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Substance P causes seizures in patients infected by pork tapeworm |
A neuropeptide called Substance P is the cause of seizures in patients with brains infected by the pork tapeworm.
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| 02/09/2012 03:28 PM |
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Gene therapy boosts brain repair for demyelinating diseases |
Our bodies are full of tiny superheroes -- antibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly. One such structure is myelin, a material that forms a protective cape around the axons of our nerve cells so that they can send signals quickly and efficiently. But myelin becomes damaged in demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis, leaving neurons without their sheaths. Researchers now believe they have found a way to help the brain replace damaged myelin.
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| 02/09/2012 12:02 PM |
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New target for Alzheimer's drugs |
UC Riverside biomedical scientists have identified a new link between a protein (beta-arrestin) and short-term memory that could open new doors for the therapeutic treatment of neurological disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease. They show that if beta-arrestin is removed from neurons, short-term memory loss is prevented. But beta-arrestin is also required for normal learning/memory. The researchers argue that a fine balance needs to be established, one that could be achieved by pharmaceutical drugs in the future.
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| 02/09/2012 08:18 AM |
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Memory strengthened by stimulating key site in brain |
Ever gone to the movies and forgotten where you parked the car? New research may one day help you improve your memory. Neuroscientists have demonstrated that they can strengthen memory in human patients by stimulating a critical junction in the brain.
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| 02/08/2012 04:00 PM |
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Sound rather than sight can activate 'seeing' for the blind, say researchers |
Scientists have tapped onto the visual cortex of the congenitally blind by using sensory substitution devices (SSDs), enabling the blind in effect to "see" and even describe objects. SSDs are non-invasive sensory aids that provide visual information to the blind via their existing senses. For example, using a visual-to-auditory SSD in a clinical or everyday setting, users wear a miniature video camera connected to a small computer (or smart phone) and stereo headphones. The images are converted into "soundscapes," using a predictable algorithm, allowing the user to listen to and then interpret the visual information coming from the camera.
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| 02/08/2012 12:59 PM |