A new study suggests that slow electrical rhythms traveling along individual nerve fibers may help coordinate communication between key memory centers in the hippocampus. Researchers detected theta-band signals in individual axons connecting hippocampal subregions, linked to stronger bursts of activity in downstream neurons.
Researchers propose a new theory explaining why humans perceive colors as combinations of red, yellow, green, and blue. They suggest that our brain simplifies the natural world's color palette to encode the range of colors, capturing the idea of opponency in color vision.
Researchers at Texas A&M University have found a way to intervene early in traumatic brain injuries using a natural, gut-derived chemical that prevents post-traumatic epilepsy from taking root. The treatment reduced brain inflammation, improved memory and mood, protected brain cells, made seizures both rarer and harder to trigger.
A recent study in mice reveals a shared hub of memory cells that links incoming and outgoing signals, allowing the brain to reuse some cells to store many different memories. This 'switchboard' helps maintain stability while learning new information.
Researchers from UMBC discover that inputs from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus interact closely on the same neurons in the nucleus accumbens, integrating memories of places and contexts with drive to pursue rewards. This convergence may help animals form associations between rewarding outcomes and environments, essential for survival.
A new study found that voluntary exercise reshapes the gut microbiota, leading to changes in tryptophan metabolism and serotonin signaling. Exercise decreased the relative abundance of certain bacterial genera, shifting neuroactive signaling and lowering a key receptor in the memory center of the brain.
A research team has mapped individual synaptic types in the hippocampus, a brain structure critical for learning and memory. The study provides unprecedented resolution of which proteins are present in each type of synapse and their quantities, revealing patterns that help explain how connections perform different functions.
A new study found that storytelling strategies with conceptual or perceptual details activate distinct brain networks, predicting how well participants recall core elements of the story. This suggests that people's preferred memory systems may vary across age groups, and tailored information could improve memory for older adults.
Researchers found distinct effects of single disease-causing gene variants across different brain regions, pointing to hippocampal disruptions as a key factor in cognitive problems beyond seizures. This study provides an early step toward understanding why current treatments often fall short and may help identify new therapies.
Studies identified 153 cases of psychosis caused by brain lesions, which connected to a common circuit in the hippocampus. The circuit, including the rostromedial prefrontal cortex, is a promising target for transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy, potentially improving symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.
Researchers have discovered a new type of brain cell in the medial entorhinal cortex that accurately predicts future locations as an animal travels. This discovery helps explain how planned spatial navigation is possible and has important implications for understanding mechanisms of spatial navigation and episodic memory formation.
Researchers found that exercise increased neuron growth in the hippocampus, rewiring neural circuits to help mice forget strong, traumatic memories. This approach may offer new treatments for PTSD and drug addiction.
Researchers found that the medial septum, a brain area in the center of the forebrain, plays a key role in encoding and retrieval processes. It helps generate gamma oscillations, which are faster for storing and slower for recalling memories.
A mouse study using novel biosensing technology reveals that enriched environments increase neural connections and boost brain function. The findings could lead to new AI methods inspired by brain plasticity.
A new study found that neurons in a key brain region have different functions based on their genetic identity, which could lead to better understanding of the brain's computational flexibility and memory capacity. The diversity of neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus was previously unknown and is crucial for memory development.
A recent study suggests that stimulating the intersection of two particular brain networks correlated with better patient outcomes than stimulating nearby sites for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive improvement was associated with DBS to the direct interface between the fornix and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.
Researchers discovered that synchronized neural oscillations in the right hemisphere of the brain induce empathic behavior in mice, allowing them to perceive and share each other's fear. The study identified the causal relationship between 5-7 Hz oscillations in the cingulo-amygdala circuit and empathic responses.
A team of researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Tel Aviv University are investigating the connection between neuroimmune serotonergic interactions and Alzheimer's-related mood disorders. By studying mice with AD-linked mutations, they aim to determine if immune-serotonin crosstalk plays a role in depressive traits.
