News

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, has identified the biological mechanism underlying premature ovarian failure (POF): a mutation in the Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene. The FMR1 mutation is most commonly associated with Fragile X Syndrome, a leading genetic cause of intellectual impairment and autism spectrum disorder. But ...

A team of scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have discovered a trigger for brain inflammation that is associated with diseases like Alzheimer’s and progressive supranuclear palsy. Tau deposits, the team observed, can cause so-called “jumping genes” to form double-stranded RNA, which in turn triggers an inflammatory reaction, similar ...

It may not be the version portrayed in the infamous thriller of the same name, but human beings do, in fact, have a sixth sense: proprioception. Our brain relies on proprioception to give and receive the information it needs to help our bodies perform coordinated movements through space. And new research using animal models has ...

If you’ve ever been lost in an airport, there’s a good chance you’ve relied on your fellow travelers to navigate the chaotic space. You might follow a large group to the security checkpoint, observing the natural flow of the crowd as you get your bearings. We humans are observant creatures, and learning by observation is ...

Parkinson’s disease creates a number of motor and non-motor symptoms, ranging from tremors and loss of balance to depression. With such a variety of symptoms impacting patients, medical professionals are often forced to prescribe different medications to treat each symptom. But now, MIT neuroscientists have identified three distinct brain circuits that influence both motor and ...