High-Resolution Mapping Technique Uncovers Underlying Circuit Architecture of the Brain
Using an innovative brain-tracing technique, scientists have found a way to untangle the complex connections that influence specific brain functions.
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Researchers Discover How Fruit Flies Know to Mate with Their Own Species
A UCSF-led team has discovered a sensory system in the foreleg of the male fruit fly that answers a central problem in evolution that is poorly understood: how animals of one species know not to mate with animals of other species.
Absence of Gene Leads to Earlier, More Severe Case of Multiple Sclerosis
A UCSF-led research team has identified the likely genetic mechanism that causes some patients with multiple sclerosis to quickly progress to a debilitating stage of the disease while other patients progress much more slowly.
Genes Involved in Birth Defects May Also Lead to Mental Illness
Gene mutations that lead to major birth defects may also cause subtle disruptions in the brain that contribute to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, according to new research by UCSF scientists.
Human Brain Cells Developed in Lab, Grow in Mice
A key type of human brain cell developed in the laboratory grows seamlessly when transplanted into the brains of mice, UCSF researchers have found.
Epilepsy Cured in Mice Using Brain Cells
Epilepsy that does not respond to drugs can be halted in adult mice by transplanting a specific type of cell into the brain, UCSF researchers have discovered, raising hope that a similar treatment might work in severe forms of human epilepsy.
New Brain Cancer Treatment May be More Effective, Less Toxic
A Phase 2 clinical trial testing a new protocol for treating a relatively rare form of brain cancer, primary CNS lymphoma, may change the standard of care for this disease, according to UCSF doctors who led the research.
EEG Identifies Seizures in Hospital Patients, UCSF Study Finds
Electroencephalogram, which measures and records electrical activity in the brain, is a quick and efficient way of determining whether seizures are the cause of altered mental status and spells, according to a UCSF study.
Secrets of Human Speech Uncovered
<p>A team of researchers at UCSF has uncovered the neurological basis of speech motor control, the complex coordinated activity of tiny brain regions that controls our lips, jaw, tongue and larynx as we speak.</p>
Identity Theft: The Destructive Course of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia
William Seeley maps the path of frontotemporal dementia through the brain, correlating specific damage with behavioral change. By studying the disease from self to circuits to cells, this visionary neurologist searches for inroads to treatment.
Making a Game Out of Improving the 'Sticky' Brain
<p>UCSF neuroscientists have found that by training on attention tests, people young and old can improve brain performance and multitasking skills.</p>
Women May Be at Increased Health Risk Due to PTSD
<p><span>Research has shown that women are at greater risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men. Now, scientists based at the UCSF-affiliated San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) have found that women with the condition might be more likely to experience faster aging at the cellular level and increased risk for diseases of aging than men with PTSD.</span></p>
Epilepsy Drug Could Help with Alzheimer's-Related Memory Loss
Scientists at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes have discovered that an FDA-approved anti-epileptic drug reverses memory loss and alleviates other Alzheimer’s-related impairments in an animal model of the disease.
Increasing Dopamine in Frontal Cortex Decreases Impulsive Tendency, UCSF-Gallo Scientists Find
Raising levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the frontal cortex of the brain significantly decreased impulsivity in healthy adults, in a study conducted by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Gladstone Scientists Identify Key Network Mechanism That Could Contribute to Cognitive Problems in Alzheimer's Disease
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have unraveled a process by which depletion of a specific protein in the brain contributes to the memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These findings provide insights into the disease’s development and may lead to new therapies that could benefit the millions of people worldwide.