Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Study sheds new light on neurobiological processes that control drug-related adaptations

The lab of Jeremy Day, Ph.D., at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has used single-nucleus RNA sequencing approaches to compare transcriptional responses to acute cocaine in 16 unique cell populations from a portion of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, or NAc.

10 Jul 2020

CU researchers discover key role of specific brain cells during development

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have identified how specific brain cells interacting during development could be related to neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including some that occur later in life.

9 Jul 2020

Mass psychogenic illness identified as the likely cause of Havana Syndrome

Dozens of embassy staff reported an array of complaints that have baffled the medical community, the most prominent being concussion-like symptoms without head trauma.

9 Jul 2020

New study provides insight into the origin and evolution of glioblastoma

Brain cancers have long been thought of as being resistant to treatments because of the presence of multiple types of cancer cells within each tumor. A new study uncovers a cancer cell hierarchy that originates from a single cancer cell type, which can be targeted to slow cancer growth.

8 Jul 2020

Study explores the role of gut Piezo1 in sensing of bacterial RNA

In a new study published in Cell, "RNA sensing by gut Piezo1 is essential for systemic serotonin synthesis", a research team led by Kenta Maruyama M.D., Ph.D. from National Institute for Physiological Sciences explored the role of Piezo1, a mechano-sensing receptor, in the sensing of bacterial RNA.

7 Jul 2020

Cerebrospinal fluid autoantibodies target the brain in some COVID-19 patients

A study conducted by German researchers has shown that the neurological symptoms observed in some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be caused by autoantibodies targeting the brain.

7 Jul 2020

New nanoparticle-based artificial retina prosthesis restores vision in blind rats

An international team of scientists, of which the University of Granada (UGR) is a member, has developed a new nanoparticle-based artificial retina prosthesis that can be injected into the eye.

7 Jul 2020

$5 million gift aims to propel Lyme disease research and education

To the Fairbairns, the symptoms--debilitating fatigue, joint pain, cognitive problems--were as worrisome as they were mystifying. All four members of the family had them.

6 Jul 2020

New vitamin K-based drug eliminates medication-resistant epileptic seizures in mice

In the cover article of the June 11 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, a team of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina, led by Sherine Chan, Ph.D., and James Chou, Ph.D., reports that a new vitamin K-based drug has proved effective in mouse models of medication-resistant seizures.

6 Jul 2020

New treatment approach for Alzheimer's disease

A new study published in The Journal of Physiology has shown that misfolded protein build-up in the gut could contribute to the development of Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice.

3 Jul 2020

New technology can increase the quality of stem cells used in regenerative medicine

Stem cells have been holding great promise for regenerative medicine for years. In the last decade, several studies have shown that this type of cell, which in Spanish is called "mother cell" because of its ability to give rise to a variety of different cell types, can be applied in regenerative medicine for diseases such as muscular and nervous system disorders, among others.

2 Jul 2020

Researchers develop a potential treatment approach for Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease

A team led by Case Western Reserve University medical researchers has developed a potential treatment method for Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal neurological disorder that produces severe movement, motor and cognitive dysfunction in children.

1 Jul 2020

Researchers receive innovative grants to understand the biological underpinnings of blood cancers

Seeking to ignite the next major breakthroughs to treat blood cancers, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), The Mark Foundation, and The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group today announced more than $6.75 million awarded to nine of the most exceptional scientists in the field.

1 Jul 2020

Walking backward could help stroke patients to walk again

Walking backward may seem counterintuitive, but to athletes in training, doing so on a treadmill builds strength and agility.

1 Jul 2020

Study shows how the brain's auditory system is affected by HIV

Even with effective antiretroviral therapy, patients infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) sustain central nervous system damage.

30 Jun 2020

Study uncovers algorithms and neural circuit mechanisms of escape responses

Ordered and variable animal behaviours emerge to explore and adapt to the environment. They are generally considered as the combination of a series of stereotyped motor primitives. However, how the nervous system shapes the dynamics of motor sequences remains to be solved.

29 Jun 2020

Study shows why ApoE4 increases risk of Alzheimer's disease

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is kind of like a delivery service for the human brain. It supplies neurons with important nutrients, including with polyunsaturated fatty acids - which are building blocks of the membranes surrounding the neurons.

26 Jun 2020

Researchers identify new molecules to study specific glial cells integral to synapses

While the brain is composed of two types of cells, glia tend to receive far less attention for their importance in brain function and disease than the more celebrated neurons.

26 Jun 2020

Irritable bowel disease heightens the risk of dementia

Scientists have long explored the link between the gut and the brain. Now, a new study shows that older adults with chronic inflammation of the digestive tract may develop dementia more than seven years earlier than those who do not have the condition.

26 Jun 2020

Protein profile in serum reflects COVID-19 severity

The wide range of manifestations of COVID-19 has continued to baffle investigators. Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that blood proteins in COVID-19 patients change over time, and these can possibly predict or reflect the severity of disease. More, they may present targets for treatment.

25 Jun 2020