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Neuroscience news

Genetics

Genetic causes of cerebral palsy uncovered through whole-genome sequencing

A Canadian-led study has identified genes which may be partially responsible for the development of cerebral palsy.

Neuroscience

Older brain cells linger unexpectedly before their death

For oligodendrocytes—the central nervous system cells critical for brain function—age may not bring wisdom, but it does come with the power to cling to life for much, much longer than scientists knew. That's according ...

Neuroscience

Mechanism found that determines which memories last

Neuroscientists have established in recent decades the idea that some of each day's experiences are converted by the brain into permanent memories during sleep the same night. Now, a new study proposes a mechanism that determines ...

Neuroscience

New imaging method illuminates oxygen's journey in the brain

The human brain consumes vast amounts of energy, which is almost exclusively generated from a form of metabolism that requires oxygen. While the efficient and timely delivery of oxygen is known to be critical to healthy brain ...

Neuroscience

Brain circuit that spoils appetite identified

Satiety, nausea or anxiety can all lead to a loss of appetite. Delaying eating can be a healthy move by the body to prevent further damage and to gain time for regenerating. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological ...

Neuroscience

Understanding the role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease

Microglia are specialized immune cells in the brain. While they normally protect our brains, they can also contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. The exact mechanism behind this contribution is not ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Investigating the loss of musical ability

Amusia is a severe musical disorder affecting both the perception and production of music. It may be either congenital, hereditary tone deafness, or acquired, that is, a condition caused by brain damage. Although amusia has ...

Neuroscience

A promising discovery in a rare neurodegenerative disease

Imagine being middle aged and starting to feel that you are off balance a lot and that you are having a hard time coordinating your movements. Those are among the symptoms of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, known as SCA6, ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Intervention after first seizure may prevent long-term epilepsy

Only a very small percentage of neurons show changes after an epileptic seizure in mice, but these alterations can be permanent and trigger future seizures that can affect the whole brain and lead to impaired cognition, like ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

How neural inhibition could reduce alcohol use

Neuroscientists at Scripps Research have found that inhibiting neurons involved in the body's stress response may reduce alcohol consumption in people who have both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder ...

Neuroscience

Neurosurgeon explains the difference in brain aneurysms

Each year, nearly half a million people worldwide die from brain aneurysms. In the U.S., an estimated 6.7 million people have an unruptured brain aneurysm, which means about 1 in 50 people might have one.