The soldier on the fringes of an explosion. The survivor of a car wreck. The football player who took yet another skull-rattling hit. Too often, only time can tell when a traumatic brain injury will leave lasting harm – there’s no good way to diagnose the damage.
journal
The moth and the air freshener: The secrets of scent
University of Arizona Regents’ Professor John G. Hildebrand has been elected to the Council of the National Academy of Sciences. In addition, he is being honored for his lifetime accomplishments on how olfaction, the sense of smell, influences the behavior of animals, from bugs to humans.
Smoking cessation drug improves walking function in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3
A nicotinic drug approved for smoking cessation significantly improved the walking ability of patients suffering from an inherited form of ataxia, reports a new clinical study led by University of South Florida researchers.
New connections between brain cells form in clusters during learning
New connections between brain cells emerge in clusters in the brain as animals learn to perform a new task, according to a study published in Nature on February 19 (advance online publication). Led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the study reveals details of how brain circuits are rewired during the formation of new motor memories.
Mechanism sheds light on how the brain adapts to stress
Scientists now have a better understanding of the way that stress impacts the brain. New research, published by Cell Press in the January 26 issue of the journal Neuron, reveals pioneering evidence for a new mechanism of stress adaptation and may eventually lead to a better understanding of why prolonged and repeated exposure to stress can lead to anxiety disorders and depression.