A new study found that individual details of a memory are parsed and stored elsewhere, in the prefrontal cortex. This separation ensures that exposure to any cue is sufficient to activate the prefrontal cortex for recall of the whole memory.
A new study suggests that supplementing a diet with Ascidiacea, also known as sea squirts, reverses some main signs of aging in animal models. The researchers found that plasmalogens, vital to body processes, decrease with age and contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
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.
A study found that intact astrocyte networks are essential for neural homeostasis, synaptic plasticity, and spatial cognitive abilities in adult mice. Disrupting these networks impairs spatial learning and memory due to altered neuronal excitability and compromised synaptic transmission.
A UCI-led research team has identified novel functional roles of new circuit connections between the CA1 region and dorsal CA3 regions of the hippocampus. Genetic inactivation of this projection impairs object-related spatial learning and memory, but does not modulate anxiety-related behaviors.
Researchers discovered a dynamic system in the brain that allows for multiple functions within a single neural circuit, enabling efficient information processing and memory recall. The study found that specific activity patterns, known as dentate spikes, play a crucial role in switching between these functions.
Research found a single circuit in mice that activates during stress, controlled by testosterone, driving different behaviors in males and females. In female brains, the circuit is active under stress but quietens with testosterone introduction, making them resistant to depression-like behaviors.
A new study from OIST and RIKEN has developed a computational model that demonstrates the importance of inhibitory circuits in brain function. The model shows that inhibitory neurons play a key role in associative memory, allowing patterns to be stored in memory for longer periods.
Researchers discovered novel brain circuits in the hippocampal formation play a critical role in object-location learning and memory. The study provides new insights into Alzheimer's disease, offering potential targets for treatment.
A new study in mice has identified an oxytocin-fueled brain circuit that regulates social recognition, revealing the seahorse-shaped hippocampus plays a key role in differentiating similar memories. The findings provide insight into how the brain computes cues to distinguish friend from foe and threat from reward.
Researchers have discovered a long-distance brain circuit that controls the production of new neurons in the hippocampus, a critical area for learning and memory. The circuit, involving the medial septum and PV interneurons, regulates stem cell activity and maintains healthy neurogenesis.
Researchers have identified a distinct 'detour' circuit in the hippocampus that is necessary for memory recall, but not for memory formation. This circuit branches off from the original memory circuit and connects to the entorhinal cortex, enabling easier editing or updating of memories.
Researchers found that CA2 maintains inhibition in connected networks, suppressing signaling and preventing hyperexcitability. Without CA2, mice experience epilepsy-like activity and seizures, highlighting the region's role in regulating brain balance.
A novel mechanism has been identified for how stress-induced anxiety affects the brain's hippocampus, leading to increased anxiety behavior. The study found that stress impairs the release of an anti-anxiety neuropeptide, which could lead to new therapeutic targets.
A Tel Aviv University study finds IGF-1R plays a vital role in regulating hippocampal neural circuits and processing information. The research suggests that IGF-1R small inhibitors may be a potential direction for therapy to treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
Research reveals that curiosity activates brain regions involved in learning and memory, leading to improved retention of information. Curiosity also recruits the reward system and interactions between the hippocampus and reward circuit enhance learning, suggesting new approaches for treating memory disorders.
Researchers found that the hippocampus, a brain region essential for memory, has a bidirectional flow of activity, rather than just unidirectional. This discovery opens up new avenues for understanding neural circuitry and dynamic mechanisms controlling memory.
Astrocytes are support cells for neurons that provide nutrients and signaling molecules. A new mouse study reveals that astrocytes listen in on neuronal activity only during large bursts of activation, triggering a response with increased calcium levels.
Researchers have identified a previously unknown circuit that suppresses the monosynaptic circuit, allowing for longer time-linked memories to be formed. This discovery sheds light on how the brain balances fear and caution in response to sequential events.
A study at NIMH found that brain reward circuit activity ebbs and flows with a woman's hormonal cycle. Women exhibited more active circuitry during the pre-ovulation phase dominated by estrogen compared to the post-ovulatory phase, suggesting links between hormone fluctuations and mood disorders.