RSS Parrot

Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-brain-circuits.html

Published: September 6, 2024 16:17

Cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the most common treatments for depression, can teach skills for coping with everyday troubles, reinforce healthy behaviors and counter negative thoughts. But can altering thoughts and behaviors lead to lasting changes…

Noninvasive focused ultrasound show potential for combating chronic pain

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-noninvasive-focused-ultrasound-potential-combating.html

Published: September 6, 2024 13:08

Chronic pain impacts an estimated 20% of the world population and persists as a frustrating symptom for innumerable health issues, from sickle-cell disease to arthritis.

Electrocochleography, MRI most reliable for reclassifying Meniere disease

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-electrocochleography-mri-reliable-reclassifying-meniere.html

Published: September 6, 2024 12:50

The most reliable approach to reclassifying patients with probable Meniere disease (MD) includes the combination of electrocochleography (ECochG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with MD-protocol, according to a study published in the November-December…

Study uncovers critical biomarker differences, advocates for more inclusive Alzheimer's diagnostics

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-uncovers-critical-biomarker-differences-advocates.html

Published: September 6, 2024 12:36

The Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute (GBHI) has prioritized involving African American volunteers in its research, working to create more inclusive tools for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Today, about half of the Institute's…

Research team successfully maps the brain-spinal cord connection in humans

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-team-successfully-brain-spinal-cord.html

Published: September 6, 2024 12:24

The brain and spinal cord are the central pillars of the human central nervous system (CNS), orchestrating everything from movement to sensation. Despite significant advances in neuroscience, our understanding of how these two crucial components of the CNS…

Cannabidiol demonstrated to alleviate symptoms of Leigh syndrome

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-cannabidiol-alleviate-symptoms-leigh-syndrome.html

Published: September 6, 2024 09:43

A study led by the UAB Institut de Neurociències and published in the journal Nature Communications demonstrates in animal models how daily administration of cannabidiol (CBD), a substance obtained from the cannabis plant, extends lifespan and improves…

Excessive light pollution may increase risk of Alzheimer's, especially in younger people

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-excessive-pollution-alzheimer-younger-people.html

Published: September 6, 2024 00:00

In some places around the globe, the lights never go off. Streetlights, roadway lighting, and illuminated signs can deter crime, make roads safer, and enhance landscaping. Undisrupted light, however, comes with ecological, behavioral, and health…

Researchers develop rapid test to detect dopamine

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-rapid-dopamine.html

Published: September 5, 2024 17:03

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in our brains, not only regulates our emotions but also serves as a biomarker for the screening of certain cancers and other neurological conditions.

Brain scans reveal that mindfulness meditation for pain is not a placebo

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-brain-scans-reveal-mindfulness-meditation.html

Published: September 5, 2024 16:30

Pain is a complex, multifaceted experience shaped by various factors beyond physical sensation, such as a person's mindset and their expectations of pain. The placebo effect, the tendency for a person's symptoms to improve in response to inactive…

AI-driven tool could improve brain pressure monitoring in intensive care patients

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-ai-driven-tool-brain-pressure.html

Published: September 5, 2024 15:49

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a noninvasive technique that could dramatically improve the way doctors monitor intracranial hypertension, a condition where increased pressure in the brain can lead to severe…

New study reveals the signals in your brain that initiate spontaneous actions

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-reveals-brain-spontaneous-actions.html

Published: September 5, 2024 15:34

A new study published in Nature Communications examines how the brain initiates spontaneous actions. In addition to demonstrating how spontaneous action emerges without environmental input, this research has implications for the origins of slow ramping of…

RNA treatment shows promise for enhancing memory and reducing anxiety

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-rna-treatment-memory-anxiety.html

Published: September 5, 2024 15:32

Scientists at Cognigenics have made a significant advance in the field of neuroscience and mental health treatment. Their research, published in Genomic Psychiatry, demonstrates that a new RNA-based therapy called COG-201 can enhance memory and reduce…

Anesthesia study unlocks clues about the nature of consciousness

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-anesthesia-clues-nature-consciousness.html

Published: September 5, 2024 15:27

For decades, one of the most fundamental and vexing questions in neuroscience has been: What is the physical basis of consciousness in the brain? Most researchers favor classical models, based on classical physics, while a minority have argued that…

Mouse study reveals new central action target of weight loss drug GLP-1R agonists

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-mouse-reveals-central-action-weight.html

