Brain

Penn study delivers protein across blood-brain barrier to degrade Alzheimer's plaques

The body is structured to ensure that any invading organisms have a tough time reaching the brain, an organ obviously critical to survival. Known as the blood-brain barrier, cells that line the brain and spinal cord are tightly packed, making it difficult for anything besides very small molecules to cross from the bloodstream into the central nervous system. While beneficial, this blockade also stands in the way of delivering drugs intended to treat neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's.

Love connection

University of Iowa researchers may have come up with the right matchmaking formula for online dating sites: Pair people according to their past interests and online mating success, rather than who they say they're interested in.

Electrical brain stimulation may evoke a person's 'will to persevere'

What gives some people the ability to persevere through difficult situations that others may find insurmountable? The answer is no doubt a complicated one that may be beyond our full understanding, but new research publishing online December 5 in the Cell Press journal Neuron provides some intriguing insights. The study pinpoints a region of the brain that, when stimulated, causes an individual to anticipate a challenge and possess a strong motivation to overcome it.

New study explains why promising dementia drugs failed in clinical trials

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people, yet there currently are no effective drugs to stop, slow or prevent disease progression. A study online December 5th in the ISSCR's journal Stem Cell Reports, published by Cell Press, provide interesting clues on why non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which have successfully treated molecular signs of Alzheimer's disease in cell and animal models, eventually failed in clinical studies.

Probiotic therapy alleviates autism-like behaviors in mice

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed when individuals exhibit characteristic behaviors that include repetitive actions, decreased social interactions, and impaired communication. Curiously, many individuals with ASD also suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as abdominal cramps and constipation.

Using the co-occurrence of brain and gut problems in ASD as their guide, researchers at the California Institute Technology (Caltech) are investigating a potentially transformative new therapy for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Gene found to be crucial for formation of certain brain circuitry

Using a powerful gene-hunting technique for the first time in mammalian brain cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins report they have identified a gene involved in building the circuitry that relays signals through the brain. The gene is a likely player in the aging process in the brain, the researchers say. Additionally, in demonstrating the usefulness of the new method, the discovery paves the way for faster progress toward identifying genes involved in complex mental illnesses such as autism and schizophrenia — as well as potential drugs for such conditions.

Sharks prefer to sneak up from behind, study shows

"Never turn your back on a shark" is the take home message from an article published in Springer's journal Animal Cognition. Erich Ritter of the Shark Research Institute and Raid Amin of the University of West Florida in the US contend that sharks can comprehend body orientation and therefore know whether humans are facing them or not. This ability helps sharks to approach and possibly attack their prey from the blind side – a technique they prefer.

Recurring memory traces boost long-lasting memories

This news release is available in German.

The researchers headed by Nikolai Axmacher performed a memory test on a series of persons while monitoring their brain activity by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The experimental setup comprised several resting states including a nap inside a neuroimaging scanner. The study indicates that resting periods can generally promote memory performance.

Carnegie Mellon researchers create brand associations by mining millions of images from social media

PITTSBURGH—The images people share on social media — photos of favorite products and places, or of themselves at bars, sporting events and weddings — could be valuable to marketers assessing their customers' "top-of-mind" attitudes toward a brand. Carnegie Mellon University researchers have taken a first step toward this capability in a new study in which they analyzed five million such images.

When it comes to peer pressure, teens are not alone

It is well known that teenagers take risks—and when they do, they like to have company. Teens are five times likelier to be in a car accident when in a group than when driving alone, and likelier to commit a crime or drink alcohol when with a group of peers.

Now, a new study from Temple psychologists Laurence Steinberg and Jason Chein, CLA '97, has found that an inclination toward risky behavior in groups also holds true for another teen mammal—namely, mice.

Gentler heart surgery remains without signs of dementia

Aortic valve stenosis is the most frequent heart valve defect of older people in Europe – the cause is usually increasing calcification of this important valve. In patients at high and excessive risk, conventional cardiac surgery is often no therapeutic option. For these patients, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains the only opportunity. However, this procedure often leads to a crumbling and spreading of valvular calcium deposits and consecutive occlusion of smallest blood vessels of the brain.

Study points to differences in high-school crack, powder cocaine use

The use of crack and powder cocaine both varies and overlaps among high school seniors, researchers at New York University and NYU Langone Medical Center have found. Their findings, which appear in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, point to the need to take into account both common and different at-risk factors in developing programming and messaging to stem cocaine use.

Who is the culprit to cause memory impairment during brain aging?

The N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor dysfunction in the brain of aged animals has been shown. In older rodents, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B subunit gene expression declines significantly associated with memory impairment. To further reveal this process, Dr. Chunxia Li and colleagues from East China Normal University, China analyzed gene expression profiles in the neocortex of aged Tg mice. Pathway and signal-net analyses identified multiple pathways altered in the transgenic mice.

Heads or tails? Random fluctuations in brain cell activity may determine toss-up decisions

Life presents us with choices all the time: salad or pizza for lunch? Tea or coffee afterward? How we make these everyday decisions has been a topic of great interest to economists, who have devised theories about how we assign values to our options and use those values to make decisions.

What is the central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture for migraine?

The central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture for migraine remains poorly understood. Acupuncture has been shown to become a recommended treatment for migraine sufferers. However, a single acupuncture stimulus cannot be indicative of the cumulative effects of acupuncture treatment. Prof. Fanrong Liang and colleagues from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine recruited migraine sufferers receiving 1 month of acupuncture treatment and explored the central analgesic mechanism of the cumulative effects of acupuncture for migraine.