Structural differences in the area of the brain responsible for decision making could explain why two siblings living in the same family might differ in their risk of developing the condition conduct disorder. Psychologists and neuroscientists have long puzzled over…
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Researchers identify brain circuitry in rodents that may be responsible for negative emotional aspects of pain
A new study published today in Nature Neuroscience has uncovered neuronal circuitry in the brain of rodents that may play an important role in mediating pain-induced anhedonia—a decrease in motivation to perform reward-driven behaviors. In the study funded by the…
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Salk professor selected as HHMI investigator
Salk Professor Kay Tye has been selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator, joining a prestigious group of more than 250 HHMI investigators across the United States who are tackling important scientific questions. Kay's research has broken new…
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Infections impact blood vessel repair within the meninges following TBI or other cerebrovascular injuries
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other injuries to blood vessels in the brain, like stroke, are a leading cause of long-term disability or death. Researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes…
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Higher white matter extracellular free-water related to cognitive dysfunction in lupus patients
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. Asian…
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Researchers disprove natural antioxidant urate for slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease
The hypothesis that raising the brain levels of the natural antioxidant urate could slow the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been disproven by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Still, the rigor of the clinical study and some of…
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How the brain accounts for uncertainties in motor planning
In baseball, a pitch can take as little as 400 milliseconds to reach the plate. With a typical reaction time of 200 milliseconds and a swing of about 150 milliseconds, a batter must decide whether to swing and how to…
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Your brain learns to steer your attention away from disturbing sounds
Most people who have been students can recognize this: You have managed to put down your phone with all its visual and audio alerts that try to tell you that you’re missing out on something exciting. Now you will finally…
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Fighting brain cancer at its root
McGill University researchers identify proteins that drive cancer stem cells. Targeting and supressing a particular protein called galectin1 could provide a more effective treatment for glioblastoma, in combination with radiation therapy. Due to its resistance to therapy, glioblastoma is the…
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Auditory and speech processing occur in parallel in the brain
After years of research, neuroscientists have discovered a new pathway in the human brain that processes the sounds of language. The findings, reported August 18 in the journal Cell, suggest that auditory and speech processing occur in parallel, contradicting a…
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