Continuing Debate on Neurogenesis in Adulthood

Policy

University Fights Restrictive Indiana Law on Fetal Tissue Research
March 28, 2019 | Science

A three-judge panel of the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this month overturned a lower court decision that an Indiana law criminalizing much fetal tissue research is unconstitutionally vague. The ruling moves such work closer to being a felony in the Hoosier State.

Top US Institutes Still Aren’t Reporting Clinical-Trial Results on Time
March 26, 2019 | Nature

Many leading US universities are breaking the law by failing to make public the results of their clinical trials. A report published on 25 March found that 25 of the 40 universities that sponsor the most trials in the United States did not post study results on a public, government register within 12 months of completion, as is required by US law.

International Cooperation Platforms on Neuroscience Established in Shenzhen
March 23, 2019 | Xinhua

Scientists from China, Germany and Canada have built two international cooperation platforms on neuroscience in the southern Chinese municipality of Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of China Academy of Sciences said Saturday. The platforms were established to further allure top-level talent and innovation resources in neuroscience to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, said the institute.

Science in the News

Untangling the Brain's Life-Support Network
March 26, 2019 | Science Daily

A USC Dornsife-led study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 25, has provided the first global network model -- based on a highly detailed network map -- of the inner workings of the hypothalamus. This is considered among the most critical part of the brain, as it supports life in all mammals, as well as fish, birds and many other animals. The study is part of an ongoing effort to determine the structural organization of the mammalian nervous system, which the scientists refer to as "The Neurome Project."

Sound Sense: Brain 'Listens' for Distinctive Features in Sounds
March 26, 2019 | University of Pittsburgh

For humans to achieve accurate speech recognition and communicate with one another, the auditory system must recognize distinct categories of sounds - such as words - from a continuous incoming stream of sounds. This task becomes complicated when considering the variability in sounds produced by individuals with different accents, pitches, or intonations.

The Adult Brain Does Grow New Neurons After All, Study Says
March 25, 2019 | Scientific American

For decades, scientists have debated whether the birth of new neurons—called neurogenesis—was possible in an area of the brain that is responsible for learning, memory and mood regulation. A growing body of research suggested they could, but then a Nature paper last year raised doubts. Now, a new study published today in another of the Nature family of journals—Nature Medicine—tips the balance back toward “yes.”

A Mind-Boggling Trip into the 3-Pound Slimy, Spongy Mass That is the Human Brain
March 25, 2019 | Washington Post

What weighs three pounds and is much more than a slimy, spongy mass? The human brain, of course. It’s the most complex organ in the body — home to 86 billion neurons that act like a miraculous supercomputer, allowing our bodies to function and our minds to roam freely.

But how much do you really know about your own brain? If you’re brain-curious, a visit to BrainFacts.org may be in order.