Research reveals that adolescent binge drinking can lead to altered gene expression, increasing susceptibility to anxiety and alcohol use disorders in adulthood. Targeting specific microRNAs may be a new approach to undoing the damage of early-life alcohol exposure.
A new study found that ketamine decreases alcohol consumption in high-consuming male rats, but has no effect on females. The drug may be a viable treatment option for male patients with an alcohol use disorder.
Research on newborn rats suggests that fetal nicotine exposure may impair the function of neurons controlling the tongue, leading to difficulty breathing. This impairment could be a factor in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in humans.
Research published in JNeurosci found that fetal brains possess adult-like networks by 20-40 weeks gestation. The study discovered a 61% overlap in motor, visual, auditory, and cognitive functions between fetal and adult connectomes.
Research in mouse neurons reveals that misfolded tau protein can quickly spread between neurons without being immediately harmful. Early therapeutic intervention targeting the initial accumulation of tau may halt Alzheimer's disease progression.
Researchers have made significant advancements in understanding olfactory perception and processing, highlighting the role of dynamic features, sniffing speed, and odorous landmarks in guiding behaviors like navigation and finding resources. The study's findings provide new insights into how the brain represents smells and its importan...
Studies of autism spectrum disorder have identified new features of the condition in the brain, including the role of placental hormones and gene editing technologies. These findings may contribute to the development of therapeutic treatments for individuals with ASD.
Listeners prefer songs with balanced uncertain expectations, suggesting a 'reward for learning'. Medium complexity musical fragments with counterbalancing uncertain and predictable events yield the highest preference ratings.
New approaches in transcriptomics are providing single cell views of brain development and disease, including cellular processes associated with addiction and degeneration. These studies highlight the potential of transcriptomics to probe molecular changes within brain cells during normal development or diseases such as Alzheimer's and...
Neuro Space is an immersive installation that reimagines how scientists view neurons through the intersection of art and technology. The exhibit explores the power of art to reflect scientific structures and illuminates the vastness of what remains unknown in neuroscience.
Dr. Seun Johnson-Akeju, a leading expert in neuroscience and anesthesia, has been awarded the 2019 James E. Cottrell Presidential Scholar Award. His research focuses on identifying patients at risk for postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction and developing innovative treatments.
The NIH BRAIN Initiative has awarded over 180 new projects to accelerate neuroscience discoveries, including developing neural circuit tools, studying non-neuronal cells, and analyzing complex data. These advancements aim to improve treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and stroke.
Researchers used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to increase functional connectivity of a neural network implicated in memory. The study, published in eNeuro, confirms the effectiveness of this technique for experimental and clinical applications.
Researchers found a neural pathway that links adult rats' preference for stressed juveniles, triggering parental instincts. This parallels humans' empathy towards children over peers.
Research investigates how diet and excess blood glucose influence Alzheimer's pathology, providing new insights into the link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. The study aims to develop therapies targeting glucose pathways, offering potential treatments for this debilitating condition.
Researchers detect non-linguistic experience in brain activity during reading, combining with linguistic information to decode sentence meaning. This breakthrough may guide future efforts in language disorders and artificial intelligence.
Research reveals how CBD inhibits emotional processing in rats exposed to THC, reducing anxiety behaviors. The study proposes a bi-directional control of ERK1-2 phosphorylation as the key mechanism behind these findings.
A larger sample size failed to support original claims linking genetic variants to altered brain activation during reading and listening. The new findings highlight the complexity of genes and human brain function relationships.
Scientists discuss strengths and weaknesses of organoids as a model for human cortex, employing them to study developmental brain disorders. Researchers explore the viability of mini-brains in clinical research.
A team of US and Chinese scientists, led by UCI Professors Xiangmin Xu and Rozanne Sandri-Goldin, will develop a new brain mapping tool using genetically engineered herpesviruses. The tool aims to enhance signal outputs and generate variants carrying different functional payloads.
