http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/nervous_system/ Medical research on the nervous system. From the growth of nerve cells to neurodegeneration, read all about the spinal cord, the brain and neurons. en-us Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/nervous_system/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120524123209.htm Despite a long-held scientific belief that much of the wiring of the brain is fixed by adolescence, a new study shows that changes in sensory experience can cause massive rewiring, even as one ages. The study also found this rewiring involves fibers that supply the primary input to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for sensory perception, motor control and cognition. These findings may open new avenues of research on brain remodeling and aging. Thu, 24 May 2012 12:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120524123209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120524123011.htm A molecule responsible for the proper formation of a key portion of the nervous system finds its way to the proper place not because it is actively recruited, but instead because it can't go anywhere else. Researchers have identified a distal axonal cytoskeleton as the boundary that makes sure AnkyrinG clusters where it needs to so it can perform properly. Thu, 24 May 2012 12:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120524123011.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120524092220.htm A new technique that converts stem cells into brain cells has just been developed. The method is simpler, quicker and safer than previous research has shown and opens the doors to a shorter route to clinical cell transplants. Thu, 24 May 2012 09:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120524092220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523135523.htm Researchers have shown in mice how immune cells in the brain target and remove unused connections between brain cells during normal development. This research sheds light on how brain activity influences brain development, and highlights the newly found importance of the immune system in how the brain is wired, as well as how the brain forms new connections throughout life in response to change. Wed, 23 May 2012 13:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523135523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133238.htm Researchers link seizure resistance to a protein that modifies cellular metabolism in the brain. The findings, which shed light on the extremely low-carb ketogenic diet, may lead to the development of new treatments for epilepsy. Wed, 23 May 2012 13:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133232.htm Transplanting embryonic cells into adult mouse spinal cord can alleviate persistent pain. The research suggests that reduced pain results from successful integration of the embryonic cells into the host spinal cord. The findings open avenues for clinical strategies aimed not just at treating the symptoms of chronic debilitating pain, but correcting the underlying disease pathology. Wed, 23 May 2012 13:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133057.htm Chronic pain, by definition, is difficult to manage, but a new study shows how a cell therapy might one day be used not only to quell some common types of persistent and difficult-to-treat pain, but also to cure the conditions that give rise to them. Wed, 23 May 2012 13:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133055.htm Researchers have discovered new ways neurons work together to ease the transition between sleep and wakefulness. Their findings provide additional insights into sleep-wake patterns and offer methods to explore what may disrupt them. Wed, 23 May 2012 13:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523133055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523102958.htm Brains that maintain healthy nerve connections as we age help keep us sharp in later life, new research has found. Wed, 23 May 2012 10:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523102958.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522161338.htm Research demonstrates how dying or damaged brain cells give rise to autoantibodies in blood that can be reliable biomarkers for early AD diagnosis. Key mechanism mirrors process common to autoimmune disorders. Tue, 22 May 2012 16:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522161338.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522135147.htm When brain cells start oozing too much of the amyloid protein that is the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, the astrocytes that normally nourish and protect them deliver a suicide package instead, researchers report. Tue, 22 May 2012 13:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522135147.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522115024.htm Researchers have developed a map of the human brain that shows great promise as a new guide to the inner workings of the body's most complex and critical organ. Tue, 22 May 2012 11:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522115024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120521115331.htm New nerve cells formed in a select part of the brain could hold considerable sway over how much you eat and consequently weigh, new animal research suggests. Mon, 21 May 2012 11:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120521115331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120520133612.htm Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children normalizes disturbances in the neuronal network responsible for attention and executive function, according to a new study. Sun, 20 May 2012 13:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120520133612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517132055.htm Mental distractions make pain easier to take, and those pain-relieving effects aren't just in your head, according to a new report. Thu, 17 May 2012 13:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517132055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517131701.htm Training the brain to reduce pain could be a promising approach for treating phantom limb pain and complex regional pain syndrome, according to s neuroscience researcher. Thu, 17 May 2012 13:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517131701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516195408.htm In 1848, Phineas Gage survived an accident that drove an iron rod through his head. Researchers, for the first time, used images of Gage’s skull combined with modern-day brain images to suggest there was extensive damage to the white matter “pathways” that connected various regions of his brain. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:54:54 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516195408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516115908.htm Scientists have shed new light on one of the great unanswered questions of neuroscience: How the brain initiates rhythmic movements like walking, running and swimming. Wed, 16 May 2012 11:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516115908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515203056.htm Nearly half of all diabetics suffer from neuropathic pain, an intractable, agonizing and still mysterious companion of the disease. Now researchers have identified an unexpected source of the pain and a potential target to alleviate it. Tue, 15 May 2012 20:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515203056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515104500.htm Surgeons have restored some hand function in a quadriplegic patient with a spinal cord injury at the C7 vertebra, the lowest bone in the neck. Instead of operating on the spine itself, the surgeons rerouted working nerves in the upper arms. These nerves still “talk” to the brain because they attach to the spine above the injury. Tue, 15 May 2012 10:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515104500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120513144512.htm Scientists have discovered that the single protein -- alpha 2 delta -- exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication. Sun, 13 May 2012 14:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120513144512.