Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Researchers develop 20 new recombinant rabies viral vectors for brain circuit mapping

A research team led by the University of California, Irvine has created 20 new recombinant rabies viral vectors for neural circuit mapping that offer a range of significant advantages over existing tools, including the ability to detect microstructural changes in models of aging and Alzheimer's disease brain neurons.

14 Feb 2024

COVID-19's lasting impact on smell and brain health unveiled

Study reviews the impact of COVID-19 on olfactory dysfunction and its link to neurocognitive disorders, highlighting MRI findings and potential treatments for smell loss.

12 Feb 2024

Groundbreaking study shows monocytes migrate to brain's emotional centers during stress

Researchers report a mechanism wherein peripheral immune factors could impact central nervous system (CNS) function and behavior under stress.

12 Feb 2024

Large Language Models promise to revolutionize neuroscience research

The past year has seen major advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. The ability of these models to interpret and produce human text sources (and other sequence data) has implications for people in many areas of human activity.

9 Feb 2024

COVID-19 linked to higher dementia risk in older adults, study finds

Research indicates a potential link between COVID-19 and an increased risk of new-onset dementia in adults over 60, with the risk being similar to that from other respiratory infections.

9 Feb 2024

New MRI method enables early detection and better monitoring of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that usually leads to permanent disabilities. It affects around 2.9 million people worldwide, and around 15,000 in Switzerland alone.

8 Feb 2024

Higher dietary niacin intake linked to lower COPD risk, study finds

Recent research in Scientific Reports reveals a dose-response relationship between dietary niacin intake and reduced prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting niacin's potential role in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation in COPD patients.

8 Feb 2024

New drug targets key mechanism in ALS, protects motor neurons

A new pharmacological inhibitor can intervene in a central cell death mechanism that is responsible for the death of motor neurons and hence important for the progression of the motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

8 Feb 2024

Enzyme released by immune cells may play role in depression

Mount Sinai researchers have shown for the first time that immune cells called monocytes, derived in the bone marrow and released into the bloodstream, can be drawn during stress into sites in the brain that control emotional behaviors.

8 Feb 2024

Study discovers a direct connection between the brain and its surrounding environment

In a recent study of the brain's waste drainage system, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, collaborating with investigators at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), discovered a direct connection between the brain and its tough protective covering, the dura mater.

8 Feb 2024

Study shows link between erectile dysfunction drugs and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s

The drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction may also be associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the February 7, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Feb 2024

Machine learning revolutionizes image compression for neural implants

EPFL researchers have developed a machine learning approach to compressing image data with greater accuracy than learning-free computation methods, with applications for retinal implants and other sensory prostheses.

7 Feb 2024

Mitochondria on the move: New discovery could revolutionize treatment of brain diseases

The human brain is an organ that takes nearly from 20 to 25% of the energy the body needs. This high energy demand for neuronal functions depends on the transport and precise distribution of mitochondria — the energy-generating cell organelles — in each neuron.

7 Feb 2024

UniSA researchers seek solutions for chronic pain in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological disease in Australia.

7 Feb 2024

Teenage bullying linked to lower brain glutamate, early psychosis symptoms

Researchers have found that adolescents being bullied by their peers are at greater risk of the early stages of psychotic episodes and in turn experience lower levels of a key neurotransmitter in a part of the brain involved in regulating emotions.

5 Feb 2024

New points-to-consider in the diagnosis, treatment of systemic hyperinflammatory syndromes

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) are life-threatening systemic hyperinflammatory syndromes.

5 Feb 2024

Small-molecule A485 mobilizes white blood cells on demand

New study reveals a small molecule that can selectively mobilize white blood cells, offering potential treatments for diseases with abnormal leukocyte counts.

3 Feb 2024

Exercise shapes our gut health, study finds

Accelerometer-based study reveals physical activity levels significantly influence gut microbiota composition, linking moderate and vigorous exercise to beneficial microbial diversity and function.

3 Feb 2024

People with polycystic ovary syndrome may have memory and thinking problems in midlife

People with polycystic ovary syndrome may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems in middle age, according to new research published in the January 31, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Feb 2024

Study shows link between moderate radon exposure and increased risk of stroke

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Now a new study has found exposure to this invisible, odorless gas is also linked to an increased risk of stroke.

1 Feb 2024