Neuroscientists say they have identified how people can have a 'crash in visual processing' — a bottleneck of feed-forward and feedback signals that can cause us not to be consciously aware of stimuli that our brain recognized.
Read moreNew research revealed a surprising pathway that shows alcohol byproducts travel to the brain to promote addiction memory. They show how acetate travels to the brain's learning system and directly alters proteins the regulate DNA function, impacting how some genes are expressed and ultimately affecting how mice behave when given environmental cues to consume alcohol.
Read morePatients who survive a cerebral hemorrhage may suffer delayed severe brain damage caused by free hemoglobin, which comes from red blood cells and damages neurons. Researchers have now discovered a protective protein in the body called haptoglobin, which prevents this effect.
Read moreOlder people who experienced more hospitalizations and also had more Alzheimer's pathology in their brain experienced the fastest rates of cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Read moreAging can be delayed through lifestyle changes (physical exercise, restricting calorie intake, etc.). Researchers have elucidated the properties of a molecule in the blood – GDF11 – whose mechanisms were previously unknown. In a mouse model, they showed that this molecule could mimic the benefits of certain calorie restrictions – dietary regimens that have proven their efficacy in reducing cardiovascular disease, preventing cancer and increasing neurogenesis in the brain.
Read moreHuman-made toxic chemicals that linger indefinitely in the environment disrupt the performance of critical helper cells in the mouse brain, leading to impaired function over long-term exposures.
Read moreOur brains have a remarkable ability to pick out one voice from among many. Now, a team has uncovered the steps that take place in the brain to make this feat possible. Today's discovery helps to solve a long-standing scientific question as to how the brain's listening center can decode and amplify one voice over others. It also stands to spur development of hearing-aid technologies and brain-computer interfaces that more closely resemble the brain.
Read moreThree-hundred researchers have identified 48 common genetic variants that are associated with the size of the brainstem and other subcortical structures deep within the brain. This is the first step toward understanding how to devise treatments for disorders affecting these structures.
Read moreResearchers are giving us double the reasons to pay attention to our cardiovascular health – showing in a recent study that good heart health can equal good brain health.
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