Neuropsychology
A robot exoskeleton is revealing hidden sensory losses in stroke patients, helping explain why some survivors struggle to fully recover movement. The technology can identify proprioception problems, the body’s sense of limb position and movement, without requiring patients to move the affected arm, making assessments easier in clinics. Proprioception lets us know where our limbs [...]
Researchers are testing whether an mRNA vaccine targeting Epstein-Barr virus could offer a new treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The Phase 2 trial will examine how the investigational vaccine affects new MS disease activity, with scientists exploring this approach because EBV is present in almost all people with MS and is believed to play a [...]
Psilocybin could help reverse brain damage from domestic violence related injuries, a new rodent study suggests. The psychedelic compound reduced inflammation and anxiety while improving memory and learning after brain trauma that mimicked injuries seen in intimate partner violence (IPV). Victims who are physically attacked regularly can develop mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and brain [...]
Researchers have discovered that irregular brain signals, previously dismissed as 'noise', track Parkinson's symptoms more accurately than traditional markers. The finding could help improve deep brain stimulation (DBS), a treatment that uses mild electrical pulses to ease symptoms by modulating abnormal brain activity. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, working with teams from [...]
Scientists say breakdown of perineuronal nets around brain cells may explain why people with Alzheimer's forget loved ones. The findings could lead to new treatments using drugs already available for other conditions, researchers said. A devastating consequence of the disease is that patients forget even close family and friends. Exactly which brain changes drive this [...]
There was much excitement and anticipation at the inaugural ‘drum-off’ at Richardson Care in Northampton. Service users in two of the specialist neuro-rehab services for adults with acquired brain injury took part: The team from The Richardson Mews competed against the guys from 144 Boughton Green Road in a series of fun drumming games. Each [...]
By Rebekah Dawson, MSc Psychodynamics of Human Development, Birkbeck, University of London and assistant support manager, Brain Injury Service, Sweettree Homecare Services After a traumatic brain injury (TBI), many people describe feeling a profound loss of their sense of self. This study explores how individuals rebuild their sense of self after brain injury, through the [...]
Former Sunderland footballer David Watson has won a key appeal to have his neurological condition recognised as work-related. Watson, 79, who helped Sunderland win the 1973 FA Cup, is living with probable Alzheimer’s and probable CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) — a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. The Upper Tribunal has overturned a [...]
New research has provided new insight into how the habenula, a pea-sized brain region that helps regulate motivation and mood, may contribute to schizophrenia risk. Many schizophrenia-related molecular changes appear to be specific to this region, suggesting the habenula could be a potential target for future treatments. Researchers from the Lieber Institute for Brain Development [...]
A portable saliva biosensor costing just US$2.19 can detect protein levels linked to depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in under three minutes. The device measures brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein vital for neuron health whose altered levels are associated with several psychiatric conditions. Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo and Embrapa [...]
