Neuroscience - Science & research news

Computer hardware designed for 3D games could hold the key to replicating human brain

January 14, 2019 // 2 Comments

The group used graphics processing units (GPUs) to run their brain simulation software, which is already powering drones that think like insects and could help pinpoint the disease in the human brain; Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Mind control pioneer adds new channels to the brain remote control

January 1, 2019 // 0 Comments

Bioengineers have created new tools for controlling neurons with light, that allow researchers to probe deeper into the function of the brain; Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

10 ways your research shaped the last decade

December 17, 2018 // 1 Comment

As Frontiers celebrates its 10th anniversary, we look back at 10 ways our authors' research has contributed to, and built on, breakthroughs of the past decade. [...]

Autism is associated with zinc deficiency in early development — now a study links the two

December 6, 2018 // 3 Comments

Frontiers in Neuroscience: Researchers have discovered a mechanistic link between zinc, autism risk genes and abnormal neuronal connections associated with autism spectrum disorders

Researchers have discovered a mechanistic link between zinc, risk genes and abnormal neuronal connections in autism; Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience [...]

Blue Brain Project releases first-ever digital 3D brain cell atlas

November 28, 2018 // 4 Comments

Frontiers in Neuroinformatics: The Blue Brain Cell Atlas allows anyone to visualize every region in the mouse brain, cell-by-cell – and freely download data for new analyses and modelling.

The Blue Brain Cell Atlas allows anyone to visualize every region in the mouse brain, cell-by-cell; Frontiers in Neuroinformatics [...]

Sex, drugs and estradiol: why cannabis affects women differently

November 26, 2018 // 0 Comments

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience: Females use and experience cannabis differently to males -- and neuroscience is beginning to explain why, says a new review

Females use and experience cannabis differently to males -- and neuroscience is beginning to explain why, says new review; Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Older adults fitted with cochlear implants exhibit poor brain function

November 13, 2018 // 0 Comments

Image of an older person's ear: Cochlear implants do not fully compensate for the cognitive decline that has been associated with the loss of hearing in the elderly: Frontiers in Neuroscience

Cochlear implants do not fully compensate for the cognitive decline that has been associated with the loss of hearing in the elderly: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

The smell of lavender is relaxing, science confirms

November 6, 2018 // 0 Comments

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience: A new study shows that the famous relaxing effects of lavender rely on sense of smell -- and that the active compound linalool could be used medically to treat anxiety

A new study shows that the famous relaxing effects of lavender rely on sense of smell; Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Does herpes cause Alzheimer’s?

November 2, 2018 // 0 Comments

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience: New evidence of a causal link between herpes viruses and Alzheimer's reinvigorates research into the possible role of infections -- and their treatment -- in the disease

The virus responsible for cold sores has been strongly linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease; Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience [...]

Scientists have built an artificial human brain cell

October 2, 2018 // 12 Comments

Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience: The most advanced digital replica of human neurons ever made reveals that human brains are unique -- all the way down to their building blocks.

The most advanced digital replica of human neurons ever made reveals that our brain cells are unique; Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience [...]

Contribute your mini-reviews to EPFL’s neuroscience MOOC

September 25, 2018 // 0 Comments

Ranging from molecular to cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, the course will provide the most up to date, state-of-the-art content and give participants a multi-scale view and understanding of brain function. [...]

Primate study offers clues to evolution of speech

September 21, 2018 // 3 Comments

Image of baboon with mouth open. A study in Frontiers in Neuroscience suggests primates are incapable of producing speech because they lack the brain mechanisms needed to control and coordinate vocal production

Study suggests primates can't speak because they lack the brain mechanisms needed to control and coordinate vocal production: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Scientists propose a new lead for Alzheimer’s research

September 14, 2018 // 0 Comments

Abnormalities seen in inherited Alzheimer's disease could result from problems in how neurons handle iron, suggests a new theory: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

AI World Cup: Infant-trained simulated robots win ‘RoboCup’

August 24, 2018 // 0 Comments

Image of robot arm holding a football (soccer ball). Football-playing robots trained to walk using real infant walking paths scored more goals and won more games than robots trained to walk in straight lines, circles or squares: Frontiers in Neurorobotics

Simulated robots trained on infant walking paths won more football (soccer) games than those trained on less varied geometric paths: Frontiers in Neurorobotics [...]

