Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and the postsynaptic expression level of glutamate receptors is a critical factor in determining the efficiency of information transmission and the activity of the neuronal network. Therefore, glutamate receptor trafficking is critical to the physiological function of human brain circuitry
UCLA biologists have discovered how head injuries are adversely affecting individual cells and genes that can lead to serious brain disorders. The life scientists provide the first cell "atlas" of the hippocampus-the part of the brain that helps regulate learning and memory when it is affected by traumatic brain injury. The team also proposes candidates for treating brain diseases associated with traumatic brain injuries, such as Alzheimer's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder
Treating brain tumors comes at a steep cost, especially for children. More than half of patients who have radiation therapy for these tumors experience an irreversible cognitive decline , a side effect that has particularly damaging consequences for younger patients. Up to now, scientists had been unable to test potential strategies to prevent this problem because there were no laboratory models that faithfully captured the clinical lifecycle of brain tumors
A team of researchers from the Center for Biomedical Technology (CTB) at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) in collaboration with the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), the Cajal Institute and the San Carlos Clinical Hospital has developed an innovative treatment to repair damaged brain tissues
Mapping of a certain group of cells, known as oligodendrocytes, in the central nervous system of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), shows that they might have a significant role in the development of the disease. The discovery can lead to new therapies targeted in other areas than just the immune system. The results are published in Nature Medicine by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
B cells are important in helping the immune system fight pathogens. However, in the case of the neurological autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS), they can damage nerve tissue. When particular control cells are missing, too many B cells accumulate in the meninges, resulting in inflammation of the central nervous system. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) demonstrated the process of using animal and patient samples.
The emergence of autism in children has been linked to genes encoding synaptic proteins-among others-but also environmental insults such as zinc deficiency. Although it is unclear if zinc deficiency contributes to autism, scientists have now defined in detail a possible mechanistic link
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology improves the ability of brain imaging to predict Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the journal Radiology
The cerebral cortex is responsible for a large number of complex brain functions, ranging from the perception of sensory stimuli through alertness, memory, and language to consciousness. Neurobiologists at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Göttingen have decoded a new regulatory principle that controls the development of the complex neuronal architecture in the cerebral cortex
New studies reveal that small, membrane-bound particles transported between cells have wide-ranging and long-term effects in the brain and throughout the body, from helping neurons communicate to passing the effects of stress onto the next generation. Such extracellular vesicles released from the brain into the blood can also provide a window into brain pathology to help with disease diagnosis. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2018
New studies in mice and marmosets help us understand a range of disorders defined by deficits in social function and identify mechanisms that could also operate in the human brain. The research is presented today at Neuroscience 2018, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
The cerebellum, a structure found in the back of the skull, is known to be important for the control of movement, while the frontal cortex is responsible for cognitive functions such as short-term memory and decision making. However, as the scientists continue to unlock the mystery of how billions of neurons in the brain interact, it is becoming more apparent that it is not that black and white