ICYMI: The Year in Neuroscience

  • Published20 Dec 2019
  • Author Alexis Wnuk
  • Source BrainFacts/SfN
2019 inside a brain surrounded by confetti
Image adapted from iStock.com/lvcandy by Alexis Wnuk

From the revival of dead brains to the discovery of a new sensory organ under the skin, a lot happened in neuroscience in 2019. Were you paying attention?

In January, scientists reported infection with the bacteria porphyromonas gingivalis can speed the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. What illness does this bacterium normally cause?
Fill in the blank: In April, Yale researchers reported they had revived _____ brains four hours after death.
Glia are the nervous system’s support cells — they nourish neurons and wrap them in insulating myelin. But scientists in Sweden discovered a mesh-like organ of glial cells in the skin that does something else. What do these cells do?
Fill in the blank: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers found substantial variations in brain anatomy among different breeds of _____.
Fill in the blank: Scientists found that slow waves during _____ triggered a wave of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to wash over the brain, flushing out waste products and toxins.