Previously unidentified roles have been established for endothelial cells: they engulf myelin debris following spinal cord injury, and contribute to the progression of inflammation, angiogenesis, and possibly, fibrotic scar formation.

A recent study published in the Canadian Journal on Aging, found that the majority of participants being evaluated for memory and thinking concerns and potential brain disorders had some form of mild to severe hearing loss, but only about 20 per cent of individuals used hearing aids. Among the participants, a quarter of them did not show any signs of memory loss due to a brain disorder.

A simple blood test reliably detects signs of brain damage in people on the path to developing Alzheimer’s disease – even before they show signs of confusion and memory loss, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Germany.

How does the gut talk to the brain? In this new case study from ProteinSimple, we find out how Melanie Maya Kaelberer, a Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University, is using Single-Cell Western platform Milo to answer the question of how the gut can rapidly communicate with cranial nerves.

Chronic pain is a multifaceted disorder that causes profound disability worldwide. It has long been known that psychological stress contributes to adverse chronic pain outcomes in patients, but it is unclear how this is initiated or amplified by stress. Now, researchers have published results showing that activation of microglia in the mouse spinal cord is responsible for increased pain sensitivity in response to stress.

The reproducibility crisis is holding back science. London-based Labstep, a start-up out of Oxford University, think that their tool can help make science more open and reproducible. That claim has now been given some concrete evidence with the announcement that the research contingent of the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM will be trialling Labstep across their Banjul-based facility.

Here's what to look for.

Researchers have identified a mechanism by which brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can suppress GABAergic transmission in hippocampus. In this article, Dr. Rajamani Selvam explains how he and his team achieved these results, and their potential impact on the treatment of neurological disease.

A video showing the birth of an incredible network of neurons in the nervous system of a Zebrafish has won first prize at the Nikon Small World in Motion Awards, which highlight the best in photography and video captured through the microscope lens. We caught up with researchers behind the video to find out more.