Published: September 5, 2024 14:46

A research group led by Prof. Zhu Yingjie from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed the essential role of lateral septum (LS) neurons in mediating anorectic and weight-lowering effects of the…

Neuroscientists uncover serotonin's role in resilience

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-neuroscientists-uncover-serotonin-role-resilience.html

Published: September 5, 2024 14:00

The simple act of observing others cope with a traumatic experience can increase our capacity for resilience and prevent the pathological states that can result from it, notably depression. Neuroscientists at UNIL have demonstrated the presence of this…

Robots help guide self-managed rehabilitation for stroke and brain injury survivors

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-robots-brain-injury-survivors.html

Published: September 5, 2024 13:49

Robotic 'coaches' aiding upper limb rehabilitation for stroke and brain injury survivors have been successfully trialed in Vienna, Austria. This international pilot study was led by researchers from Heriot-Watt University's National Robotarium.

Studying the brain in motion offers new insights into Parkinson's disease

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-brain-motion-insights-parkinson-disease.html

Published: September 5, 2024 13:34

A breakthrough in medical imaging is making it possible for researchers to observe brain activity during movement and pick up the early signs of disorders that affect brain-to-body coordination, such as Parkinson's disease.

Nature vs. nurture: Depression amplified in difficult environments for youth with a larger left hippocampus, study finds

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-nature-nurture-depression-amplified-difficult.html

Published: September 5, 2024 11:22

While the mental health crisis has touched the lives of young people across a broad age spectrum, new Northwestern University research has found that the presence of difficult social environments and the absence of positive social environments predicted…

Discovery sheds light on a key step in nervous system control over gut motility

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-discovery-key-nervous-gut-motility.html

Published: September 5, 2024 11:03

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute researchers have uncovered a previously unknown pattern of intestinal contractions in developing mouse embryos. The new findings shed light on the earliest development of the nervous system that controls our digestive tract…

Human brain cancers fire electrical impulses: Researchers reveal unexpected hybrid cell spiking the signals

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-human-brain-cancers-electrical-impulses.html

Published: September 5, 2024 11:00

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital have uncovered a new cell type in the human brain.

Researchers discover new insights into the neurobiological origins of ataxia

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-insights-neurobiological-ataxia.html

Published: September 5, 2024 09:42

A new study by the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital in Finland investigated the origin of ataxia in the brain of patients with stroke. A significant number of the stroke lesions in the patients were located outside the cerebellum. The…

Study looks at hearing, balance in adolescent Meniere disease

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-adolescent-meniere-disease.html

Published: September 5, 2024 09:20

Adolescent Meniere disease (MD) has a higher pure-tone average threshold, lower speech discrimination score, and lower otoacoustic emission pass rates than recurrent vertigo of childhood (RVC), according to a study published in the August issue of…

Monoclonal antibody tops placebo for reducing migraine frequency

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-monoclonal-antibody-tops-placebo-migraine.html

Published: September 5, 2024 08:40

The humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) ligand, Lu AG09222, is better than placebo for reducing migraine frequency over four weeks, according to a study published in the Sept. 5…

Microglial responses to hypernatremia: New insights into brain health

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-microglial-responses-hypernatremia-insights-brain.html

Published: September 4, 2024 16:47

Microglia are the brain's immune cells known to play a vital role in maintaining neural function and responding to potential threats. However, when the brain is subjected to hyperosmotic stress—a condition characterized by elevated extracellular sodium…

Heavy metal cadmium may be tied to memory issues for some

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-heavy-metal-cadmium-memory-issues.html

Published: September 4, 2024 16:00

The heavy metal cadmium, which is found in the air, water, food and soil, is known to cause health problems. A new study published in the September 4, 2024, online issue of Neurology has examined whether thinking and memory skills were associated with…

Anesthesia overrides carbon dioxide in regulating cerebrospinal fluid flow, finds study

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-anesthesia-overrides-carbon-dioxide-cerebrospinal.html

Published: September 4, 2024 15:22

A recent study on the effects of commonly used anesthetic and sedative drugs on cerebrospinal fluid flow and volume has uncovered significant findings regarding their impact on the brain's vital glymphatic system. These findings may affect neuroanesthesia…

Psychedelics show promise for treating PTSD by suppressing learned fear responses

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-psychedelics-ptsd-suppressing-responses.html

Published: September 4, 2024 13:27

Ongoing research is revealing how psychedelic drugs like psilocybin (the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms") and LSD may help treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by suppressing learned fear responses.