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120511122236.htm Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a new study. Fri, 11 May 2012 12:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120511122236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510141401.htm Researchers have identified a major pathway leading to brain cell death in mice with neurodegenerative disease. They were able to block the pathway, preventing brain cell death and increasing survival in the mice. Thu, 10 May 2012 14:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510141401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510122857.htm The movement of genetic materials, such as RNA and ribosomes, from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is a critical component in a cell's ability to make the proteins necessary for essential biological functions. Until now, it was believed the nuclear pore complex was the sole pathway between the cell nucleus and cytoplasm for these materials. New evidence reveals a novel budding mechanism, similar to the process used by some viruses, capable of exporting large ribonucleoprotein particles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Thu, 10 May 2012 12:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510122857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510113523.htm Scientists have confirmed that mutations of a gene are responsible for some cases of a rare, inherited disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness: spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity predominance, also known as SMA-LED. Thu, 10 May 2012 11:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510113523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510100046.htm Around 100 billion neurons in the human brain enable us to think, feel and act. They transmit electrical impulses to remote parts of the brain and body via long nerve fibres known as axons. This communication requires enormous amounts of energy, which the neurons are thought to generate from sugar. Axons are closely associated with glial cells which, on the one hand, surround them with an electrically insulating myelin sheath and, on the other hand support their long-term function. Scientists have now discovered a possible mechanisms by which these glial cells in the brain can support their associated axons and keep them alive in the long term. Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510100046.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510100044.htm Research into hearing loss after exposure to loud noises could lead to the first drug treatments to prevent the development of tinnitus. Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510100044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509135945.htm Researchers suggest that careful analyses of the electrical signals of brain activity, measured using electroencephalography (EEG), may reveal important harmonic relationships in the electrical activity of brain circuits. Wed, 09 May 2012 13:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509135945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509123850.htm New research describes a potential new therapeutic approach for improving memory and modifying disease progression in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The study finds that excess brain activity may be doing more harm than good in some conditions that cause mild cognitive decline and memory impairment. Wed, 09 May 2012 12:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509123850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509105306.htm Scientists have described a new family of six genes whose function regulates the movement and position of mitochondria in neurons. Many neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s and various types of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, are caused by alterations of genes that control mitochondrial transport, a process that provides the energy required for cell function. Wed, 09 May 2012 10:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509105306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508094354.htm A large neonate brain, rapid brain growth and large frontal lobes are the typical hallmarks of human brain development. These appeared much earlier in the hominin family tree than was originally thought, as anthropologists who re-examined the Taung child’s fossil cranial sutures and compared them with other fossil skulls now demonstrate. The late fusion of the cranial sutures in the Taung child is also found in many other members of the Australopithecus africanus species and the earliest examples of the Homo genus. Tue, 08 May 2012 09:43:43 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508094354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507164636.htm New research provides the strongest evidence to date that psychopathy is linked to specific structural abnormalities in the brain. The study is the first to confirm that psychopathy is a distinct neurodevelopmental subgroup of anti-social personality disorder. Mon, 07 May 2012 16:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507164636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507164328.htm A study on a handful of people with suspected mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) suggests that a device that sends continuous electrical impulses to specific “memory” regions of the brain appears to increase neuronal activity. Results of the study using deep brain stimulation, a therapy already used in some patients with Parkinson’s disease and depression, may offer hope for at least some with AD, an intractable disease with no cure. Mon, 07 May 2012 16:43:43 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507164328.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507102049.htm Badly controlled diabetes are known to affect the brain causing memory and learning problems and even increased incidence of dementia, although how this occurs is not clear. But now a study in mice with type 2 diabetes has discovered how diabetes affects a brain area called hippocampus causing memory loss, and also how caffeine can prevent this.  Mon, 07 May 2012 10:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507102049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120506160117.htm Researchers have developed a way to automate the process of finding and recording information from neurons in the living brain. The researchers have shown that a robotic arm guided by a cell-detecting computer algorithm can identify and record from neurons in the living mouse brain with better accuracy and speed than a human experimenter. Sun, 06 May 2012 16:01:01 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120506160117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120504172057.htm Researchers have developed a novel system to measure the communication between stem cell-derived motor neurons and muscle cells in a Petri dish. Fri, 04 May 2012 17:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120504172057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120503142640.htm Awake mental replay of past experiences is essential for making informed choices, suggests a study in rats. Without it, the animals' memory-based decision-making faltered. Scientists blocked learning from, and acting on, past experience by selectively suppressing replay -- encoded as split-second bursts of neuronal activity in the memory hubs of rats performing a maze task. Similar patterns of brain activity have been detected in humans during similar situations. Thu, 03 May 2012 14:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120503142640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502112935.htm Researchers reveal the connection between a model of learning in the brain and the cascading bursts of cortical activity known as neuronal avalanches. Wed, 02 May 2012 11:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502112935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430124715.htm Neuropathic pain is the culprit behind many cases of chronic pain, resistant to common drugs. A new drug inhibits the transmission of pain signals throughout the body, protecting against not only neuropathic pain but also epileptic seizures, new study suggests. