Last update:

Neuroscience news

Neuroscience

Experimental drug may benefit some patients with rare form of ALS

When Columbia neurologist and scientist Neil Shneider speaks to his ALS patients who volunteer for experimental therapies, he's unwaveringly honest. "Patients always ask me, 'What can I hope to get out of this?"' Shneider ...

Neuroscience

Potential new drug that protects blood-brain barrier shows promise against Alzheimer's

Worldwide, more than 55 million people suffer from dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other conditions that destroy cells in the brain and nervous system.

Genetics

Tiny genetic switch found to control brain balance and behavior

Researchers at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have identified a remarkably small but critical piece of genetic code that helps determine how brain cells connect, communicate, and function. The discovery not only deepens ...

Neuroscience

Electrical stimulation offers hope for treating spinal injuries

A grid of electrodes placed on the backs of study participants delivered enough low-voltage electrical stimulation through the skin to change the short-term function of spinal cord neurons, a study led by UT Southwestern ...

Neuroscience

'Groovy' brains may be more efficient

Many grooves and dimples on the surface of the brain are unique to humans, but they're often dismissed as an uninteresting consequence of packing an unusually large brain into a too-small skull.

Psychology & Psychiatry

How the placebo effect tricks the mind into relieving pain

The detailed mechanism of how the placebo effect reduces the perception of pain in rats has been uncovered by RIKEN neuroscientists. These findings, published in Science Advances, could potentially lead to ways to harness ...

Genetics

How neurons survive botulinum neurotoxin type A exposure

In a comprehensive research study, scientists have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism explaining how neurons survive botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) exposure, despite the toxin's powerful ability to block neurotransmission.

Neuroscience

Common analgesic gas aids in opening of blood-brain barrier

Nitrous oxide, a commonly used analgesic gas, temporarily improved the opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to allow gene therapy delivery in mouse models using focused ultrasound (FUS), UT Southwestern Medical Center ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Why your migraine might be making you crave a large Coke and fries

Whether it's one or two coffees to get us going in the morning or a bar of chocolate after a stressful day, many of us self-medicate when we're tired, stressed or sad. But when we have a headache, most of us head straight ...