Researchers identify specific genes, molecules, brain regions, and cognitive features linked to depression. New findings may lead to earlier identification and more effective treatment options.
Changes in a person's environment can have significant effects on the brain, with research finding associations between environmental pollutants and cortical thinning. The study also reveals the impact of childhood trauma and wildfire smoke exposure on adult brain health.
Research using human participants and animal models explores the neural mechanisms of fear learning, phobias, and chronic stress. The findings suggest novel ways to unlearn dysfunctional fears and shed light on how fear and stress impact the brain.
Researchers are using machine learning to analyze brain data, predicting outcomes and developing new treatments for major depressive disorder and Alzheimer's disease. The findings will be presented at Neuroscience 2023, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
New research reveals that acute sleep deprivation causes sex-specific differences in gene regulation, while female resilience to sleep loss is linked to estradiol's modulation of sleep. The study also explores the role of dream sleep and its potential connection to cephalopods.
The Society for Neuroscience recognizes five neuroscientists for their innovative approaches to educating the public about neuroscience. Angel Kaur, Christian Bravo-Rivera, and Kelly Lambert are among this year's recipients of the Science Education and Outreach Awards.
The Society for Neuroscience recognizes eight early-career researchers for their innovative research in touch sensation and spatial navigation. Yusuke Hirabayashi receives the Jennifer N. Bourne Prize in Brain Ultrastructure for developing specialized microscopy techniques to study organelle interactions and calcium dynamics.
The Society for Neuroscience recognizes pioneers in neuroscience who have transformed our understanding of plasticity, addiction, and learning and memory. The awards honor groundbreaking work that has overturned previous doctrine and provided hope for novel therapeutic approaches.
The Society for Neuroscience recognizes six researchers who have made significant contributions to the advancement of women in neuroscience. Karen Froud receives the Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring for her dedication to mentoring female neuroscientists. BJ Casey receives the Mika Salpeter Lifetime A...
The Society for Neuroscience' Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) program received the ASAE 2023 Power of Associations Gold Award for its successful initiatives. Over 300 new recipients will receive travel support to attend SfN's annual meeting and participate in a year-long virtual professional development program.
The Society for Neuroscience presented its 2022 Science Education and Outreach Awards to recognize outstanding contributions to science education. The award recipients were chosen for their innovative approaches to teaching and learning in neuroscience.
The Society for Neuroscience recognizes outstanding researchers who have supported the careers of women in neuroscience through mentoring, public speaking, and establishing networking opportunities. Alice Cronin-Golomb and Shubha Tole received the Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring, while Elisabeth Mur...
The Society for Neuroscience presents eight neuroscientists with Science Education and Outreach Awards, recognizing their contributions to improving STEM education and sparking interest in neuroscience. Award winners Francisco Fernandez de Miguel and Clark Lindgren were honored for their creative ways to reach underserved communities a...
The Society for Neuroscience honors six early-career researchers with awards for their groundbreaking work on neural dynamics and disease states. Linnaea Ostroff wins the Jennifer N. Bourne Prize in Brain Ultrastructure for her research on synapse structure and protein-building machinery, revealing surprising details about learning pro...
The Society for Neuroscience honored emerging researchers with notable achievements and research awards at its annual meeting in 2022. Notably, Dr. Sophia Patel received the Early Career Scientist Award, while Dr. Liam Chen was recognized as a recipient of the Travel Fellowship.
The Society for Neuroscience awards recognize outstanding career and research achievements in neuroscience. Richard Huganir receives the Ralph W. Gerard Prize for his work on synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. Ian Maze wins the Jacob P. Waletzky Award for his groundbreaking research on neuroepigenetics and addiction.
The Society for Neuroscience is supporting a record 272 neuroscience trainees through the Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) program. The awardees will receive registration, travel stipends, and opportunities to network with peers and senior researchers.
Studies have identified specific neural circuits responding to positive and negative social interactions, shedding light on the nature of social behavior, motivation, and empathy. The findings underscore the vital role of social structures and connections in maintaining physical and mental well-being.
Recent studies have shed light on the biological mechanisms that connect sleep and anxiety, highlighting the importance of sleep in regulating stress responses. Research has shown that inadequate sleep can lead to increased anxiety and stress, while also exacerbating mental distress.
Research shows COVID-19 can cause long-term changes to brain function through inflammation, affecting mood, concentration, and cognitive abilities in both young and old patients. Millions are potentially affected by this condition, also known as Long COVID.
Researchers are investigating the antidepressant and anxiolytic properties of psilocybin and cannabis to improve treatment options for mental illnesses. The findings suggest that these compounds may offer new avenues for symptom relief in a range of mental health conditions.
The study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in metabolic conditions like obesity and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's. Pesticide exposure is also found to disrupt the gut microbiota, leading to brain-gut alterations that can exacerbate these conditions.
Research reveals early life adversity shapes brain circuits and behavior, increasing risk of depression and anxiety. Studies using rodent models uncover specific neural pathways impacted by early stress, shedding light on sex-specific responses.
New research presents neurotechnology as a powerful tool for studying the brain and enabling targeted therapies for neurological disorders. Devices like nerve stimulators and brain implants can monitor or modulate neural activity, offering potential treatments for conditions such as paralysis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
New research reveals profound effects of pregnancy on maternal brain physiology, mood, and behavior. Maternal mental health conditions like depression and anxiety affect 20% of new mothers in the US, with untreated cases having long-term negative impacts.
