Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Toxic cell atlas can guide discovery of new drugs for neurodegeneration

A common thread in many inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), is damage caused by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when cells produce toxic substances known as reactive oxygen species, which are damaging nerve cells and other cells in the body.

13 Apr 2020

Discovery of key protein may lead to more effective treatments for depression

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Antidepressants are the first-line treatment for moderate to severe major depressive episodes.

9 Apr 2020

Improper cellular cleanup during neurodevelopment may cause lifelong behavioral issues

Improper removal of faulty brain cells during neurodevelopment may cause lifelong behavioral issues, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests.

9 Apr 2020

MBI may give important clues about early stages of dementia

In recent years, scientists have conducted more than 100 clinical trials in the hopes of finding new indicators capable of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease prior to the manifestation of clinical symptoms such as memory loss.

8 Apr 2020

New study to accelerate early detection of COVID-19 in healthcare professionals

The West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, WVU Medicine, and smart ring maker Oura Health today (April 8) announced a national study designed to accelerate early detection of the COVID-19 virus symptoms and contagiousness.

8 Apr 2020

Suicide attempt survivors found to be less sensitive to bodily signals

People who have survived a suicide attempt are less sensitive to bodily signals related to their heart and breath, and have a higher tolerance for pain, suggest new findings published today in eLife.

7 Apr 2020

Common protein in skin can directly activate itch-associated neurons

A commonly expressed protein in skin - periostin - can directly activate itch-associated neurons in the skin, according to new research from North Carolina State University.

7 Apr 2020

Study reveals how serotonin balances communication within the brain

Our brain is steadily engaged in soliloquies. These internal communications are usually also bombarded with external sensory events.

7 Apr 2020

Compound in fruit peels can reduce and reverse neuronal damage in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, characterized by increasing muscle weakness and paralysis, has a number of treatments that help stall progression of the disease when used early on in the disease.

6 Apr 2020

Discovery of novel brain-digestive link

Scientists across the globe have long studied the link between the brain and the digestive system. Previous studies have tied brain networks and how they influence the gastrointestinal tract or vice versa. Food has a unique effect on humans as food tastes or flavors often dictate food-seeking behaviors. So is the palate the only thing that controls food choices among humans?

6 Apr 2020

Study suggests targeted cancer therapy could help with rare neurologic disease

A targeted therapy currently studied for treatment of certain cancers may be beneficial in treating other neurologic diseases.

6 Apr 2020

Magnetic stimulation of rectal nerves could help treat fecal incontinence

An ongoing study by the Medical College of Georgia on the role of magnetic stimulation of the rectal nerves to achieve better bowel control in patients with fecal incontinence is showing early promise. The technique is called translumbosacral neuromodulation therapy, or TNT.

2 Apr 2020

New study offers clues to why autism is more common in boys than in girls

A new study in Neuron offers clues to why autism spectrum disorder is more common in boys than in girls. National Institutes of Health scientists found that a single amino acid change in the NLGN4 gene, which has been linked to autism symptoms, may drive this difference in some cases.

2 Apr 2020

Hereditary genetic defect linked to medulloblastoma destabilizes protein regulation

The causes of 40 percent of all cases of certain medulloblastoma - dangerous brain tumors affecting children - are hereditary.

1 Apr 2020

Understanding hereditary medulloblastomas in children

This is a combined press release between EMBL, the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg and the German Cancer Consortium.

1 Apr 2020

GABA is a key regulator to metamorphosis, shows study

Metamorphosis, or a dramatic change in physical appearance, is a normal part of the life cycle of many animals, carried out to take advantage of different ecological niches.

1 Apr 2020

Study reveals how hormone leptin contributes to weight loss

Some call it baby fat. But recent research has shown that adults have it too--which is a good thing. Brown fat, the so-called good fat that can protect against obesity and associated health risks, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is located in small pockets throughout the body.

31 Mar 2020

Scientists model human CMV-induced microcephaly using brain organoids

A City of Hope scientist is one step closer to discovering what weakens a pathogen that appears to cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads.

30 Mar 2020

Gene that could affect the progress of ALS discovered

Researchers from the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University have successfully found a gene that could work towards accelerating the progression of ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The study titled, "The loss of TBK1 kinase activity in motor neurons or in all cell types differentially impacts ALS disease progression in SOD1 mice," was published in the latest issue of the journal Neuron.

29 Mar 2020

Newly developed laboratory model helps reveal how HIV infection affects the brain

Though many negative repercussions of human immunodeficiency virus infection can be mitigated with the use of antiretroviral therapy, one area where medical advances haven't made as much progress is in the reduction of cognitive impacts.

27 Mar 2020