Building on previous research that showed how epidural electrical stimulation (EES) can help restore walking ability in people with spinal cord injuries, neuroscientists have now identified the critical neurons involved and the role that neuronal remodeling plays in healing. EES uses an implanted device to deliver electrical pulses to the nerves in the lower spine. …
The Gut-Brain Connection in Alzheimer’s Disease
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease, are often associated with the build-up of cellular debris, like misfolded proteins, within the brain. These buildups are usually managed by the immune system with the help of cells called astrocytes and microglia, which scour the central nervous system following possible injury or damage. Researchers …
Reporting Live From the Brain — Tiny Microscope Tracks Activity in Moving Mice
Human brains consist of around 86 billion neurons that connect and communicate with each other, forming an intricate network. Understanding how the human brain functions and is structured is a long-term goal in neuroscience. A step toward understanding human brains is understanding how a mouse brain works. While a mouse brain consists of between 8 …
Brain Implant Enables Communication in ALS Patient
As many as 30,000 people in the United States are currently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. This debilitating neurological condition is caused by the degeneration of motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which quickly lose their ability to communicate with the muscles in the body. The result is a near-total …
Immune Response Pathway a Possible Target to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 50 million people globally. Projections show that, without a medical intervention, rates could more than triple by 2050. AD is marked by two main detectable changes in the brain: amyloid plaques resulting from the accumulation of the protein fragment beta-amyloid that form …
Results May Disappoint, But Don’t Throw in the Tau on Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible degeneration of the brain and the most common form of dementia. Globally, more than 50 million people are living with AD, and without a medical intervention those rates could more than triple by 2050. AD is marked by two main detectable changes in the brain: plaques resulting from the …
Could Spider Webs Teach Us About Complex Brain Systems?
Scientists have spent decades working to understand how spiders spin their impossibly detailed, symmetrical webs. Despite those years of research, scientists remain baffled as to certain intricacies of web-weaving. For example, what gives spider silk its unique elasticity? Most recently, Johns Hopkins University researchers explored precisely how spiders build webs, creating a sort of web-building …
Consensus Drives Collaboration: In-Depth Cell Analysis Can Accelerate Understanding of the Brain
A large team of researchers has made great strides in developing a census and atlas of the cell types found in the mammalian primary motor cortex, advancing efforts to classify the vast complex network of diverse brain cells. Their results show that this brain region has as many as 116 different cell types, and the …
Natural Killer Cells May Play a Role in Preventing Parkinson’s Disease
According to the Global Burden of Disease study, 6.2 million patients live with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and this number is expected to double by 2040. Although promising medications, such as levadopa, have been introduced, there are currently no cures for PD. Researchers at the University of Georgia are trying to change that with their recent …
MTBR-Tau-243 May Be an Indicator of Alzheimer’s Disease Progression
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a disease of the neurological system, is the most common form of dementia. The early stages of AD affect the portions of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. As the disease progresses, patients may experience difficulties talking, reading, writing, and recognizing people they know. AD has been linked to the …
