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Neuroscience news

Neuroscience

Novel imaging method maps brain-wide changes in neuronal connections

Neurons communicate with each other by passing millisecond-long signals across tiny junctions called synapses. Experiences cause the strength of these connections to change—a process called synaptic plasticity, which underlies ...

Neuroscience

A protein called CD2AP offers important clues to Alzheimer's disease

Though Alzheimer's disease is often described as a buildup of proteins in the brain in the form of plaques and tangles, a new study by University of Calgary researchers has shown that blood vessels in the brain might hold ...

Neuroscience

Study finds active perception aids object comparison accuracy

When comparing two objects, people either rely on internal memories of these objects or run their hands and eyes over them to directly perceive their similarity. The latter approach, a shortcut that offloads cognition to ...

Neuroscience

Songbirds highlight dopamine's role in learning

Many everyday skills, such as speech, are not innate. They are learned through trial and error. Now, by analyzing young songbirds rehearsing their fathers' songs, researchers at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute have for the ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Duchenne muscular dystrophy's impact on the brain may be reversible

New research led by the University of Portsmouth has revealed how Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), best known for causing severe muscle degeneration, also profoundly affects the brain, leading to cognitive and behavioral ...

Neuroscience

Exercise of any kind boosts brainpower at any age

Whether it's an early morning jog, or a touch of Tai Chi, new research from the University of South Australia shows that any form of exercise can significantly boost brain function and memory across children, adults, and ...

Neuroscience

New neuron-targeting method may reduce anxiety and blood pressure

Every year, heart disease claims the lives of more Americans than any other health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the key risk factors for heart disease is high blood pressure. ...

Neuroscience

Diabetic foot pain: Expert tips on how to cope

An estimated 1 in 10 people worldwide have diabetes. Africa is the region with the fastest growth and it's estimated that the number of people on the continent with diabetes will more than double in the next 20 years, increasing ...

Neuroscience

Improved muscle mapping could aid neurological treatment

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a cutting-edge method to identify muscle activity in densely packed regions like the forearm. Using high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) sensors alongside ...

Neuroscience

How the brain predicts the immediate future

Imagine a boxer dodging a punch, a musician perfectly timing a note, or a driver anticipating a green light—the brain can be seen as an amazing tool that is constantly predicting the future. But how does it do this?

Psychology & Psychiatry

Why don't we remember being a baby? New study provides clues

Though we learn so much during our first years of life, we can't, as adults, remember specific events from that time. Researchers have long believed we don't hold onto these experiences because the part of the brain responsible ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Combination therapy recommended for migraines

Doctors should prescribe triptans for migraine patients who aren't receiving relief from over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, according to a new clinical guideline from the American College of Physicians.

Medical research

What happens in the male mouse brain during sex

To uncover what drives sexual behavior in animals, researchers studied the brain activity of male mice throughout the series of actions involved in sex leading up to ejaculation. Their results, published in Neuron, show that ...

Neuroscience

Brain activity reveals why mice make mistakes during learning

By revealing for the first time what happens in the brain when an animal makes a mistake, Johns Hopkins University researchers are shedding light on the holy grail of neuroscience: the mechanics of how we learn.