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The human hands and fingertips are extremely sensitive to texture or surface microstructure, which can easily perceive the finest details of a surface’s characteristics. The nerve signals sent from the sensors in the hand skin are processed by several neurons in the somatosensory cortex to produce a high-dimensional representation of texture in the brain. Image Credit: Moha El-Jaw/Shutterstock.com How does […]
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Skip to: Astrocytes Oligodendrocytes and NG2 Cells Microglia Other Functions Summary Glial cells are non-neuronal cells found within the brain and the rest of the nervous system. There are approximately 60 billion glia to 16 billion neurons within the cortex, but only 16 billion glia to 69 billion neurons in the cerebellum. Overall, there are roughly the same number of […]
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Skip to: Peripheral vertigo Causes of peripheral vertigo How is peripheral vertigo treated? Central vertigo Causes of central vertigo How is central vertigo treated? New type of vertigo Vertigo is a sensation of spinning or dizziness often caused by a mismatch of the brain’s visual, vestibular, and sensory information systems. Apart from dizziness, there are issues with balance, motion sickness, […]
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Skip to: Can Depression Increase the Risk of Dementia? Can Anxiety Increase the Risk of Dementia? Depression and anxiety can affect individuals across their life-course whereas dementia tends to typically affect older people. Depression and anxiety are common symptoms of dementia, but much less is known about whether depression and anxiety can actually lead to dementia. Image Credit: Photographee.eu / […]
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Advances in scanning have allowed researchers for the first time to show lower levels of a protein found in the connections between neurons in the living brains of people with schizophrenia. The researchers, who conducted the scans at the psychiatric imaging facility at the Medical Research Council (MRC) London Institute of Medical Sciences, say these changes could underlie the cognitive […]
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Researchers at Osaka University have developed a computer method that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and machine learning to rapidly forecast genetic mutations in glioma tumors, which occur in the brain or spine. The work may help glioma patients to receive more suitable treatment faster, giving better outcomes. The research was recently published in Scientific Reports. Cancer treatment has undergone […]
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors are important medications that boost the immune system’s response against certain cancers; however, they tend to be ineffective against glioblastoma, the most deadly primary brain tumor in adults. New research in mice led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the University of Florida reveals a promising strategy that makes glioblastoma susceptible to these medications. The […]
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We’ve all been there. You are in the middle of a heated disagreement when you lose respect for the opposing party. Whether it is about the latest election or childcare, you feel like your considered arguments are not appreciated—perhaps even ignored. But did you ever wonder what exactly is happening in the mind of the person on the other side? […]
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It might be complicated, but the concept is as simple as a light switch. A team of researchers led by two Harvard alumni have uncovered a switch-like mechanism in the brains of larval zebrafish that flips their brains between two distinct motivational states—one a highly focused hunting state and the other an easily distracted, exploratory state. The findings, which they […]
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Published studies have long found a correlation between obesity in children and decreased executive function. New research published in JAMA Pediatrics, based on data mined from a massive national research study, suggests that a change in brain structure—a thinner prefrontal cortex—may help explain that interrelationship. “Our results show an important connection; that kids with higher BMI tend to have a […]
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