to Pruning Neurons During Early Development
Microglia are brain cells, who’s spider-like resting state was somewhat mysterious until Axel Nimmerjahn, biophysicist at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, began to…
Life Long Learning and Experiences are Good for the Brain
A new study from the Max Planck Institute overturns decades-old beliefs that most of the brain is hard-wired when one is a young adult. Working…
Circumpolar Rivers are a Major Source of Mercury in the Arctic Ocean
A new study from environmental scientists suggests that the mercury concentration in the Arctic Ocean is being fueled by both an atmospheric source, which was…
Scientists Restore Basic Elements of Vision in Live Mice
A new study from a team of scientists hints that people blinded by optic nerve damage from trauma or glaucoma might be able to regain…
Von Economo Neuron Discovered in the Insula of Macaque Monkeys
A scientist from the Max Planck Institute discovered that von Economo neuron (VEN) is also found in the insula of macaque monkeys. This discovery may…
New Research Reveals Damaged Connections in Phineas Gage’s Brain
Using brain-imaging data from 2001, scientists at UCLA examine the damage to Phineas Gage’s cerebral cortex and the impact it had on his personality by…
Controlled Trial Shows Cannabis Reduces Some Symptoms of MS
A newly published research study shows the benefits of smoking cannabis for spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Using 30 adult patients with multiple sclerosis, the researchers…
BrainGate Neural Interface System Allows People with Paralysis to Control Robotic Arms
Advances in brain-computer interfaces, restorative neurotechnology, and assistive robot technology have led to a new study that reports, while using the BrainGate neural interface system,…
PRKCA Gene Links to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Emotional Memory Formation
Scientists at the University of Basel in Switzerland were able to analyze the genetic sequences of the PRKCA gene over 700 healthy young volunteers. This…