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430124715.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430124713.htm Biologists have advanced the knowledge of human neurodevelopmental disorders by finding that a lack of a particular group of cell adhesion molecules in the cerebral cortex -- the outermost layer of the brain where language, thought and other higher functions take place -- disrupts the formation of neural circuitry. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430124713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430114939.htm An antibody that neutralizes Kallikrein 6 is capable of staving off MS in mice, new research suggests. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430114939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427100111.htm Researchers have discovered a gene for a new form of intellectual disability, as well as how it likely affects cognitive development by disrupting neuron functioning. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:01:01 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427100111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426135230.htm Scientists have unraveled a process by which depletion of a specific protein in the brain contributes to the memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease. These findings provide new insights into the disease's development and may lead to new therapies that could benefit the millions of people worldwide suffering from Alzheimer's and other devastating neurological disorders. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426135230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426134933.htm The ability to navigate using spatial cues was impaired in mice whose brains were minus a channel that delivers potassium — a finding that may have implications for humans with damage to the hippocampus, a brain structure critical to memory and learning, according to an expert. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426134933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426104851.htm They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Fortunately, this is not always true. Researchers have now discovered how the adult brain can adapt to new situations. Their study may be significant in developing treatments of neurodevelopmental disorders. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:48:48 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426104851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425143636.htm Advertisers and public health officials may be able to access hidden wisdom in the brain to more effectively sell their products and promote public health and safety, neuroscientists report in the first study to use brain data to predict how large populations will respond to advertisements. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425143636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425140357.htm Learning novel associations between sensory stimuli and adequate motor actions is key to many aspects of our daily lives. A new study has opened a novel window on the neuronal circuits involved. The researchers followed optically the same group of neurons during many days of learning. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:03:03 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425140357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425140355.htm Stem cell researchers at UCLA have identified new components of the genetic pathway that controls the adhesive properties and proliferation of neural stem cells and the formation of neurons. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:03:03 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425140355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424162317.htm Neuroscientists have demonstrated that a compound mimicking a key activity of a hefty, brain-based protein is capable of increasing the generation of new nerve cells, or neurons, in the brains of mice that have had strokes. The mice also exhibited a speedier recovery of their athletic ability. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424162317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424162216.htm Sibling growth factors cooperate to maintain a pool of neuron-generating stem cells in the brain, according to a new study. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424162216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424095948.htm New research suggests that chronic cocaine abuse accelerates the process of brain aging. The study found that age-related loss of gray matter in the brain is greater in people who are dependent on cocaine than in the healthy population. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424095948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423131514.htm Scientists have rewritten the job description of the protein TopBP1 after demonstrating that it guards early brain cells from DNA damage. Such damage might foreshadow later problems, including cancer. Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423131514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423104956.htm Charged atoms, or ions, move through tiny pores, or channels, embedded in cell membranes, generating the electrical signals that allow cells to communicate with one another. In new research, scientists have shown how an unusual protein plays a key role in temporarily blocking the movement of ions through these channels. Preventing ions from moving through the channel gives cells time to recharge so that they can continue firing. Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423104956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423104741.htm Olympic boxers can exhibit changes in brain fluids after bouts, which indicates nerve cell damage. This is shown in a study of 30 top-level Swedish boxers. Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423104741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423104015.htm Scientists have developed nano-devices that successfully cross the brain-blood barrier and deliver a drug that tames brain-damaging inflammation in rabbits with cerebral palsy. Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423104015.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422232409.htm Engineers have developed a method of assisting nerves damaged by traumatic accidents to repair naturally, which could improve the chances of restoring sensation and movement in injured limbs. Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422232409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422135002.htm New research reveals that repeated exposure to cocaine decreases the activity of a protein necessary for normal functioning of the brain's reward system, thus enhancing the reward for cocaine use, which leads to addiction. Investigators were also able to block the ability of repeated cocaine exposure, to induce addiction. Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422135002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422135000.htm A key protein, which may be activated to protect nerve cells from damage during heart failure or epileptic seizure, has been found to regulate the transfer of information between nerve cells in the brain. The discovery could lead to novel new therapies for stroke and epilepsy. Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422135000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420105831.htm Neuroscientists have observed correlations between increases in both soluble and plaque-forming beta-amyloid -- a protein implicated in the disease process -- and dysfunctional developments on several levels: individual cortical neurons, neuronal circuits, sensory cognition, and behavior. Their results show that these changes progress in parallel and that, together, they reveal distinct stages in Alzheimer's disease with a specific order in time. Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420105831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420105330.htm Forced body cooling known as therapeutic hypothermia has reduced in-hospital deaths among sudden cardiac arrest patients nearly 12 percent between 2001 and 2009, according to a new study. Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420105330.htm