Brain researcher Hiroshi Kawabe has discovered the workings of a process that had been completely overlooked until now, and that allows nerve cells in the brain to grow and form complex networks. The study, published in the journal 'Neuron', shows that an enzyme which usually controls the destruction of protein components has an unexpected function in nerve cells: it controls the structure of the cytoskeleton and thus ensures that nerve cells can form the tree-like extensions.

A.R. | 22 February 2010

A team of University of Oregon researchers have isolated an independent processing channel of synapses inside the brain's auditory cortex that deals specifically with shutting off sound processing at appropriate times. Such regulation is vital for hearing and for understanding speech. The discovery has been detailed in the journal 'Neuron'.

A.R. | 11 February 2010

Researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and from the Hospital Vall d'Hebron detect for the first time abnormalities that cause a motivational deficit in children with this disorder. The said irregularities were found in the brain's reward system, associated with the neural circuits of reward and motivation. This would explain why children with the disease have uneven levels of hyperactivity and attention according to the tasks performed.

Staff | 4 February 2010

Scientists from Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) have shown how transplanted stem cells can connect with and rescue threatened neurons and brain tissue. The results point the way to new possible treatments for brain damage and neurodegenerative diseases.

A.R. | 3 February 2010