Zebrafish study investigates how PFAS exposure affects brain development

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-zebrafish-pfas-exposure-affects-brain.html

Published: September 4, 2024 13:00

Because of their special properties—heat resistance, water and grease repellence, and high durability—PFAS are used in many everyday products (e.g. cosmetics, outdoor clothing, and coated cookware). But it is precisely these properties that make them so…

Music can reveal which areas of the brain are affected by aging

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-music-reveal-areas-brain-affected.html

Published: September 4, 2024 12:14

Older people are just as capable as younger individuals of remembering musical pieces—but certain parts of their brains must work harder. This is shown in a new study from Aarhus University, recently published in the journal Communications Biology.

Brain scanning approach shows wiring of depression

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-brain-scanning-approach-wiring-depression.html

Published: September 4, 2024 11:36

By repeatedly scanning the brains of a small group of patients for a year and a half, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have identified a distinct pattern of neuronal interactions that appears to predispose some people to developing depression.

Researchers discover a mechanism that impairs synaptic plasticity in the brains of schizophrenia patients

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-mechanism-impairs-synaptic-plasticity-brains.html

Published: September 4, 2024 11:08

A study led by researchers at Tampere University has mapped genes linked to schizophrenia and uncovered a mechanism that disrupts synaptic plasticity in affected individuals. The researchers showed the role of three proteins in mediating the impairments of…

Mouse model shows how epigenetic changes reprogram astrocytes into brain stem cells

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-mouse-epigenetic-reprogram-astrocytes-brain.html

Published: September 4, 2024 11:00

Resting brain stem cells hardly differ from normal astrocytes, which support the nerve cells in the brain. How can almost identical cells perform such different functions? The key lies in the methylation of their genetic material, which endows these…

Engineered immune cell therapy protects damaged neurons, mouse study shows

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-immune-cell-therapy-neurons-mouse.html

Published: September 4, 2024 11:00

Severe injuries to the spinal cord damage nerve cells, disrupt communication with the brain and rest of the body, and lead to lasting disabilities for millions of people worldwide. The injury itself accounts for only a fraction of the overall damage…

Neurological symptoms are common—and similar—in severely ill children with different conditions, finds study

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-neurological-symptoms-common-similar-severely.html

Published: September 4, 2024 10:45

In low and middle-income countries (LMICs), severely ill children often present neurological manifestations prior to death, which are linked to a variety of diseases that can be treated. Lumbar punctures, which can help to identify the causes of these…

Flexible tentacle electrodes precisely record brain activity

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-flexible-tentacle-electrodes-precisely-brain.html

Published: September 4, 2024 08:31

Neurostimulators, also known as brain pacemakers, send electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain via special electrodes. It is estimated that some 200,000 people worldwide are now benefiting from this technology, including those who suffer from…

Optimizing electrical stimulation therapies with machine learning

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-optimizing-electrical-therapies-machine.html

Published: September 4, 2024 08:28

Like a pacemaker for the heart, nerve stimulation devices are implanted to send pulses of electricity to evoke activity in nerves throughout the body. These electrical stimulation devices have been used to treat and control many disorders, including heart…

Impact of concussion while playing sports is different in those who don't play professionally, study suggests

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-impact-concussion-playing-sports-dont.html

Published: September 4, 2024 01:00

Sports-related concussions (SRC) may not be associated with long-term cognitive risks for non-professional athletes, a study led by a UNSW medical researcher suggests. In fact, study participants who had experienced an SRC had better cognitive performance…

New study uncovers key mechanisms responsible for the transformation of adult progenitors into brain tumors

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-uncovers-key-mechanisms-responsible-adult.html

Published: September 3, 2024 17:26

A new study from researchers with the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) sheds light on why certain oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in the adult brain transform into gliomas, the most common and incurable type…

Technological innovations, stakeholder collaboration in research can enhance daily lives of people living with aphasia

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-technological-stakeholder-collaboration-daily-people.html

Published: September 3, 2024 16:44

Innovative technological solutions can enhance the daily lives of individuals living with aphasia, especially when people living with communication disabilities, speech and language therapy clinicians, and academics collaborate at all stages of the…

Decoding the aging brain: Changes in gene activity detected in different cell types

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-decoding-aging-brain-gene-cell.html

