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Symptoms of the neurological movement disorder, dystonia, which include muscle spasms, twisting of the body and tremors, arise from an impairment in spinal cord function, finds a new study in mice by UCL researchers. Many neurological conditions that involve involuntary muscle contractions have long been considered as diseases of the brain.

The majority of fish populations in the sea are responding to global warming by relocating towards colder waters nearer the north and south poles, according to the latest research on the impact of climate change on our oceans. Analysing the breadth of current world-wide data on marine fish changes in recent years, researchers from the University of Glasgow have revealed how fish populations across the Earth's oceans are responding to rising sea temperatures.

A new method for tackling insecticide resistance among mosquitoes that spread malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is being developed by a team of scientists at Cardiff University. 'Sugar traps' containing new attractant chemistry will lure mosquitoes away from people and dwellings in towns and villages in the region by mimicking the smell of nearby tree and other plant flowers from which mosquitoes feed before they seek out human blood for reproduction.

A cleft lip or palate arises from the combined effects of genes and inflammatory risk factors experienced during pregnancy, such as smoking or infections, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in Nature Communications , has revealed for the first time how genetic and environmental factors come together to form a cleft lip or palate in a developing foetus.

The biology underpinning a rare genetic mutation that allows its carrier to live virtually pain-free, heal more rapidly and experience reduced anxiety and fear, has been uncovered by new research from UCL. The study, published in Brain , follows up the teams' discovery in 2019 of the FAAH-OUT gene and the rare mutations that cause patient, Jo Cameron, to feel virtually no pain and never feel anxious or afraid.

Research led by UCL, in partnership with the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB) and AstraZeneca, has identified a new compound that can stimulate nerve regeneration after injury, as well as protect cardiac tissue from the sort of damage seen in heart attack. The study, published in Nature , identified a chemical compound, named '1938', that activates the PI3K signalling pathway, and is involved in cell growth.

The law should take into consideration neuroscientific evidence that suggests fear and threat can cause victims to become 'frozen' in cases of rape or sexual assault, argue UCL experts. In a comment article, published in Nature Human Behaviour, Professor Patrick Haggard and former UCL undergraduate, Ebani Dhawan, state that victims of sexual assault are often blamed for not fighting or fleeing their attackers.

Climate change is likely to abruptly push species over tipping points as their geographic ranges reach unforeseen temperatures, finds a new study led by a UCL researcher. The new Nature Ecology & Evolution study predicts when and where climate change is likely to expose species across the globe to potentially dangerous temperatures.

Scientists have discovered a new species of rare mosasaur in Morocco, adding to evidence of the vast diversity of these marine reptiles 66 million years ago. Scientists have discovered a new species of mosasaur, a sea-dwelling lizard from the age of the dinosaurs, with strange, ridged teeth unlike those of any known reptile.

Humans inherited genetic material from Neanderthals that affects the shape of our noses, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The new study finds that a particular gene, which leads to a taller nose (from top to bottom), may have been the product of natural selection as ancient humans adapted to colder climates after leaving Africa.

A new population-based study involving 22 million people shows that autoimmune disorders now affect about one in ten individuals. Published in The Lancet , the work points to important socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional differences for several autoimmune disorders and provides new clues on possible causes behind these diseases.

New population-based study led by UCL and the University of Oxford shows that autoimmune disorders are more common than previously thought. The research, published in The Lancet , estimates that around one in ten individuals in the UK now live with an autoimmune disorder. The findings also highlight important socioeconomic, seasonal and regional differences for several autoimmune disorders, providing new clues as to what factors may be involved in these conditions.

A new population-based study of 22 million people shows that autoimmune disorders now affect about one in ten individuals. The work, published in The Lancet , also highlights important socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional differences for several autoimmune disorders and provides new clues on possible causes behind these diseases.

Researchers have created atomically thin artificial neurons capable of processing both light and electric signals for computing. The material enables the simultaneous existence of separate feedforward and feedback paths within a neural network, boosting the ability to solve complex problems. For decades, scientists have been investigating how to recreate the versatile computational capabilities of biological neurons to develop faster and more energy-efficient machine learning systems.

Large-scale study reveals autoimmune disorders now affect around one in ten A new population-based study, involving 22 million people, shows that autoimmune disorders now affect around one in ten individuals. The work, which is published in The Lancet, further shows important socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional differences for several autoimmune disorders and provides new clues on possible causes behind these diseases.

Professor Rachel Lennon, Wellcome Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Science (spectacles) and Richard Naylor, Research Associate at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research are exploring how kidney cells work at the basic level. This could lead to new methods of treatment for patients with kidney disease..photograph by David Sandison/Wellcome.

Researchers tested samples of raw pheasant dog food and discovered that the majority contained high levels of lead that could put dogs- health at risk if they eat it frequently. Lead is a toxic metal that negatively affects body systems of people and animals, with the nervous system being particularly sensitive.

Neuroscientists at UCL have uncovered how exploratory actions enable animals to learn their spatial environment more efficiently. Their findings could help build better AI agents that can learn faster and require less experience. Unit at UCL found the instinctual exploratory runs that animals carry out are not random.

Cambridge scientists have shown how the brain's ability to clear out toxic proteins is impaired in Huntington's disease and other forms of dementia - and how, in a study in mice, a repurposed HIV drug was able to restore this function, helping prevent this dangerous build-up and slowing progression of the disease.

Researchers at UCL, the Francis Crick Institute and King's College London have shed light on the genetics underlying changes in the structure and shape of the face and head in a mouse model of Down syndrome. They found that having a third copy of the gene Dyrk1a and at least three other genes was responsible for changes in development that result in 'craniofacial dysmorphology', which shows up as shortened back-to-front length and widened diameter of the head.