Tag Archive for 'Brain'

Plasma cells (PC) are found in the central nervous system of multiple sclerosis patients, yet their source and role in multiple sclerosis remains unclear. Rojas et al find that some PC in the central nervous system of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) originate in the gut and produce immunoglobulin A (IgA). Moreover, the researchers show that IgA + PC are dramatically reduced in the gut during EAE, and likewise, a reduction in IgA-bound fecal bacteria is seen in multiple sclerosis patients during disease relapse. Image credit: Rojas et al, doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.11.035.

Gut-Derived Immune Cells Reduce Brain Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis

Jan 8, 2019 by News Staff

Studying mice and samples from multiple sclerosis patients, a research team led by University of Toronto scientists found that gut-derived immunoglobulin-A-(IgA)...

Wild-type mice were challenged with Candida albicans and immunofluorescence staining for DAPI, IBA1, Aβ, and GFAP was performed on brain sections containing fungal granulomas. Image credit: Wu et al, doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07991-4.

Study: Candida albicans Can Cause Brain Infection, Memory Impairment

Jan 7, 2019 by News Staff

A fungal pathogen called Candida albicans can cross the blood-brain barrier and trigger an inflammatory response that results in the formation of granuloma-type...

Thanarajah et al combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) to assess the brain’s response to food intake and discovered immediate and delayed dopamine release in distinct areas of the human brain; the study authors also identified areas where dopamine release reflected subjective wanting to eat, shedding light on how the brain transforms energetic signals into the desire to eat. Image credit: Thanaraja et al, doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.12.006.

Study: Our Brain Rewards Us Twice Per Meal

Jan 2, 2019 by News Staff

Our brain rewards us for every meal by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a starring role in motivating behavior. According to a new study,...

Multicellular organisms eliminate abnormal but viable cells based on their fitness status through cell competition to maintain tissue integrity. Coelho et al report that fitness-based neuronal selection occurs in the course of neurodegeneration. Death of unfit neurons is beneficial, protecting against disease progression by restoring motor and cognitive functions. Image credit: Coelho et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.098.

Neuronal Loss May Have Beneficial Effect in Alzheimer’s Disease

Dec 28, 2018 by News Staff

Neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease may be the result of a cell quality control mechanism trying to protect the brain from the accumulation of malfunctioning...

Bees can solve seemingly clever counting tasks with very small numbers of neurons in their brains. Image credit: PollyDot.

Bees Can Solve Counting Tasks with Just Four Neurons, New Study Shows

Dec 25, 2018 by News Staff

Bees can count up to four or five items, can choose the smaller or the larger number from a group and even choose ‘zero’ against other numbers when...

Forensic facial reconstruction of another Australopithecus species - A. afarensis. Image credit: Cicero Moraes / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Little Foot Fossil Sheds New Light on Hominin Brain Evolution

Dec 21, 2018 by News Staff

The first detailed comparative description of the external neuroanatomy of the 3.67-million-year-old Australopithecus prometheus fossil known as the Little...

The new study by Burke Quinla et al suggests that the experience of chronic peer victimization during adolescence might induce psychopathology-relevant deviations from normative brain development. Early peer victimization interventions could prevent such pathological changes. Image credit: Alexas Fotos.

Study: Bullying Affects Structure of Adolescent Brain

Dec 17, 2018 by News Staff

Chronic peer victimization during adolescence impacts mental health via structural brain changes, according to new research published in the journal Molecular...

Caffeine and eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide may protect against brain degeneration. Image credit: Anja Osenberg.

Two Compounds in Coffee May Combat Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia

Dec 12, 2018 by News Staff

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that can lead to shaking, stiffness and difficulty with walking, balance and coordination. Dementia with Lewy...

He et al found that a single workout can activate POMC neurons (shown in green in yellow) for up to 2 days; these neurons are important regulators of blood glucose levels and energy balance. Image credit: He et al, doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.08.011.

Exercise Can Boost Metabolism, Animal Study Shows

Dec 7, 2018 by News Staff

A new study shows neurons in mice that influence metabolism are active for up to two days after a single workout. The study, published in the journal Molecular...

