ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News |
| Call-and-response circuit tells neurons when to grow synapses Posted: 25 Oct 2021 02:21 PM PDT Brain cells called astrocytes play a key role in helping neurons develop and function properly, but there's still a lot scientists don't understand about how astrocytes perform these important jobs. Now, a team of scientists has found one way that neurons and astrocytes work together to form healthy connections called synapses. This insight into normal astrocyte function could help scientists better understand disorders linked to problems with neuronal development, including autism spectrum disorders. |
| Men, women ride the same emotional roller coaster Posted: 25 Oct 2021 08:37 AM PDT Contrary to widely held gender stereotypes, women are not more emotional than men, researchers say. |
| Posted: 25 Oct 2021 08:37 AM PDT What are the origins of musical rhythm? Are humans the only mammals that have rhythm? Researchers have studied indris, the 'singing primates' from Madagascar to learn more. Indri songs recorded in the wild have rhythmic categories similar to those found in human music. Finding common musical traits across species may shed light on the biology and evolution of rhythm and music. |
| New research finds air pollution reduces sperm counts through brain inflammation Posted: 25 Oct 2021 07:17 AM PDT Researchers have long known that air pollution can increase the risk of disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and fertility, but they did not know the exact mechanism for how it can lead to these health conditions. Now researchers have shown how air pollution reduces sperm count in mice by causing inflammation in the brain. |
| New study suggests that breastfeeding may help prevent cognitive decline Posted: 23 Oct 2021 09:21 AM PDT A new study has found that women over the age of 50 who had breastfed their babies performed better on cognitive tests compared to women who had never breastfed. The findings suggest that breastfeeding may have a positive impact on postmenopausal women's cognitive performance and could have long-term benefits for the mother's brain. |
| Specific molecular mechanism that controls the transition from acute to chronic pain Posted: 22 Oct 2021 02:15 PM PDT A new study reveals the specific molecular mechanism that controls the transition from acute to chronic pain, and identifies this mechanism as a critical target for disease-modifying medicines. |
| Gene therapy shows early promise as angelman syndrome treatment Posted: 22 Oct 2021 09:37 AM PDT Scientists have reported encouraging early tests of a gene therapy strategy against Angelman syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that features poor muscle control and balance, hard-to-treat epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities. |
| Common antidepressant should no longer be used to treat people with dementia Posted: 21 Oct 2021 04:31 PM PDT A drug used to treat agitation in people with dementia is no more effective than a placebo, and might even increase mortality, according to a new study. The research has shown that antidepressant mirtazapine offered no improvement in agitation for people with dementia -- and was possibly more likely to be associated with mortality than no intervention at all. |
| Cell-free DNA identifies early signs of relapse in pediatric medulloblastoma Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT Findings show that cell-free DNA in cerebrospinal fluid can be used to detect measurable residual disease and identify patients at risk of relapse. |
| Prozac pegged as potential treatment for leading cause of blindness Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT An antidepressant best known as Prozac could offer the first treatment for the leading cause of blindness among people over 50, new research suggests. |
| Skin-inspired sensors show how our body moves Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT Scientists have created wearable, stitchable, and sensitive sensors from flexible polymers and bundles of carbon fibre. Like our skin, these sensors respond to pressure and can measure body position and movement. They could be used to measure disease progress in Parkinson's disease, or sense joint movement in athletes, for example. |
| Targeted drug shows activity against brain metastases in kidney cancer Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT A targeted drug has shown promising activity against brain metastases resulting from kidney cancer, achieving a 50 percent response rate, and supporting further studies of the drug in this patient group whose poor prognosis has created a significant unmet need. |
| Research breakthrough could mean better treatment for patients with most deadly form of brain tumor Posted: 21 Oct 2021 05:46 AM PDT Scientists studying the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour in adults have discovered a new way of analysing diseased and healthy cells from the same patient. |
| Scientists uncover a gene involved in sexual conflict in fruit flies Posted: 20 Oct 2021 05:37 PM PDT Sexual conflict in fruit flies is governed by specifically wired neurons in the brain which have been pinpointed by scientists. |
| Shining light to measure blood flow in the brain in real time Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:00 AM PDT Scientists develop an optical technique that can image dynamic changes in the cerebral blood flow to diagnose brain health. |
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