New theory may explain cause of depression and improve treatments

August 23, 2018 // 1 Comment

Dysfunction in mitochondria could be root cause of depression, providing opportunity for new developments of antidepressant drugs: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Feeling young could mean your brain is aging more slowly

August 9, 2018 // 0 Comments

The first study to link subjective age to biological age shows that elderly people who feel younger have less signs of brain aging: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

The first study to link subjective age to biological age shows elderly people who feel younger have less signs of brain aging: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience [...]

Breakthrough in construction of computers for mimicking human brain

July 12, 2018 // 2 Comments

A computer built to mimic the brain’s neural networks produces similar results to that of the best brain-simulation supercomputer software currently used for neural-signaling research, finds a new study published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. [...]

Social ties could preserve memory, slow brain aging

June 18, 2018 // 0 Comments

Research suggests that having a larger social network can positively influence memory and cognitive health as we age: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Research suggests that merely having a larger social network can positively influence the aging brain: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience [...]

Leg exercise is critical to brain and nervous system health

June 7, 2018 // 14 Comments

Frontiers in Neuroscience: Leg exercise is critical to neurological health

Groundbreaking research shows leg exercise is critical to brain and nervous system health, fundamentally altering current brain and nervous system medicine: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Should ethics or human intuition drive the moral judgments of driverless cars?

May 23, 2018 // 3 Comments

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience: Human intuition is sometimes at odds with ethically acceptable behavior and political guidelines for autonomous self-driving cars

People may not be happy with ethical decisions made by their self-driving cars: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Music lessons improve children’s cognitive skills and academic performance

April 19, 2018 // 2 Comments

Structured music lessons significantly enhance children's cognitive abilities which lead to improved academic performance: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Analyzing past failures may boost future performance by reducing stress

April 16, 2018 // 0 Comments

Duke, Rutgers & University of Pennsylvania researchers show for first time how writing about past failures helps boost future performance: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Childhood aggression linked to deficits in executive function

April 4, 2018 // 0 Comments

Primary school kids with lower planning and self-restraint skills are more likely to show increased aggression in middle childhood, report University of Potsdam researchers in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Moving toward a future free of drug-induced hearing loss

March 19, 2018 // 0 Comments

Research Topic compiles the latest research into hearing loss caused by drugs and solvents - how it occurs, how to treat it, and how to prevent it. [...]

Scientists move closer to treatment for Huntington’s disease

March 6, 2018 // 0 Comments

Improvements to gene-editing techniques hold promise for inactivating the defective gene responsible for Huntington's disease : Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Researchers find algorithm for large-scale brain simulations

March 2, 2018 // 2 Comments

Neuroscience brain simulation algorithm exascale

A decisive step towards simulating brain-scale networks on future supercomputers also significantly speeds up simulations on existing supercomputers: Frontiers in Neuroinformatics [...]

Brain disease: do pathological behaviors stem from faulty beliefs?

February 23, 2018 // 1 Comment

Neuroscience brain function disease Bayesian model

A promising model for understanding neurological and psychiatric disorders could help provide personalized treatments for patients: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience [...]

New path into bipolar disorder comes to light

February 20, 2018 // 1 Comment

Research reveals a novel potential drug target and offers new insights into the underlying biology of bipolar disorder: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Can your brain testify against you?

February 6, 2018 // 0 Comments

A defined set of guidelines is required to ensure neuroscientific techniques are used correctly and effectively in law: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Mirror neuron activity predicts people’s decision-making in moral dilemmas

January 22, 2018 // 0 Comments

Genuine concern for others' pain plays a causal role when judging moral dilemmas, shows a study in Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Presurgical imaging may predict whether epilepsy surgery will work

January 3, 2018 // 0 Comments

A new method described in Frontiers in Neuroscience may help identify epilepsy patients at high risk of continued seizures. [...]