Published: September 3, 2024 16:41

Aging is a complex biological process that also takes place in the brain. Researchers have discovered that the gene activity changes in different cell types in the brain. A certain type of neuron is particularly affected. In the long term, the findings…

So, which movie did your brain see? Eye movements can create different versions of the same film in our heads

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-movie-brain-eye-movements-versions.html

Published: September 3, 2024 16:39

Picture two people sitting in a movie theater, both watching the screen: Are they seeing the same thing? Or is the movie playing out differently in each of their minds? Researchers from the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) have found that it's the…

New approach can help detect, predict mental health symptoms in adolescents by analyzing brain-environment interactions

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-approach-mental-health-symptoms-adolescents.html

Published: September 3, 2024 15:57

The majority of mental health disorders manifest during adolescence and relate to a multiple interplay of neurobiological and environmental factors. Instead of considering these factors in isolation, a newly developed manifold learning technique can model…

Scientists publish protocol for combining aerobic exercise and cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-scientists-publish-protocol-combining-aerobic.html

Published: September 3, 2024 15:09

Researchers at Kessler Foundation have published a new clinical protocol examining the combination of aerobic exercise and cognitive rehabilitation to improve learning and memory in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have mobility disability.

Saccule-to-utricle ratio inversion may ID early-stage Meniere disease

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-saccule-utricle-ratio-inversion-id.html

Published: September 3, 2024 14:10

The saccule-to-utricle ratio inversion may serve as an effective imaging marker for diagnosis of early-stage Meniere disease, according to a study published online July 27 in The Laryngoscope.

Individualized acupuncture shows long-term efficacy in reducing chronic neck pain, research suggests

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-individualized-acupuncture-term-efficacy-chronic.html

Published: September 3, 2024 12:13

A randomized controlled trial found that individualized acupuncture may reduce chronic neck pain for up to 24 weeks when compared to sham acupuncture and a waitlist control group. Although the clinical significance remains uncertain, the findings suggest…

Study explores the cell-type-specific effects of aging and sex on human cortical neurons

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-explores-cell-specific-effects-aging.html

Published: September 3, 2024 10:30

Aging is known to have profound effects on the human brain, prompting changes in the composition of cells and the expression of genes, while also altering aspects of the interaction between genes and environmental factors. While past neuroscience studies…

Researchers challenge Connectome Projects and unveil new mechanisms of mentality

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-connectome-unveil-mechanisms-mentality.html

Published: September 2, 2024 16:19

In a newly published critique of the Connectome Projects, Dr. Gerard Marx from MX Biotech and Prof. Chaim Gilon from Hebrew University offer fresh perspectives on the intricate structures of the brain that have long been overlooked.

Study reveals how neighboring synapses coordinate their response to plasticity signals

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-reveals-neighboring-synapses-response-plasticity.html

Published: September 2, 2024 12:00

Researchers from Bonn and Japan have clarified how neighboring synapses coordinate their response to plasticity signals: Nerve cells in the brain receive thousands of synaptic signals via their "antenna," the so-called dendritic branch. Permanent changes…

Researchers pinpoint key gene mutations, new mechanisms that cause brain bleeding and dementia

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-key-gene-mutations-mechanisms-brain.html

Published: September 2, 2024 10:33

Scientists have revealed new insights into the mechanisms behind cerebral small vessel disease, a condition that affects the smaller blood vessels in the brain and causes approximately half of all dementia cases.

Teaching old birds new tricks: Zebra finches defy age-related learning limits

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-birds-zebra-finches-defy-age.html

Published: September 2, 2024 10:28

We all know the adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." As we age, our ability to learn new skills, like mastering a foreign language or picking up a musical instrument, seems to fade. The culprit? A decline in brain plasticity—the brain's capacity…

How hunger influences aversive learning in fruit flies

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-hunger-aversive-fruit-flies.html

Published: September 1, 2024 08:40

Internal states that animals experience while they are thirsty, hungry, sleepy or aggressive have been found to be linked with the combined activity of various neuromodulators and neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers can drastically change the…

Study outlines an activity-regulated genetic program underlying the formation of synapses during development

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-outlines-genetic-underlying-formation-synapses.html

Published: August 31, 2024 08:30

Synapses are junctions via which neurons communicate with each other or with other types of cells. Synapses are formed throughout the course of a person's life, yet their strength and numbers change over time, a phenomenon known as synaptic plasticity.