Articles tagged with: brain
Genes and the Brain Two related studies revealed gene activity in the brains of people of different genders and ethnicities, from fetaldevelopment to old age. The accomplishment provides a broad foundation for understanding both normal brain development and what goes awry in mental disorders. Messenger RNAs, or transcripts, are transient copies of genes that carry […]
TED Talk looks at the purpose of the brain … … The most complex part of the human body, the brain, is often described as the hub of our vast, complicated communication network. But, University of Cambridge neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert, BM BCh, D. Phil, argues, contrary to popular belief, our brains didn’t evolve to help us think […]
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New role for an old molecule: protecting the brain from epileptic seizures The aftermath of an epileptic seizure has some mysterious characters, including the molecule putrescine. In new research on tadpoles, which share similar brain chemistry with humans, putrescine emerges as a calming influence that conveys resistance to subsequent seizures. In the long run, the […]
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Deep brain stimulation helps severe OCD, but pioneer advises caution, compassion For patients most severely afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder, electrical stimulation of a brain network can rebalance their emotional state, helping them respond to conventional therapy when it never worked before. New long-term results show that patients’ improvements remain if the treatment continues. But, as […]
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Malaria-infected cells stiffen, block blood flow A team of researchers at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has completed the first modeling, followed by experiments, of how red blood cells are infected by a malarial parasite that attacks the brain. The researchers report that infected cells stiffen by as much as 50 times […]
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Insight offers new angle of attack on variety of brain tumors A research team led by scientists at Brown University and the University of California–San Francisco have associated a mutation found in many kinds of brain tumors with a molecular process that affects metabolism genes. The discovery may open the door to developing new treatments […]
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Concussions: Giving brain injuries the attention they deserve No more “Just shake it off” advice. Sports organizations from Pop Warner to the NFL are starting to treat concussions as the serious injuries they are. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — An estimated 300,000 high school athletes suffer concussions on the playing fields annually. The brain is […]
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Deadly virus reveals a potential weakness A new study of the JC polyomavirus, a devastating pathogen that attacks brain cells in patients with compromised immune systems, has revealed how it binds to its targets, providing a basis for developing drugs to interrupt that process. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The JC polyomavirus doesn’t strike very […]
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$7.5M grant to fund research on interaction of drinking and HIV infection Individually, HIV and excessive alcohol consumption are international health crises, but when they intersect they can be uniquely troubling. Scientists at the Brown Alcohol Research Center on HIV, a new federally funded center, will explore physiological and behavioral questions raised by the combination, […]
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