Navigating the brain’s complexity
Personal experience inspired UCI cognitive science grad student Elle Giovanni to study how traumatic brain injuries impact decision-making When UCI cognitive sciences graduate student Elle Giovanni was 13 years old, her mother was struck by a car in a parking lot. Giovanni, who was nearby, saw the physical injuries but did not initially realize that…
Read MoreUCI awarded $2.4 million grant to study potential treatment for cancer-related cognitive impairment
The University of California, Irvine has been awarded a five-year, $2.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to evaluate the augmentation of brain-derived neurotropic factor to alleviate cancer-related cognitive impairment. Commonly known as “chemobrain,” it is a distressing issue affecting up to 75 percent of all cancer survivors. This multi-PI project translates findings from…
Read MoreHow untreated depression changes the brain
Feelings of sadness, moodiness and distress are common. But when they persist for more than a few weeks and intensify, these feelings can develop into clinical depression if left untreated. Also called major depressive disorder (MDD), this condition can disrupt vital aspects of a person’s life, including sleep, alertness, temperament, mood and even cognition, says UCI…
Read MoreBrowse the December 2023 UCI Brain Circuit E-newsletter
UC Irvine-led study is first to find brain hemorrhage cause other than injured blood vessels
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 20, 2023 — A first-of-its-kind study led by the University of California, Irvine has revealed a new culprit in the formation of brain hemorrhages that does not involve injury to the blood vessels, as previously believed. Researchers discovered that interactions between aged red blood cells and brain capillaries can lead to cerebral microbleeds,…
Read MoreDiego A. Pizzagalli named founding director of UC Irvine depression research institute
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 16, 2023—Diego A. Pizzagalli, Ph.D. – a leading researcher into the causes, manifestation and treatment of mood disorders, particularly major depression – has been named the founding director of a transdisciplinary depression research institute at the University of California, Irvine, following a nationwide search. The institute is supported by a record $55…
Read MoreBrowse the November 2023 UCI Brain Circuit E-newsletter
UCI cognitive scientist Megan Peters shares her work to unlock mysteries of the mind
UCI cognitive scientist Megan Peters shares her work to unlock mysteries of the mind
Read MoreReview highlights the potential mechanistic links between COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s disease
The various neurological symptoms that patients with COVID-19 have experienced suggest that viral infections may increase the risk of neurodegeneration, which could in turn contribute to the development of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A review in the Journal of Neurochemistry highlights the potential mechanistic links between COVID-19 and AD. … Thomas E. Lane, PhD, Corresponding…
Read MoreWhat age has the worst memory?
Contrary to popular belief, research suggests that memory performance is not solely determined by age. A study conducted by the University of California, Irvine, revealed that young adults in their twenties also experience memory lapses. The researchers found that memory performance tends to peak in the late teens or early twenties and gradually declines thereafter.…
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