Brain

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) active immunization in Alzheimer's disease can increase the rate of Aβ clearance, and delay cognitive dysfunction, but it is easy to induce meningoencephalitis, which may be related to activation of Th1 lymphocytes. To enhance anti-Aβ antibody generation and induce a Th2 immune response, Prof. Yunpeng Cao and team from the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, China constructed a new DNA vaccine p(Aβ3–10)10-C3d-p28.3 encoding ten repeats of Aβ3–10 and three copies of C3d-p28 as a molecular adjuvant.

With the help of a rat casino, University of British Columbia brain researchers have successfully reduced behaviours in rats that are commonly associated with compulsive gambling in humans.

The study, which featured the first successful modeling of slot machine-style gambling with rats in North America, is the first to show that problem gambling behaviours can be treated with drugs that block dopamine D4 receptors. The findings have been published in Biological Psychiatry journal.

More than 1 in 10 Americans take antidepressants, but these medications can take weeks—and for some patients, months—before they begin to alleviate symptoms. Now, scientists from the University of Chicago have discovered that selectively blocking a serotonin receptor subtype induces fast-acting antidepressant effects in mice, indicating a potential new class of therapeutics for depression. The work was published Oct. 29 in Molecular Psychiatry.

A small molecule called VIP, known to synchronize time-keeping neurons in the brain's biological clock, has the startling effect of desynchronizing them at higher dosages, says a research team at Washington University in St. Louis.

Far from being catastrophic, the temporary loss of synchronization might actually be useful.

Growing up in poverty can have long-lasting, negative consequences for a child. But for poor children raised by parents who lack nurturing skills, the effects may be particularly worrisome, according to a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Poverty in early childhood appears to be associated with smaller brain volumes measured through imaging at school age and early adolescence, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.

Poverty is known to be associated with a higher risk of poor cognitive outcomes and school performance, according to the study background.

Talk to your toddler. And use numbers when you talk. Doing so may give a child a better head start in math than teaching her to memorize 1-2-3 counting routines.

That's the takeaway of an international study published this week in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Led by David Barner, associate professor of psychology and linguistics in the Division of Social Sciences at the University of California, San Diego, the study examined how well children ages 2 to 4 understand number concepts.

Was the evolution of high-quality vision in our ancestors driven by the threat of snakes? Work by neuroscientists in Japan and Brazil is supporting the theory originally put forward by Lynne Isbell, professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis.

New York, NY—October 28, 2013: Researchers at Columbia Engineering, led by Chemical Engineering Professors Venkat Venkatasubramanian and Sanat Kumar, have developed a new approach to designing novel nanostructured materials through an inverse design framework using genetic algorithms.

Children are more apt to believe a nice, non-expert than a mean expert according to researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas.

In the study published in Developmental Science, the authors examine how preschoolers decide whom to believe when provided with two conflicting pieces of information given by a nice or mean adult.

Plaques and tangles made of proteins are believed to contribute to the debilitating progression of Alzheimer's disease. But proteins also play a positive role in important brain functions, like cell-to-cell communication and immunological response. Molecules called microRNAs regulate both good and bad protein levels in the brain, binding to messenger RNAs to prevent them from developing into proteins.

Fewer patients with brain injury are being declared "brain dead," perhaps reflecting better injury prevention and improved care, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). However, the main source of organ donations for transplants is patients with neurologic death, so this finding may explain the declining rates of organ donation in some regions.

While it's been known for over a century that iron deposits in the brain play a role in the pathology of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), new imaging research from Western University (London, Canada) helps to answer the question of whether these accumulations are a cause or consequence of the disease. The study led by Ravi Menon, PhD, of the Robarts Research Institute found iron deposits in deep gray matter, suggesting the accumulation occurs very early in the disease course. The researchers also found evidence casting further doubt on the controversial liberation therapy for MS.

With Halloween just a few days away, millions are flocking to horror films and haunted houses for their annual dose of terror. The latest video from Bytesize Science series uncovers the chemistry behind the spine-tingling sense of fear.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A crisis at work can bring out the best in colleagues, often inspiring more cooperation and self-sacrifice. A new study from Indiana University and the University of Guelphhas found that the benefits are not shared equally, with higher-ranking group members having the most to gain by perceived threats to the group.