A new study by Burke Neurological Institute (BNI), Weill Cornell Medicine, finds that activation of MAP2K signaling by genetic engineering or non-invasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) promotes corticospinal tract (CST) axon sprouting and functional regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice.
Tag: Neuro
Most COVID-19 long-haulers continue to experience neurologic symptoms, fatigue, and compromised quality of life 15 months after initial infection
A new study published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology looked at the evolution of neurologic symptoms in non-hospitalized COVID-19 long-haulers at the Northwestern Medicine Neuro COVID-19 Clinic and discovered most long-haulers continue to experience symptoms such as brain fog, numbness/tingling, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and fatigue on average of 15 months after disease onset.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons Honors 2022 Award Winners
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons presented several major awards during the 2022 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia. These awards honor the lifetime contribution of members for their surgical, scientific and humanitarian accomplishments.
New study finds persistent viral shedding of COVID-19 is associated with delirium and six-month mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
The Northwestern Medicine Neuro COVID-19 research team discovered patients who continued to test positive more than 14 days after their initial positive test were more likely to experience delirium, longer hospital stays, were less likely to be discharged home, and had a greater six-month mortality than those without persistent viral shedding of COVID-19.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Names Anthony L. Asher, MD, FAANS, as the Organization’s President-elect
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Names Anthony L. Asher, MD, FAANS, as the organization’s president-elect. The Charlotte-based neurosurgeon will serve as president-elect of the association for the next 12 months.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Names Ann R. Stroink, MD, FAANS, as the Organization’s President
Ann R. Stroink, MD, FAANS, has been named president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Stroink is a board-board certified neurosurgeon based in Illinois and will serve as the organization’s president for the next 12 months.
Key to resilient energy-efficient AI/machine learning may reside in human brain
A clearer understanding of how a type of brain cell known as astrocytes function and can be emulated in the physics of hardware devices, may result in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning that autonomously self-repairs and consumes much less energy than the technologies currently do, according to a team of Penn State researchers.
November 2021 Issue of Neurosurgical Focus: “Innovations in Neurosurgical Quality and Safety”
“Announcement of the November 2021 issue of Neurosurgical Focus.”
Identification of SSRI-evoked antidepressant sensory signals by decoding vagus nerve activity
Abstract The vagus nerve relays mood-altering signals originating in the gut lumen to the brain. In mice, an intact vagus is required to mediate the behavioural effects of both intraluminally applied selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and a strain of Lactobacillus with antidepressant-like…
Researchers map neurons in the brain involved with social interactions with others in groups
Meaningful social interactions are critical to an individual’s well-being, and such interactions rely on people’s behaviors towards one another.
Physical exercise modulates iron in Alzheimer’s disease
A recent experimental study shows how regular physical exercise modulates iron metabolism in both the brain and the muscles.
Flawed quality control in the brain
Proteins are the “tools” of our cells – they are essential to all vital tasks.
Readiness to punish others for selfish behaviour explained by functional brain connections
The stronger the functional brain connections, the less inclined someone is to punish others for unfair behaviour.
People With Stroke Who Walk 30 Minutes Per Day May Have 54% Lower Risk of Death
MINNEAPOLIS – A new study shows that people who walk or garden at least three to four hours per week, or bike at least two to three hours per week, or the equivalent after having a stroke may have a 54% lower risk of death from any cause. The research is published in the August 11, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found the most benefit for younger stroke survivors. When people under the age of 75 exercised at least that amount, their risk of death was reduced by 80%.
Brain Connectivity Can Build Better AI
A new study shows that artificial intelligence networks based on human brain connectivity can perform cognitive tasks efficiently.
Microbes Turn Back the Clock as Research Discovers Their Potential to Reverse Aging in the Brain
Research from APC Microbiome Ireland (APC) at University College Cork (UCC) published today (Please note embargo) in the leading international scientific journal Nature Aging introduces a novel approach to reverse aspects of aging-related deterioration in the brain and cognitive function via the microbes in the gut.
Novel Research Identifies Gene Targets of Stress Hormones in the Brain
Chronic stress is a well-known cause for mental health disorders.
Marijuana-Like Brain Substance Calms Seizures but Increases Aftereffects, Study Finds
Epileptic seizures trigger the rapid synthesis and release of a substance mimicked by marijuana’s most psychoactive component, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have learned.
Molecular Atlas Reveals How Brain Cells Develop
As the fertilized egg divides, initially undifferentiated cells take on specific functions, becoming more distinct as different tissues and organs emerge.
Scientists Reverse Age-Related Memory Loss in Mice
Scientists at Cambridge and Leeds have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of treatments to prevent memory loss in people as they age.

Henry Ford Health System First in the U.S. to Offer Next Generation Deep Brain Stimulation System For Parkinson’s Disease
The Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center at Henry Ford Health System was the first in the United States to offer a new FDA-approved device to help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Neurosurgeon Jason Schwalb, M.D. surgically implanted the Vercise Genus™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System, which stimulates a targeted region of the brain through implanted leads that are placed in the brain.
University of Minnesota, Van Andel Institute earn $6M to study aging’s role in Parkinson’s
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2020) — A collaborative team between the University of Minnesota Medical School and Van Andel Institute (VAI) will soon begin a $6.2 million study that seeks to define the molecular linkages between aging and Parkinson’s disease — an approach for new treatment targets not yet explored by many researchers. The group recently earned a three-year grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s initiative, an international collaborative research effort partnering with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to implement its funding.
Rush University Awarded “Real Funding To Make Big Progress” in Battling Parkinson’s
Rush University College of Medicine will be leading one of 21 teams receiving significant funding in hopes of making major advances in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
Gene yields insights into the causes of neurodegeneration
Cornell researchers including Fenghua Hu, associate professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and member of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, are taking a closer look at the factors that cause Alzheimer’s, FTLD and similar diseases. Hu’s latest study, “A role of the frontotemporal lobar degeneration risk factor TMEM106B in myelination,” was published June 23 in the journal Brain.

Exercise improves memory, boosts blood flow to brain
Scientists have collected plenty of evidence linking exercise to brain health, with some research suggesting fitness may even improve memory. But what happens during exercise to trigger these benefits?

Recipe for Neuromorphic Processing Systems?
The field of “brain-mimicking” neuromorphic electronics shows great potential for basic research and commercial applications, and researchers in Germany and Switzerland recently explored the possibility of reproducing the physics of real neural circuits by using the physics of silicon. In Applied Physics Letters, they present their work to understand neural processing systems, as well as a recipe to reproduce these computing principles in mixed signal analog/digital electronics and novel materials.