Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

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

Neuroscientists shed new light on mechanisms responsible for familial migraine

Neuroscientists of the University of Zurich shed a new light on the mechanisms responsible for familial migraine: They show that a genetic dysfunction in specific brain cells of the cingulate cortex area strongly influences head pain occurrence.

24 Jun 2020

Members of Vivli announce commitment to share COVID-19 trial data

Members of Vivli, the Center for Clinical Research Data, announce today their commitment to share their COVID-19 trials through Vivli.

23 Jun 2020

New method for producing tsetse fly attractants using biotechnology

The tsetse fly occurs in large regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The flies feed on human and animal blood, transmitting trypanosoma in the process - small, single-cell organisms that use the flies as intermediate host and cause a dangerous inflammation of the lymph and nervous system in both animals and humans.

22 Jun 2020

Killifish model helps unravel molecular events that lead to loss of protein homeostasis during brain aging

Aging is the main risk factor for dementia and Parkinson's disease. As age progresses, toxic protein aggregates pile up in the brain and impair neuronal function.

21 Jun 2020

New therapy provides relief in patients with chronic low back pain

A new study has found that tanezumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits nerve activity, provides relief in patients with chronic low back pain, one of the leading reasons why people seek medical care and the number one cause of disability worldwide.

19 Jun 2020

Novel radioisotope therapy could provide favorable prognosis in neuroblastoma patients

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common cancers in children and has limited treatment options.In a new study, researchers from Kanazawa University retrospectively analyzed children with refractory or relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma who were treated with 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) and discovered a favorable prognosis in these patients.

19 Jun 2020

Study finds overabundance of opportunistic pathogens in the guts of persons with Parkinson's

Parkinson's disease is a common, progressive and debilitating neurodegenerative disease. It currently cannot be prevented or cured.

18 Jun 2020

Scientists substantiate the existence of concept cells in the brain

Lobachevsky University scientists together with foreign colleagues for the first time theoretically substantiated the existence of concept cells.

18 Jun 2020

COVID-19 pandemic may have negative consequences for mental health

The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical lives of most people. But now there are also indications that the pandemic has negative consequences for the mental health of the people being infected, the healthcare professionals and the population as a whole.

18 Jun 2020

Gut bacteria can take control over the host animal's sensory behavior

Gut bacteria are tiny but may play an outsized role not only in the host animal's digestive health, but in their overall well-being.

17 Jun 2020

Multi-institutional study examines neuroimaging findings in COVID-19 patients

A new multi-institutional study published in the journal Radiology identifies patterns in abnormal brain MRI findings in patients with COVID-19.

16 Jun 2020

Depression and anxiety symptoms linked to changes in the brain's opioid system

A new study conducted in Turku, Finland, reveals how symptoms indicating depression and anxiety are linked to brain function changes already in healthy individuals.

16 Jun 2020

Study shows high folate levels associated with improved cognition in older adults

A new study led by researchers from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin challenges claims from some international scientific circles, that having high blood levels of folate (folic acid) increases the risk of poor cognition in older adults, especially in those with low levels of vitamin B12.

16 Jun 2020