Summary: Researchers describe a complex molecular interaction between alpha-synuclein and the cellular prion protein PrPC. Source: SISSA. New research demonstrates a significant molecular connection between Parkinson’s-related synucleinopathies and prion diseases. Parkinson’s disease and prion disorders differ dramatically in their causes and clinical progression, yet a team led by Professor Giuseppe Legname has uncovered an unexpected … Read more

Summary: Researchers describe how newly generated neurons help make memories sharper. Source: Harvard Harvard researchers reveal mechanisms by which new neurons sharpen memory precision The brain’s billions of neurons are largely set at birth, with one important exception: the hippocampus. Deep within the folds of the cerebral cortex, neural stem cells in the hippocampus continue … Read more

Summary: A global review finds that the youngest children in a classroom are more likely than their older classmates to receive an ADHD diagnosis. Researchers warn that teachers and clinicians may sometimes interpret normal age-related immaturity as symptoms of ADHD, leading to misdiagnosis and unnecessary medication. Source: University of Adelaide. Children who are youngest in … Read more

Targeted cancer therapies that focus on specific mutations have shown promise, but tumors frequently develop resistance. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified a promising three-pronged drug strategy that overcomes resistance mechanisms in glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor. Published May 5 … Read more

Summary: Blocking the CD161 pathway restores T-cell anti-tumor activity against gliomas and extends survival in preclinical brain cancer models. Source: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Researchers report a promising new immunotherapy target for malignant brain tumors: the inhibitory receptor CD161 on tumor-infiltrating T cells. The findings, published in the journal Cell, come from laboratory and animal studies … Read more

Summary: New research shows that the taste or smell of food activates specific sensory neurons, which in turn produce an insulin-like factor that can shorten lifespan by suppressing an anti-aging protein. Source: POSTECH. Animals detect environmental cues such as temperature and the taste or smell of food using specialized nerve cells called sensory neurons. These … Read more

Summary: New research challenges long-standing ideas about how memories are formed and stored in the brain and proposes an alternative learning mechanism that operates over a much longer time scale. Source: AAAS New Findings Challenge the Classical View of Memory Formation Researchers report a novel mechanism of learning in the brain that calls into question … Read more

Summary: Primates with larger brains are capable of solving far more complex tasks with their hands than smaller-brained species. This greater manual dexterity, however, comes with a developmental cost: infants of large-brained primates, including humans, take longer to acquire even basic hand and finger movements than infants of smaller-brained primates. Source: University of Zurich Humans … Read more

Summary: A new randomized controlled trial finds that music therapy can lessen depressive symptoms and boost self-esteem in children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional difficulties. Source: Bournemouth University. Researchers from Bournemouth University and Queen’s University Belfast report that music therapy reduces depression and improves self-esteem in children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems. … Read more

Scientists are refining their understanding of the exceptional grasping abilities of humans and other primates across evolutionary history. A new study led by researchers at Yale University indicates that even some of the earliest known human ancestors may have possessed precision-grip abilities comparable to those of modern humans. Notably, the research suggests that Australopithecus afarensis—an … Read more