Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Surgery crucial for people with drug-resistant epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic, central nervous system or neurological disorder wherein the brain activity becomes impaired, leading to seizures. In some cases, it leads to periods of unusual behavior, loss of awareness, or altered sensations.

12 Sep 2019

LMRI scientists discover cause of debilitating eye disease

Scientists at the Lowy Medical Research Institute have discovered one cause of a progressive, debilitating eye disease called macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel).

11 Sep 2019

Brain changes may help track people most likely to develop dementia

Even before dementia diagnosis, people with mild cognitive impairment may have different changes in the brain depending on what type of dementia they have, according to a study published in the September 11, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Sep 2019

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for spatial issues in people with Down syndrome

Researchers reveal that an imbalance of gene Grik1 is behind the spatial issues that people with Down syndrome experience.

11 Sep 2019

Developing next generation treatment to counteract opioid addiction

There are many moments in the human experience when tragedy elicits not only compassion, but inspiration. When Mike Zhang heard the story of a mother whose son died of an opioid overdose just one month after the teenager's introduction to the drug at a party, the Virginia Tech researcher wanted to help.

11 Sep 2019

Brain-computer interface: huge potential benefits and formidable challenges

A new Royal Society report called “iHuman: blurring lines between mind and machine” is for the first time systematically exploring whether it is “right” or not to use neural interfaces – machines implanted in or worn over the body to pick up or stimulate nervous activity in the brain or other parts of the nervous system.

11 Sep 2019

Fatty food changes the brain to affect homeostasis and metabolism

While we all know that eating fatty food pushes up our body weight, a new study now shows it also affects the way the brain keeps track of and corrects all metabolic irregularities in the body. Soon after tucking into a high-fat, high-carb meal – as soon as three days later – the hypothalamus shows inflammation.

10 Sep 2019

Study offers hope for people suffering from chronic pain

When you experience severe pain, like breaking or shattering a bone, the pain isn't just felt at the sight of the injury.

9 Sep 2019

High-fat diets contribute to irregularities in hypothalamus region of the brain

Much research has pointed to how an unhealthy diet correlates to obesity, but has not explored how diet can bring about neurological changes in the brain.

9 Sep 2019

Message transfer between mammal neurons regulated by 'clamp'

A fundamental question in nerve biology brings to mind a race car at the starting line: The engine is revving, but the brake is on. The system is ready to go, but under tight control.

9 Sep 2019

First potential biomarker identified for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

New research from The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences strongly suggests postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, is an autoimmune disorder and may help pave the way for a simple blood test that could help physicians diagnose the condition.

9 Sep 2019

Higher levels of serotonin after a seizure linked to lower incidence of breathing problems

Could a chemical produced by the brain that regulates mood, sleep and breathing also be protective in people with epilepsy? New research has found that higher levels of serotonin in the blood after a seizure are linked to a lower incidence of seizure-related breathing problems called apneas, when a person temporarily stops breathing.

5 Sep 2019

New study helps predict high-benefit group for implantable defibrillators

Many patients in cardiac arrest have had lifesaving treatment with a defibrillator. However, these machines can also be implanted into patients whose hearts tend to kick off into their own crazy rhythms, making them unable to pump blood.

4 Sep 2019

Parkinson's disease may originate from the gut of patients

In 2003, a German neuropathologist proposed that Parkinson's disease, which attacks the brain, actually might originate from the gut of the patients.

3 Sep 2019

Teenagers exposed to air pollution show greater autonomic reactivity to social stress

Adolescents exposed to higher levels of fine-particle air pollutants have heightened autonomic nervous system reactions to social stress, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.

31 Aug 2019

Cracking the code of a recurrent brain cancer

One of the most common brain cancers in children, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma, also is one of the more survivable for most kids. Unfortunately, for a subset of patients the cancer resists treatment and relapses with a vengeance to then turn deadly.

30 Aug 2019

Study gives insight into how immunotherapies may be delivered directly to brain tumors

A new study gives insight into how immunotherapies, treatments that help the body's immune system fight cancer, might one day be delivered directly to the brain in order to treat brain tumors.

29 Aug 2019

AAN publishes new guideline on vaccinations for people with multiple sclerosis

Can a person with multiple sclerosis get regular vaccines? According to a new guideline, the answer is yes. The guideline, developed by the American Academy of Neurology, recommends that people with MS receive recommended vaccinations, including yearly flu shots.

28 Aug 2019

Researchers win NSF grant to investigate how young kids develop self-regulation

University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have been awarded a $390,483 grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate the role of coordinated brain and heart activity in the rapid development of self-regulation in 3- to 5-year-olds.

28 Aug 2019

New mechanisms to enable regeneration of injured nerve fibers

Injuries to nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves usually result in functional losses as the nerve fibers are unable to regenerate.

23 Aug 2019