Research found that 65% of visual cortex regions in blind individuals show synchronized activity when listening to audio clips, indicating a higher-order processing role. The study suggests an underlying organization dictates the brain's repurposing of unused regions in blind people.
Researchers at Neuroscience 2019 announce new gene therapy research promising to prevent, treat, and reverse incurable neurological disorders. Successes in restoring lost functions in animal models of neurological diseases are discussed, as well as technique advancements that may improve future treatments.
Research published in eNeuro found that female mice isolated during adolescence showed atypical brain development and habitual behavior in adulthood. Social isolation was linked to dendritic spine excess and impairment of goal-dependent decision making, highlighting the importance of social experience during adolescence.
A new study reveals that a protein called caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is depleted in the temporal lobe of humans with type-2 diabetes and in a diabetic mouse model, leading to increased Alzheimer's disease pathology. Restoring Cav-1 levels in mice reduced Alzheimer's pathology and improved learning and memory deficits.
Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have found that congenital nystagmus is caused by electrical oscillations in retinal neurons. The study shows that defects in just a few proteins result in erroneous movement signals sent to the brain, leading to the oscillating eye movements characteristic of the condition.
A new study reveals that listening to music involves activity in sensory regions, while recalling melodies activates frontal regions. The findings suggest a complex network of brain regions involved in music processing.
New research reveals that human selective breeding has altered dog brain structure and behavior, with breeds exhibiting unique brain networks correlated to specific characteristics.
Research in mice reveals that chronic cocaine use changes gene expression in the hippocampus, leading to epigenetic modifications of the FosB gene. This modification enables the formation of drug associations and contributes to addiction.
Researchers have developed an implantable optrode array capable of exciting below-surface neurons in large mammal brains. The new device addresses challenges in optical stimulation and neuroscience, enabling studies to link neural activity to specific cognitive functions.
Research using functional MRI found that brain activity for spoken and written words is nearly identical, adding to understanding of language processing. The study's results support the idea that the same areas of the brain process semantic information regardless of sense modality.
Researchers found that remote ischemic limb conditioning increased inflammatory cells in circulation, reducing brain tissue damage and swelling while improving motor function. The technique has potential for treating strokes of varying severity, offering hope for improved recovery outcomes.
Human research published in JNeurosci identified a specific target of antibodies implicated in lupus' neuropsychiatric symptoms. Brain cytoplasmic RNAs are targeted by the immune system in people with lupus, hindering cellular signaling and leading to seizures and cognitive impairments.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that stimulating the cingulate cortex worsened memory recall in epilepsy patients. However, deep brain stimulation also modified hippocampal brain waves and demonstrated a direct role for the cingulate cortex in memory encoding.
Scientists have identified a previously unknown pathway connecting the hypothalamus and midbrain that drives defensive behaviors in mice. Further research on this pathway could increase understanding of anxiety disorders.
Researchers found that removing new neurons born after a brain injury reduced seizures in mice, with a 65% decrease observed. This approach may potentially prevent post-injury epilepsy if implemented within a specific time frame.
A new study reveals that age-related and noise-induced hearing losses affect the brain's sound processing differently. Researchers found that mild noise-induced hearing loss causes similar processing impairment as moderate to severe age-related hearing loss.
Researchers discovered that sleep deprivation strengthens hippocampus synapses in mice, allowing new learning to occur after waking. Synapse strength increased after six hours of wakefulness compared to sleep, suggesting a recalibration process during rest.
Researchers used stem cells and optochemogenetics to treat mice after a stroke, showing improved recovery. The combination of stem cell injection and stimulation increased successful recovery rates.
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have developed an 'optochemogenetics' approach that modifies a widely used neuroscience tool to stimulate brain cells. The approach uses light to promote functional recovery in mouse models of stroke, with promising results for treating stroke patients.
A newly identified hunger pathway in the brain can quickly modify food intake in response to food cues. The discovery improves understanding of how the brain controls energy balance and may lead to new treatments for eating disorders.
Researchers found a link between sleep patterns and Alzheimer's disease pathology, suggesting new diagnostic tools and prevention strategies.