Research reveals natural genetic variation impacting brain development contributes to autism's diverse behaviors, with implications for tailored support. The study sheds light on the complex relationships between genetics, brain development, and behavior in individuals with autism.
Researchers found that efficient brain networks may contribute to healthy memory performance in older adults, while postnatal stress and early life adversity can affect brain development. Studies also showed persistent effects of early childhood neglect on brain white matter into young adulthood.
Researchers are developing a comprehensive cell atlas for the human brain, which would cover billions of cells and provide a holistic description of its properties. Advanced visualization techniques have been developed to catalog brain regions and cell types, enabling better resolution and accuracy in studying neural circuits.
Research in rats found that an enriched environment leads to better maternal behavior and higher-quality breastmilk. Mothers in enriching environments had more efficient parenting, resulting in larger offspring with increased body weights and improved social behavior.
Researchers found that astrocytes can transfer their mitochondria to damaged neurons after a brain hemorrhage, stimulating the production of an enzyme that neutralizes free radicals. This treatment showed improved neurological recovery in mice, but not if the mitochondria were without the protective enzyme Mn-SOD.
Researchers discovered that brain-robot interfaces can reroute motor pathways around damaged areas in stroke patients, allowing for improved hand function and control. This breakthrough technology uses proprioceptive feedback to enhance communication between the brain and muscles.
Research suggests that individuals with PTSD exhibit decreased activity in the hippocampus, leading to impaired threat reactivity and memory formation. This study reveals a significant interaction between hippocampal activity and physiological arousal in predicting PTSD symptoms.
Research finds that preschoolers' brain maturation improves inhibitory control abilities, with 4-year-olds outperforming 3-year-olds in tasks requiring stopping actions. The cognitive control network's distinct regions and white matter connections are associated with different aspects of self-control development.
Researchers found alcohol alters synchronized brain activity in the amygdala of mice, differing by sex. The study suggests that alcohol can trigger changes in anxious behavior by affecting the amygdala's activity states.
Administering oxytocin to central social network members spreads cooperation via increased punishment of uncooperative behavior, Li et al. found in a new study published in JNeurosci. Cooperation can conflict with individual goals, but oxytocin may have evolved humans' need for group living.
Research published in JNeurosci found that Gulf War veterans with chronic pain have changes in brain structure involved in pain processing, including larger frontal cortex areas and smaller insular cortices. These structural differences may contribute to the development of effective treatments for Gulf War Illness.
Research found that stimulating a specific brain circuit relieves pain and reduces defensive behaviors in rats, indicating potential physical and psychological relief. The pathway also increases reward and feeding behavior, suggesting improved emotional state.
Research published in eNeuro found that physical consequences, such as slipping, can improve motor learning by refining movement responses to mistakes. Participants who experienced a slip improved their ability to adjust steps to new situations, demonstrating better generalization of learned skills.
Research found that voluntary wheel running increased dopamine signaling in motor areas of mice. This increase remained even after exercise ended. The study suggests BDNF may catalyze increased dopamine signaling.
Research suggests dopamine is involved in emotion recognition, particularly in low-dose individuals. Dopamine levels influence emotional perception, with lower levels improving emotional recognition while higher levels impairing it. This finding has implications for understanding social cognition impairments in neurological disorders.
The brain detects unwanted memories and proactively inhibits them using the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). If inhibition fails, the ACC triggers a reactive alarm to alert other regions to stop the intrusion. This study sheds light on the neural mechanisms of controlling intrusive thoughts.
Research finds that brain circuit strength is linked to a child's ability to understand numbers. A four-week number sense training program targeting the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and hippocampus improved learning outcomes for elementary school-aged children across abilities.
Researchers found that stimulating a specific area of the auditory cortex improved speech perception in an epilepsy patient, allowing them to decipher spoken sentences with clarity. The study used invasive brain stimulation to enhance speech detection over background noise.
Researchers found that viewing nostalgic images from childhood reduced pain perception in adults, with the strongest effect on low-intensity pain. Nostalgic images decreased activity in brain regions involved in pain perception, including the left lingual gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus.
Researchers found that blocking an overactive signaling pathway during the first five weeks of life prevents autism symptoms from developing in mice. The study suggests that targeting this critical period could lead to a potential cure for autism.
Researchers found that loneliness is driven by different brain states than social anxiety, with distinct neural activity patterns. People with social anxiety showed increased amygdala activation and reduced nucleus accumbens activation, while those with high loneliness did not display these patterns.
A new study published in JNeurosci found that the brain selectively responds to unfamiliar voices during sleep, even when familiar voices are present. This ability allows the brain to strike a balance between resting and being responsive to its environment.
New research published in JNeurosci reveals that impaired cognition can be part of normal aging, rather than an early sign of Alzheimer's. Cognitively frail adults showed brain structure and activity similar to healthy controls, suggesting lifestyle factors like physical activity and education may play a role.
Research found the female genital field's location varies among women and is thicker with more frequent sex. The somatosensory cortex devotes space to detecting touch, and the region's structure alters in relation to use.
New research found that physical activity is linked to lower microglial activation, a key factor in Alzheimer's disease pathology. The study, published in JNeurosci, suggests that exercise may help reduce inflammation and improve cognitive aging in older adults with more severe AD pathology.