Research offers clues for treating fatal neurological disorder in kids
Research in animals led by Washington University and the Roslin Institute in Scotland shows that supplying a vital missing enzyme helps to improve CLN1 disease, a rare but fatal brain disorder.
Carlson to study neuroplasticity, behavioral evolution
Bruce Carlson, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, recently won a $980,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study neuronal plasticity and the evolvability of animal behavior.
Scientists ID pathway that triggers mice to scratch when they see others do the same
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have identified a pathway in the brains of mice that is activated when the animals see other mice scratching. They found that this so-called “contagious itching” is controlled through a visual pathway that operates independently of the visual cortex.
School of Medicine joins major NIH brain mapping effort
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine are joining a national network, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to map the intricacies of the brain, with a goal of deepening knowledge of how the brain works and generating new insights into how the brain functions in healthy people — and how it malfunctions in Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism and numerous other conditions.
COVID-19 infections increase risk of long-term brain problems
A comprehensive analysis of federal data by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine shows people who have had COVID-19 are at an elevated risk of developing neurological conditions within the first year after infection.
OHMB recognizes Barch with Glass Brain Award
The Organization for Human Brain Mapping has awarded its Glass Brain Award to Deanna Barch, of Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine, in recognition of her influential work on the function of the human brain.
Abnormal development of brain’s visual system may contribute to autism
A new study, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, has identified abnormalities in the development of the brain’s visual system in infants that may predispose them to developing autism.
Protein linked to intellectual disability has complex role
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have identified a previously unknown function for the fragile X protein, the loss of which is the leading inherited cause of intellectual disability. The researchers showed that the protein modulates how neurons in the brain’s memory center process information, a central part of learning and memory.
Neural pathway key to sensation of pleasant touch identified
Researchers from the Washington University Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders have identified a specific neuropeptide and a neural circuit that transmit pleasant touch from the skin to the brain. The findings eventually may help scientists better understand and treat disorders characterized by touch avoidance and impaired social development.
Calming overexcited neurons may protect brain after stroke
By scanning the genomes of nearly 6,000 stroke patients, School of Medicine scientists identified two genes associated with recovery. Both are involved in regulating neuronal excitability, suggesting that targeting overstimulated neurons may help promote recovery in the first 24 hours after stroke.
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