Brain Imaging News
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Study shows prenatal alcohol exposure may shape drinking behavior later in life
Prenatal exposure to alcohol may increase the risk of problematic drinking in adulthood according to a new 20 year-longitudinal study done in primates.
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How advanced MRI paired with neuropsychological testing shed light on how Temple Grandin’s brain processes the world
Temple Grandin, PhD, is likely the most well-known living autistic individual, both nationally and internationally.
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New study shows nuanced and complex relationship between tau and brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s Disease
[uw-reusable-content id=’29797′] At a Glance Loss of synapses, the connections between neurons that allow them to communicate, is a primary driver of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers expected a strong connection…
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Improved assessment protocols identify cerebral palsy earlier
Research from the Pediatric Neuromodulation Lab of Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT, at the Waisman Center showcases that evidence-based assessments for cerebral palsy (CP) are helping to improve diagnostic timelines and access…
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Memory impairment after severe traumatic brain injury in adolescents related to size and connectivity changes in the hippocampus and beyond.
Memory impairment as a result of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has long been associated solely with the hippocampus, the brain’s learning and memory center. However, new research published in the journal…
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UW-Madison’s Cool Science Image Contest: Waisman winners
Matt Zammit, PhD, Waisman scientist in the Brain Imaging Core, and affiliate investigator Erik Dent, PhD, are both winners of UW-Madison’s Cool Science Image Contest.
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New research first to test 60-year-old theory on autism
Autism is often associated with complex tasks like social processing and language and the later-developing brain regions that control them. But what if autism is more rooted in the earliest developing and…
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Developing a neural network to overcome the biggest enemy of MRI scans: movement
Movement is the arch nemesis of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.
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Study reveals differences in brain structure for older autistic adults
A recent study continues to add to the body of evidence that the brain structure of autistic individuals is different from the structure of neurotypical individuals.
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UW effort to map Down syndrome brain raises prospect of treatment for disorder
In a lab near UW Hospital, Megan Jandy grows stem cells from people with Down syndrome — 10 batches of cells, most in three-dimensional clusters, each batch featuring one group with the extra…
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The beginnings and evolution of brain imaging at the Waisman Center
The development of brain imaging techniques has helped us understand emotion, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases in ways we could not before.
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Sensory responses in autistic children are linked to a small under-explored region tucked deep down in the brain called the brainstem
The same external sensory stimulus – a flashing light, a hug, or hearing one’s name – can provoke a different reaction in every person.
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Waisman investigators receive grant to improve brain imaging in young children
A team of investigators at the Waisman Center was recently awarded a $2.5 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes…
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Study shows differences between brains of primates — humans, apes and monkeys — are small but significant
While the physical differences between humans and non-human primates are quite distinct, a new study reveals their brains may be remarkably similar. And yet, the smallest changes may make big differences in…
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Understanding recovery and development in children
Early interventions in children with cerebral palsy can be pivotal to improving motor and cognitive outcomes. The focus of this study is to longitudinally assess, over the first two years of life,…
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Videojuego enseña balance, reduce síntomas en adolescentes autistas
Si bien el entrenamiento de balance puede no parecer divertido para la mayoría de los adolescentes, los videojuegos generalmente sí lo son.
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Video games teach balance, reduce symptoms in autistic adolescents
While balance training may not necessarily sound fun to most adolescents, video games typically do. And for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, video games that improve their balance by teaching them yoga…
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UW-Madison es clave en estudio emblemático enfocado en el desarrollo del cerebro infantil y el impacto del abuso de substancias y el estrés en niños e infantes
La Universidad de Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) será una de las 25 instituciones que estudiarán el desarrollo temprano del cerebro y comportamiento, y el impacto de la exposición temprana a substancias – como opioides…
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Genetics has a higher influence on brain microstructure development than the environment
Brain structure isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind when we think about what we inherited from our biological parents or share with our siblings. We mostly think about facial…
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Studying the connection between Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome for Down syndrome awareness month
By Emily Leclerc, Waisman Science Writer The month of October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and is dedicated to not only raising awareness about Down syndrome but also to celebrating the abilities…
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UW-Madison is key site on landmark study focused on early childhood brain development and the impact of substance abuse and stress in infants and young children
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will be one of 25 sites to study early brain and behavior development and the impact of early exposure to substances – such as opioids – and social…
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Illuminating the brain through a new channel
A new study from the Binaural Hearing and Speech (BHS) Lab at the Waisman Center examines functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) – a neuroimaging option that is safe for individuals with metal implants
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A stimulating environment: Waisman Center acquires neuromodulation lab for infants and children
The adaptability of children with disabilities has inspired Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT for the majority of her career.
