brain Archive

October 19, 2020

Depression and the brain-age gap

Older depressed adults show accelerated brain aging, according to a new study from Vanderbilt researchers, who suggest that the effects of depression may speed the decline in cognitive functions in older individuals.

By Sarah E. Glass
close up of blood vessels
October 15, 2020

Brain blood vessel response to hypoxia

The brain’s response to low oxygen — growth and remodeling of blood vessels — involves certain cell types and molecular pathways, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 1, 2020

Pinpointing brain changes in psychosis

Specific regions of the thalamus — a central brain region — are smaller in adults with psychotic disorders and youth at risk for psychotic disorders and are associated with cognitive impairment.

By Leigh MacMillan
Angela Jefferson, PhD, is the founding director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, VUMC’s newest freestanding institutional center.
October 1, 2020

VUMC forms center focused on Alzheimer’s and related dementias

Leaders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have announced that the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center (VMAC), currently housed in the Department of Neurology, will become a freestanding institutional center.

By Paul Govern
September 3, 2020

New clue to Alzheimer’s disease

Combining studies of genetically diverse mouse populations and human data led to the identification of a gene associated with cognitive decline and brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease.

By Bill Snyder
August 6, 2020

Grant supports research on abnormal brain aging

With the aid of an $18.2 million, five-year grant renewal from the National Institute on Aging, the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project (VMAP) will advance interdisciplinary research into abnormal brain aging and cognitive decline in older adults, with continuing emphasis on the role of blood flow changes in the heart and brain.

By Paul Govern
July 20, 2020

Study points to potential new approach to treating neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have shown for the first time that when one optic nerve in the eye is damaged, as in glaucoma, the opposite optic nerve comes to the rescue by sharing its metabolic energy.
By Bill Snyder
June 30, 2020

Pilot study suggests Parkinson’s disease progression can be slowed

A pair of ultra-thin electrodes surgically implanted deep into the brain might slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease, according to five-year outcomes from a 30-patient randomized clinical trial conducted by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
By Paul Govern
June 23, 2020

A connection to schizophrenia

The insula, a small region of the brain involved in diverse brain functions had widespread dysconnectivity in schizophrenia, Vanderbilt researchers found.
By Bill Snyder
June 22, 2020

Single mutation causes seizure disorder

A single mutation in one gene can impair inhibitory signaling in the brain and cause multiple types of seizures and behavioral abnormalities.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 7, 2020

Project seeks to help adults with TBI access social media

With more than $2 million in funding, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center are developing software to make social media platforms more accessible for adults with cognitive disabilities.
By Kelsey Herbers
May 7, 2020

New study examines Alzheimer’s disease images and molecular biomarkers

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves distinctive wasting away of certain brain regions, such that medical imaging of these regions can distinguish the disease from other subtypes of dementia.
By Paul Govern
May 7, 2020

Study to explore memory system’s role in TBI behavior deficits

VUMC researchers are beginning a new five-year study to characterize the role of a memory system in behavioral deficits commonly seen in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
By Kelsey Herbers