Nerve cells damaged in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), ‘talk’ to stem cells in the same way that they communicate with other nerve cells, calling out for ‘first aid’, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.
Delay mechanism within elegant brain circuit consisting of just five neurons means female crickets can automatically detect chirps of males from same species. Scientists say this example of simple neural circuitry could be “fundamental” for other types of information processing in much larger brains.
Each extra hour per day spent watching TV, using the internet or playing computer games during Year 10 is associated with poorer grades at GCSE at age 16, according to research from the University of Cambridge.
We need to think about how our teenagers spend their spare time, writes Dr Kirsten Corder from the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, whose research has shown that even an hour a day of TV and internet use is linked to poorer GCSE grades.
Olivia Remes, a PhD student at the Cambridge Institute of Public Health, explores the relationship between deprivation and anxiety disorders, and in particular why women seem particularly vulnerable.
Young adults diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescence show differences in brain structure and perform poorly in memory tests compared to their peers, according to new research from the University of Cambridge, UK, and the University of Oulu, Finland.
The number of people with dementia – both new cases and total numbers with the disease – appears to be stabilising in some Western European countries despite populations ageing, in direct contrast to the ‘dementia epidemic’ reported in some recent studies. Professor Carol Brayne and Yu-tzu Wu from the Cambridge Institute of Public Health explore what this means.
‘Bang! You’re Dead’, a 1961 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, continues to surprise – but not just with the twist in its tale. Scientists at the University of Cambridge have used the programme to show that young people respond in a similar way to events, but as we age our thought patterns diverge.
A ‘brain training’ iPad game developed and tested by researchers at the University of Cambridge may improve the memory of patients with schizophrenia, helping them in their daily lives at work and living independently, according to research published today.
Professor Patrick Chinnery, an expert in diseases that affect mitochondria – the ‘batteries’ that power our cells – has been appointed as Professor of Neurology and Head of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge. He will take up his appointment on 1 October.
Neuroscience has transformed our understanding of the healthy brain and promises treatments for devastating disorders that affect millions of people. As the search for more effective therapies continues, unravelling the complexities of the brain and mind has become a multi-disciplinary enterprise.
Cambridge has a strong tradition of important discoveries in neuroscience. Now a large community drawn from each School in the University and local research institutions is working together to address unanswered questions and bring about an improved understanding of the brain and mind in health and disease.
Professor Alastair Compston and Professor Trevor Robbins, co-chairs of Cambridge Neuroscience
© 2015 University of Cambridge