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New NIH-funded initiative will examine Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome
A team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is part of a new multi-institution effort to better understand Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome. Adults with Down syndrome are at…
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New Innovator Award winner looking for unprecedented view of the brain
Congratulations to Aviad Hai, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and a Waisman affiliate, on being selected as a 2020 National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award.
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Balancing act: what motor function can tell us about autism
Can the way a person moves be a key identifier of autism? It’s a question that Waisman Center investigator Brittany Travers, PhD, is trying to answer.
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The social brain: A beautiful mind
What images come to mind when you hear the phrase social brain? Do you think of children running around on a playground laughing together? Do you think of problem solving or imagine…
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Mancheski Foundation funds next-gen research on Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s
A gift from the Mancheski Foundation continues to provide integral support to doctoral student Matthew Zammit as he furthers his research on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome.…
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UW-Madison brain scan studies seek to pinpoint signs of Alzheimer’s
Waisman Center investigator Brad Christian and Waisman Center affiliates Sterling Johnson and Barbara Bendlin were featured in a Nov. 26 Wisconsin State Journal article this week about Alzheimer’s research. The article is…
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In Wisconsin, 3 in 5 people with Down syndrome diagnosed with dementia by age 55
Not so many years ago, people with Down syndrome rarely survived to middle age. Many died young due to heart problems associated with the congenital condition. Today, advances in treatment have allowed…
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Studying Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome
About once every year and a half, Erin Harvey takes time off of her job as a teacher’s aide and along with her mom, Nancy, makes a two and a half hour…
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Mental health in pregnancy may affect development of newborns’ brains
By Marianne Spoon, UW Communications Many factors can influence the development of a baby during pregnancy and after birth, but until recently, researchers knew little about the relationship between an expectant mother’s…
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Researchers unveil new strategy to correct for motion during MRI scans
Individuals undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan often need to minimize movements for up to 10 minutes at a time to maximize scan quality. That can be challenging for many people.
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Video game improves balance in youth with autism
“We think this video game-based training could be a unique way to help individuals with ASD who have challenges with their balance address these issues,” says Travers, an investigator at UW–Madison’s Waisman…
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Waisman researchers part of several UW2020 awards
Several research and infrastructure projects featuring Waisman Center researchers as the primary or co-investigator have been selected for the second round of funding through the UW2020
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Researchers track critical developments in the young brain
Much like electricity traveling down wires, nerve impulses in our brain travel along nerve fibers. And just as wires need insulation to function well, nerve fibers, too, rely on a kind of…
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Video game research shows promise for autism
At the age of 9, Xavier Hansen already has it figured out. Someday, he is going to be the boss. “He has great aspirations to make things,” says his mom, Gail. “His…
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Waisman Center partners on new multi-site NIH initiative to find Alzheimer’s biomarkers in Down syndrome
Brad Christian, PhD, Waisman investigator and associate professor of medical physics and psychiatry, is part of a new National Institutes of Health initiative to identify biomarkers and track the progression of Alzheimer’s…
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Frayed nerve bundle may spur autism’s motor, social deficits
A new study by Waisman Center investigators Andy Alexander, PhD, professor of medical physics and psychiatry, Janet Lainhart, MD, professor of psychiatry and Brittany Travers, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology, indicates a…