Category Archives: brain

“Fluorescent sensor paint” lights up key markers of Parkinson’s disease

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A new study has demonstrated how dopamine secretion could be monitored with novel sensors as a way of tracking Parkinson's disease

Addressing the shortage of dopamine that characterizes Parkinson’s disease is a key objective of treatments old and new, but monitoring levels of the neurotransmitter that result from these interventions can be a tricky undertaking. Scientists have developed a promising new tool for this task described as a “fluorescent nanosensor paint,” which glows brightly in the presence of dopamine to reveal its concentrations and spread in the brain.

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Auditory Brainstem Implants: The Other Bionic Hearing Device

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You might have heard of the cochlear implant. It’s an electronic device also referred to as a neuroprosthesis, serving as a bionic replacement for the human ear. These implants have …read more Continue reading Auditory Brainstem Implants: The Other Bionic Hearing Device→

Existing drug aids stroke recovery by rewiring undamaged neurons

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Most treatments for strokes aim to help reduce or repair damage to affected neurons. But a new study in mice has shown that a drug already in use to treat certain neurological disorders could help patients recover from strokes by getting undamaged neur… Continue reading Existing drug aids stroke recovery by rewiring undamaged neurons→

CRISPR-edited hamsters exhibit unexpected social behavior changes

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Researchers experimenting with genetically engineered hamsters have found that the biology behind social behavior may be more complex than we thought. The team used CRISPR to block a certain neurochemical signaling pathway, and found that the animals’ … Continue reading CRISPR-edited hamsters exhibit unexpected social behavior changes→

Link between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease risk grows with new findings

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Animal research found a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection increased susceptibility to a chemical used to model Parkinson's disease neurodegeneration

A few years after the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic doctors around the world began to notice an increase in new Parkinson’s disease cases. This link between viral infection and increased Parkinson’s risk has been an ongoing mystery to scientists for well over a century. And the association isn’t just limited to the H1N1 influenza virus behind the 1918 pandemic. A variety of other viral infections have been linked to increased Parkinson’s risk, from Japanese encephalitis to HIV.

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First signs of head trauma in ramming animals may unlock secrets of TBI

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Understanding and treating traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in humans is difficult as some, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), can only be diagnosed after death. Scientists may have unearthed a valuable new tool to study these conditions, in… Continue reading First signs of head trauma in ramming animals may unlock secrets of TBI→

Could video games be making kids smarter? A new study says yes

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Screen time of any kind is generally considered to be a negative influence on a child’s development but a new study from a team of European researchers makes a strikingly different case, presenting evidence that playing video games may actually boost a… Continue reading Could video games be making kids smarter? A new study says yes→

Study links concussion to changes in gut bacteria

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The inherent difficulties in properly diagnosing concussion have scientists searching far and wide for biomarkers that clearly reveal the extent of a brain injury. For scientists at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, this search has led them to … Continue reading Study links concussion to changes in gut bacteria→

Brain imaging helmet tracks psychedelic experiences in ketamine study

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An ongoing study is testing a new kind of neuroimaging device designed to easily capture brain activity in real-time. These preliminary experiments will investigate the effects of ketamine on functional connectivity in the brain before, during and afte… Continue reading Brain imaging helmet tracks psychedelic experiences in ketamine study→