In fruit flies, dopamine neurons regulate both learning and forgetting. Berry et al identify a locus for the storage and retrieval of a short-term memory trace and show that a single dopamine neuron regulates both formation and disruption of this trace. Image credit: Berry et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.051.

Neuroscientists Decode Physiological Mechanism of Remembering and Forgetting

Nov 30, 2018 by News Staff

In a study of fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), a team of researchers from the Scripps Research Institute Florida has shown the physiological mechanism...

The study by Yuan et al supports a long-term beneficial role of vegetable, fruit, and orange juice consumption on cognitive function. Image credit: Silvia Rita.

Long-Term Consumption of Vegetables, Fruits and Orange Juice May Reduce Memory Loss in Men

Nov 28, 2018 by News Staff

Vegetable, fruit, and orange juice consumption may be associated with a lower risk of memory loss in men, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H....

The endorestiform nucleus is found near the brain-spinal cord junction. Image credit: George Paxinos, Neuroscience Research Australia.

Australian Neuroscientist Discovers Hidden Region in Human Brain: Endorestiform Nucleus

Nov 23, 2018 by News Staff

Professor George Paxinos from Neuroscience Research Australia has discovered a hidden region of the human brain. The endorestiform nucleus is found near...

Exposure to outdoor air pollution may be one of the pathways that contribute to the health inequities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities. Image credit: Ralf Vetterle.

Scientists Find Link between Air Pollution and Intellectual Disabilities in Children

Nov 23, 2018 by News Staff

Levels of exposure to outdoor air pollution among children with intellectual disabilities are significantly higher than those of children without intellectual...

Calorie restriction (CR) and low-protein, high-carbohydrate (LPHC) diets improve cardiometabolic health in mice. Wahl et al show that, like healthspan, CR and LPHC diets positively affect hippocampus biology in mice by influencing hippocampus gene expression, nutrient-sensing pathways, dendritic morphology, and cognition. Image credit: Wahl et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.10.070.

Low-Protein, High-Carbohydrate Diet May Be Key to Longevity, Animal Study Shows

Nov 22, 2018 by News Staff

A new study, published in the journal Cell Reports, shows improvements in overall health and brain health, as well as learning and memory in lab mice that...

MRI study reveals that repeated blows to the head cause microscopic changes in young football players’ brains. Image credit: Andzelika Tokarska.

Playing High School Football Can Cause Microstructural Changes in Gray Matter, MRI Study Reveals

Nov 21, 2018 by News Staff

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans have revealed that playing a single season of high school football can cause significant microscopic changes...

Drinking coffee may protect you against developing both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Image credit: Couleur.

Coffee Consumption May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases

Nov 7, 2018 by News Staff

A new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, shows that a number of polyphenolic compounds found in brewed coffee can inhibit the aggregation...

An artist’s interpretation of elephant birds foraging in the ancient forests of Madagascar at night. Image credit: John Maisano / University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences.

Study: Elephant Birds were Nocturnal, Possibly Blind

Nov 1, 2018 by News Staff

The recently extinct Malagasy elephant birds included the largest birds ever discovered. Seven species are recognized across two genera, including the...

Arshamian et al examined the effect of respiration on consolidation of episodic odor memory.

Study: Breathing through Nose Enhances Memory Consolidation in Humans

Oct 25, 2018 by Enrico de Lazaro

Nose breathing improves the transfer of experience to long-term memory, according to a new study published in the journal JNeurosci. Arshamian et al examined...

The entrainment of theta brain waves with a commercially available device boosts memory performance. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Theta-Wave Entrainment Device Improves Episodic Memory

Oct 24, 2018 by News Staff

According to new research from the University of California, Davis, the entrainment of theta brain waves with a commercially available device not only...

Ramsey et al identified eight components of lavender and tea tree oils as endocrine disruptor chemicals. Image credit: Ilona Couleur.

Linalool Odor is Relaxing, New Study Confirms

Oct 24, 2018 by News Staff

A study carried out by Kagoshima University researchers shows that linalool, a constituent of lavender, peppermint and many other essential oils, must...

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