neuroscience

Scientists say pea-size organoids of human brain tissue may offer a way to study the biological beginnings of a wide range of brain conditions, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

After Months In A Dish, Lab-Grown Minibrains Start Making 'Brain Waves'

5:21pm August 29, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Researchers say clusters of human brain cells grown in the lab can spontaneously generate electrical patterns similar to the brain waves of a 6-month-old fetus.

Astrocyte cells like these from the brain of a mouse may differ subtly from those in a human brain.

Subtle Differences In Brain Cells Hint at Why Many Drugs Help Mice But Not People

4:36pm August 22, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

A detailed comparison of mouse and human brain tissue found differences that could help explain why mice aren't always a good model for human diseases.

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Differences in the brains of women and men may help explain why more women are living with Alzheimer's disease than men.

Health & Safety

Researchers Explore Why Women's Alzheimer's Risk Is Higher Than Men's

1:45pm July 17, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists are gaining insights into why Alzheimer's is more common in women. The answer involves genetics, hormones and sex-related brain differences.

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Science

The Best Medicine: Decoding The Hidden Meanings Of Laughter

6:10pm July 11, 2019

This week, a scientific look at what makes us laugh. Here's a hint — a lot of it isn't funny. We talk to neuroscientist (and stand up comedian) Sophie Scott.

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The squiggly blue lines visible in the neurons are an Alzheimer's biomarker called tau. The brownish clumps are amyloid plaques.

New Markers For Alzheimer's Disease Could Aid Diagnosis And Speed Up Drug Development

5:18am July 04, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Researchers are using brain scans, blood and spinal fluid to detect early signs of Alzheimer's disease. These "biomarkers" may also offer a quicker way to test new Alzheimer's drugs.

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Michigan State University doctoral student Mike Morrison has a redesign for scientific posters to spell out their main point in big, easy-to-read letters.

To Save The Science Poster, Researchers Want To Kill It And Start Over

5:34pm June 11, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists often share their latest research on posters displayed at big conferences. Posters are a long-standing tradition, but one reformer says they're mostly terrible and need to change.

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Pain is a complex mix of ouch and emotion.

How The Brain Shapes Pain And Links Ouch With Emotion

10:35am May 20, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Pain is more than an unpleasant sensation. When pain signals reach the brain, they interact with areas involved in thinking, memory and emotion.

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An MRI scan shows signs of atrophy in the brain of a patient with Huntington's disease.

Health & Safety

Experimental Drug For Huntington's Disease Jams Malfunctioning Gene

5:26pm May 09, 2019

by Richard Harris

More than 600 people will take part in study to test a promising treatment for Huntington's disease, a fatal inherited condition. The experimental drug interferes with defective genetic machinery.

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Scientists have found a way to transform brain signals into intelligible speech.

Decoded Brain Signals Could Give Voiceless People A Way To Talk

6:14pm April 24, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists have found a way to transform electrical signals in the brain into intelligible speech. The advance may help people paralyzed by a stroke or disease, but the technology is experimental.

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Ketamine appears to restore faulty connections between brain cells, according to research performed in mice.

Ketamine May Relieve Depression By Repairing Damaged Brain Circuits

9:01pm April 11, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists are learning how the party drug ketamine relieves depression so quickly — and why its effects fade over time.

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