Paraplegic rats walk and regain feeling after stem cell treatment

November 21, 2017 // 0 Comments

Engineered tissue containing human stem cells has allowed paraplegic rats to walk independently and regain sensory perception: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Do violent communities foster violent children?

November 17, 2017 // 0 Comments

Children and adolescents regularly confronted with violence have a greater tendency to show antisocial behavior, shows a study in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Lost in time and space: How challenges change the way you think

November 17, 2017 // 0 Comments

Research in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience shows that challenging situations make it harder to understand where you are and what's happening around you. [...]

What happens when technology opens up the brain — and its information?

November 1, 2017 // 1 Comment

Limbo, a novel by neurosurgeon and inventor Eric Leuthardt, explores what happens when neurotechnology is used for nefarious purposes. [...]

Scientists pinpoint jealousy in the monogamous brain

October 20, 2017 // 0 Comments

Jealousy activates brain areas associated with social pain and pair bonding, reports a study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

HIV infection, even with antiretroviral therapy, appears to damage a growing child’s brain

October 19, 2017 // 0 Comments

HIV-positive children who started ART by the age of 18 months show ongoing disruptions in white matter development, shows a study in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy [...]

Modeling brain connections to understand Parkinson’s disease

October 3, 2017 // 0 Comments

A new model in Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience finds differences in basal ganglia connection strengths between healthy and Parkinson's disease brains. [...]

No evidence of permanent hearing loss from common recreational noise

October 2, 2017 // 1 Comment

A study in Frontiers in Neuroscience finds no evidence that loud events cause auditory nerve injury or permanent hearing loss in young adults. [...]

Binge drinkers show similar changes in brain activity as chronic alcoholics

September 14, 2017 // 0 Comments

Binge-drinking-alcohol-abuse-brain-damage

Distinctive changes in brain activity in binge-drinking college students may be an early marker of brain damage, reports a study in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. [...]

Personalized treatment for chronic pain relief?

September 13, 2017 // 0 Comments

Antidepressants-chronic-pain-personalized-medicine

A study of antidepressant drugs used to treat chronic pain, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, shows that some individuals might better tolerate certain side effects than others, pointing the way for personalized medicine. [...]

Preventing childhood deafness following treatment with life-saving cancer drugs

September 13, 2017 // 1 Comment

Reducing childhood hearing loss from chemotherapy drug cisplatin

A new way to deliver steroids to the inner ear reduces hearing loss caused by chemotherapy, finds a study in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. [...]

Mind wandering is common during driving

September 11, 2017 // 3 Comments

Dangerous-driving-inattention-daydreaming-mind-wandering

Research on driver distraction published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows that people's minds wander a lot in a simulated daily work commute - but they not always aware of this. [...]

New Section Launch: Neuroinfectious Diseases in Frontiers in Neurology

September 6, 2017 // 0 Comments

New specialty section on Neuroinfectious Diseases to be headed by Chief Editor, Dr. Avindra Nath. [...]

Brain augmentation brought to Russian audience

September 5, 2017 // 0 Comments

A collection of research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience is being brought to the Russian public by popular science neuroscience website - Neuronovosti. [...]

Our brains do change from early to mid-adulthood

August 29, 2017 // 1 Comment

Because scientists have been unaware of how our brains change during this period of life, they don't routinely account for this when studying the brain, which could lead them to misinterpret their results.

Contrary to belief, study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, shows considerable structural changes in the brain from early to mid-adulthood. [...]

Brain injury in kids might lead to alcohol abuse

August 29, 2017 // 0 Comments

Traumatic brain injuries in children and adolescents could lead to alcohol abuse in later life

Researchers find evidence that traumatic brain injuries in children and adolescents could be a risk-factor for alcohol abuse in later life [...]

Dancing can reverse the signs of aging in the brain

August 29, 2017 // 0 Comments

While previous research has shown that physical exercise can combat age-related brain decline, it is not known if one type of exercise can be better than another. To assess this, the exercise routines given to the volunteers differed. The traditional fitness training program conducted mainly repetitive exercises, such as cycling or Nordic walking, but the dance group were challenged with something new each week.

New research, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience compares two fitness routines to explore anti-aging effects on the brain in the elderly. [...]