News by Subject Chemistry & Physics

Our ability to exercise self-control is linked to our neurobiology.

Analysis of large data sets from post-mortem brain samples of people with and without Alzheimer's disease has revealed new evidence linking viruses to Alzheimer's clinical traits and genetic factors. Researchers funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, made the discovery by harnessing data from brain banks and cohort studies participating in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership-Alzheimer's Disease (AMP-AD) consortium.

New findings from the University of Missouri School of Medicine explain how a single episode of binge drinking can affect the gene that regulates sleep, leading to sleep disruption in mice. The finding may shed light on how sleep problems can contribute to alcoholism in humans.

Scientists have revealed that protein molecules in the brain are broken down and replaced at different rates, depending on where in the brain they are.

Glial cells surround neurons and provide support -- not unlike hospital staff and nurses supporting doctors to keep operations running smoothly. These often-overlooked cells, which include oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, are the most abundant cell types in the central nervous system. But these cells do more than support neurons. They also actively influence them, University of California, Riverside, researchers report.

In a world first, Australian researchers have revealed how a deadly fungus and primary cause of life-threatening meningitis exploits the immune system like a 'Trojan Horse' to promote infection.

William Colmers, a University of Alberta professor in the Department of Pharmacology, has identified a new pathway in the brain that might be a good target for a drug to reduce the symptoms of anxiety.