Research in hypertensive rat models found impaired glymphatic transport and increased ventricles, suggesting hypertension's impact on brain clearance of waste molecules. Treatments targeting hypertension could reduce Alzheimer's disease buildup and delay onset.
A new study using electrical stimulation to treat epilepsy found that brain activity can be predicted by monitoring changes in neural connectivity. Repeated sets of stimulation led to progressive changes in the brain's response to simulation, suggesting rapid reorganization of brain structure.
Researchers found that metformin reduces anxiety-like behaviors in male mice by increasing serotonin availability in the brain. This increase was accompanied by improved neurotransmission in the hippocampus and lower levels of amino acids that impair serotonin production.
A combination of visual training and brain stimulation enhances learning in healthy adults, with twice as much improvement seen on a visual motion task. The study also found that this technique can lead to faster visual recovery and improved quality of life for patients who suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury.
A study published in JNeurosci reports that dysfunctional neurons in the hippocampus of adult mice modeling dementia can be repaired and reconnected to distant parts of the brain. The findings suggest potential new treatments for cognitive decline in the elderly.
A study found that mice infected with Zika virus during late gestation exhibited behaviors similar to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Children exposed to the virus during the 2015-16 epidemic may be at increased risk for developmental disorders, including ADHD and brain abnormalities.
A new study published in JNeurosci finds that mice lacking the gene Shank3 display structural and functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex. These findings establish a role of Shank3 in maintaining prefrontal cortex connectivity, which may increase autism risk when disrupted.
Researchers have found that melanin-concentrating hormone neurons are active during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and when exploring novel objects in mice. This suggests these cells may facilitate memory formation through single-cell activity patterns.
Dr. Blake Richards has made significant contributions to mathematical models of learning and memory in the brain, providing insights into the neurobiological basis of animal and human intelligence. His work explores the neural basis of deep learning and its potential to revolutionize our understanding of the brain.
A new study found that female rats exposed to maternal immune activation during pregnancy exhibit autism- and schizophrenia-like behaviors, similar to their male siblings. The researchers argue that this limitation may contribute to conflicting results in the field of psychiatric disorders.
Research on Caenorhabditis elegans reveals dopamine's role in sex-specific behaviors, such as food finding and mating strategies. The study demonstrates how dopamine acts through different molecular pathways to give rise to these differences.
A recent study published in JNeurosci has identified genes and molecular pathways associated with higher educational attainment in older adults. The research found that individuals with higher education levels had thicker prefrontal brain regions, which are linked to improved working memory and decision-making.
A new study found that low doses of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) trigger headaches only in female rodents, potentially explaining the higher prevalence of migraines in women. The researchers used rat and mouse models with both male and female animals to investigate CGRP's role in migraine.
Heavy drinking during adolescence reduces brain growth in male and female rhesus monkeys, affecting white matter and thalamus development. Research supports potential link to problematic drinking later in life.
The Blue Brain Project has developed an algorithm to objectively classify the shapes of neurons in the brain, enabling the creation of a standardized taxonomy of all brain cells. This breakthrough resolves a century-old neuroscience problem and provides a reliable comparative method for researchers.
Researchers from UT Austin developed an LSTM-based language model that predicts brain activity with greater accuracy than ever before when listening to stories. The model incorporates context up to 20 words, improving predictions even with minimal context.
A new preclinical study published in JNeurosci found that switching mice from saturated fat-based diets to monounsaturated fat-rich diets restored and protected nerve function in obese mice. The results suggest that interventions targeting dietary fats may provide a new therapeutic avenue for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.
A recent study suggests humans possess an ancient magnetic sense, as their brains respond to changes in the Earth's magnetic field. The research used electroencephalography to record brain activity during magnetic field manipulations, revealing a decrease in alpha-band brain activity in some participants.
A comparative animal study published in JNeurosci found that alligators encode sound location like birds but differently than mammals. The reptile's brain constructs neural maps to chart sound location, a feature observed in close relatives of the alligator, but not in mammals.