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2025-04-22

Upon energy restriction, an unusual release of the neurotransmitter glutamate can be observed. The overabundance of glutamate ultimately causes damages to nerve cells.

Our brain requires a constant supply of energy. A disrupted energy supply, as it is for instance caused by a stroke, can have serious complications. A team from the research group Cellular Neurobiology at Ruhr University Bochum investigated how an energy deficiency in the brain affects the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate.

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Visual of Brain Day 2025. In the lower right corner, a woman is shown looking up at an illustrated brain. The image also contains information about Brain Day 2025: The event will take place on September 17, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the event center.
2025-04-14

Einblicke in eine faszinierende Welt - darum geht es einmal pro Jahr an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, wenn die Neurowissenschaftler*innen zum BRAIN DAY ins Veranstaltungszentrum einladen.

Ein Tag im Zeichen der Bochumer Neurowissenschaften mit Vorträgen, Informationen und Mitmachaktionen. Alle Besucher*innen sind eingeladen zu schauen, zu hören, zu fühlen, nachzufragen und mitzumachen. Auch im Jahr 2025 arbeitet das Organisations-Team des BRAIN DAY's wieder daran, für seine Gäste ein spannendes Angebot zusammenzustellen.

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A hand is illuminated by a soft red light, creating a contrast against a dark background.  © Damian Gorczany
2025-03-18

Researchers conducted an experiment in which test subjects felt like a rubber hand was part of their own body. As a result, their own hand became less sensitive to pain.

If a person hides their own hand and focuses on a rubber hand instead, they may perceive it as part of their own body under certain conditions. What sounds like a gimmick could one day be used to help patients who suffer from chronic pain: Researchers at the LWL University Hospital in Bochum, Germany, have shown that pain caused by heat is experienced as less severe thanks to the rubber hand illusion.

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Hardy Hagena dressed in a sweater stands in front of a red wall. © RUB/Kramer
2025-03-14

The locus coeruleus and the ventral tegmental area compete for control over the formation of memory content. This has been shown by a team of neuroscientists using light-controlled nerve cells.

Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have studied the impact of two brain areas on the nature of memory content. The team from the Department of Neurophysiology showed in rats how the so-called locus coeruleus and the ventral tegmental area permanently alter brain activity in the hippocampus region, which is crucial for the formation of memory.

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A classroom scene with children at their desks. © RUB/Kramer
2025-02-27

A learning experiment with participants of different ages produced surprising results. 

The ability to make the connection between an event and its consequences – experts use the term associative learning – is a crucial skill for adapting to the environment. It has a huge impact on our mental health. A study by the Mental Health Research and Treatment Center (FBZ) at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, shows that children of primary school age demonstrate the highest learning performance in this area.

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Ein Mann in Anzug und Krawatte (Tobias Ruck) steht selbstbewusst vor einem modernen Gebäude. © RUB/Marquard
2025-02-26

Die Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum am BG Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil hat einen neuen Direktor. 

Prof. Dr. Tobias Ruck schätzt die enge Verzahnung von Klinik und Forschung: „Das Bergmannsheil ist als Teil des Universitätsklinikums der Ruhr-Universität Bochum auch in der neurowissenschaftlichen Forschung sehr aktiv. Somit bieten sich meinem Team und mir hervorragende Rahmenbedingungen, das klinische und wissenschaftliche Profil unserer Klinik weiter zu schärfen und auszubauen.“

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Ein Mann in Anzug und Krawatte (Niklas Thon) steht selbstbewusst vor einem modernen Gebäude. © RUB/Marquard
2025-02-10

Der Mediziner folgt Kirsten Schmieder als Klinikdirektor an den Knappschaft Kliniken Universitätsklinikum Bochum.

Prof. Dr. Niklas Thon, anerkannter Experte auf dem Gebiet der Neurochirurgie, ist seit Januar 2025 Professor an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum und Klinikdirektor der Neurochirurgie an den Knappschaft Kliniken Universitätsklinikum Bochum. In Langendreer hat er die Nachfolge von Prof. Dr. Kirsten Schmieder angetreten.

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A 3D reconstruction of a microscope image showing a red membrane and green clumped prion protein on a plant's surface. © AG Tatzelt
2025-01-06

Researchers have gained valuable insight into the development of prion diseases of the brain.

Protein aggregation is typical of various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases such as Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. A research team headed by Professor Jörg Tatzelt from the Department of Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, has now used new in vitro and cell culture models to show that a lipid anchor on the outer membrane of nerve cells inhibits the aggregation of the prion protein.

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A woman wearing a lab coat is seen holding a mouse. © RUB/Marquard
2025-01-06

The extended amygdala plays a major role in assessing diffuse threats and in persistent fear reactions. Studies show that it is also involved in learning and unlearning specific fear stimuli.

If a neighbor’s dog dislikes children and jumps up at them, barking loudly, the children might give all dogs a wide berth for a while. A sensible learning effect – as who knows whether all dogs are so aggressive? You can also free yourself of a fear learned in this way: If the children have better experiences with friendlier dogs, they can lose their fear again.

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A close-up of a person holding a baby's hand, with their finger extended. © Pixabay, Pexels
2024-12-18

An analysis of over 3,700 pregnancies of women with multiple sclerosis indicates that the therapy doesn’t lead to increased risks of miscarriage, premature birth or serious birth defects.

Many women are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at an age when they are considering starting a family. What does the disease and its medication mean for the child? To answer this question, a research team headed by Professor Kerstin Hellwig from the Department of Neurology at Ruhr University Bochum, analyzed over 3,700 pregnancies of women with MS.

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