Sunday - May 19 2024, 09:19 UTC - 6 months ago

A new study using the BARseq technique has mapped the cellular landscape of the brain in mice and identified unique 'signatures' for each brain region. The study also found that sensory inputs have a major influence on these cellular identities. BARseq has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the brain.

Wednesday - May 1 2024, 10:14 UTC - 6 months ago

A recent study by Kishore Kuchibhotla and his team at Johns Hopkins University reveals that mice are more strategic and intelligent than previously believed. By exploring and testing their knowledge, they may use higher cognitive processes to improve their understanding. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of animal cognition and could lead to a better understanding of the neural basis for strategizing.

Tuesday - April 16 2024, 16:33 UTC - 7 months ago

A study from the University of Essex found that insecure attachment traits in mothers can lead to increased brain-to-brain synchrony with their children. Father-child brain-to-brain synchrony may be a compensating strategy for a relative lack of behavioral synchrony. This research aims to improve understanding of parent-child relationships and develop interventions to support positive attachment development.

Wednesday - April 10 2024, 18:27 UTC - 7 months ago

A new study suggests that breaking and repairing DNA in neurons may pave the way for long-lasting memories. Surprisingly, inflammation in certain neurons in the brain’s hippocampal region is essential for making these memories. The hippocampus is a key brain region for encoding memories, and scientists have long believed that rewiring the brain's connections is a fast and unstable process. However, the study found that a subset of neurons alter their connections to encode long-lasting memories, by recruiting proteins that usually fight off bacteria and cause inflammation. This process, called synaptic plasticity, allows for rapid changes in overall neural connections and helps memories form.

Saturday - April 6 2024, 15:52 UTC - 7 months ago

A team at the Champalimaud Foundation has discovered the role of “zombie neurons” in the cerebellum's critical teaching signals. These neurons, alive but functionally altered, have helped to advance our understanding of the cerebellum's role in associative learning. By manipulating them in mice, the researchers were able to induce changes in behavior, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms involved in learning. This could have implications for rehabilitation strategies and further our understanding of psychiatric disorders linked to the cerebellum.

Wednesday - March 6 2024, 11:18 UTC - 8 months ago

Researchers have identified a key step in the development of destructive tau tangles, which are responsible for brain diseases known as tauopathies. By targeting this step and studying the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), scientists hope to find new therapeutic approaches for these devastating conditions. One particular lncRNA, SNHG8, has been found to play a role in regulating tau protein aggregation and shows potential as a target for intervention.

Tuesday - February 27 2024, 01:39 UTC - 8 months ago

A team of scientists from Trinity College Dublin and FutureNeuro have discovered a link between brain fog in Long COVID patients and disruption to the integrity of brain blood vessels. They have also identified biomarkers and a new MRI scan that can help diagnose and treat this debilitating symptom. This groundbreaking research offers hope for the estimated 10% of patients suffering from Long COVID and its neurological consequences.

Monday - January 29 2024, 23:43 UTC - 9 months ago

Do dreams vary across different cultures? A comparative study of forager and Western societies found that dreams from forager communities were more community-oriented and focused on social interactions, while Western dreams were more individualistic and centered on negative emotions.

Tuesday - January 23 2024, 09:03 UTC - 10 months ago

Psychedelics have shown potential in rapidly reducing negative affective bias - a common feature of depression. A new study found that ketamine and psilocybin can rewire brain circuits and shift emotional states, leading to lasting effects. The drugs' ability to promote neural plasticity and the birth of new neurons may explain their fast-acting nature. Despite being commonly seen as party drugs, psychedelics are gaining recognition in the medical community for their potential in mental health therapy.

Friday - January 12 2024, 07:04 UTC - 10 months ago

Psychedelics, namely MDMA and psilocybin, have gained traction in the medical world for their potential to treat mental health disorders like PTSD and depression. Despite their success in clinical settings, psychedelics are still not fully understood and remain federally illegal. More research and regulations are needed to fully harness their potential and revolutionize mental health therapy.

Monday - January 1 2024, 22:14 UTC - 10 months ago

A recent publication by a joint team of scientists reveals a new process linking specific actions with dopamine release. It showed that mice changed their behavior quickly and dynamically in response to dopamine release, and could even quickly learn a series of actions and distinguish between two elements.

Sunday - October 29 2023, 06:20 UTC - 1 year ago

Neuroscientists have uncovered a key brain area in rats that encodes the value of economic choices when faced with the uncertainty of a lottery.The research team used pharmacological and optogenetic silencing to confirm the results. The findings provide a foundation for understanding the neurobiology of risky decisions, and could be beneficial in understanding and treating disorders where decision-making is impaired.

Friday - September 22 2023, 02:41 UTC - 1 year ago

MDMA, known as "ecstasy" or "molly", has been gaining acceptance in the clinical realm as a viable therapy drug as clinical trials in many countries have shown its effectiveness against severe mental trauma, such as PTSD. Although it is still listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the DEA, scientists are increasingly seeing its potential in helping to combat difficult mental problems, with progress being made towards potential rescheduling. The drug has a long checkered past, as it was initially developed in 1912 for controlling bleeding, but was soon eyed by maverick researchers who saw its potential in couples' therapy.

Tuesday - September 19 2023, 19:54 UTC - 1 year ago

The team from the University of Sydney analyzed 100 brain scans from the Human Connectome Project and found a mysterious spiraling wave activity pattern in the brain while at rest and when performing challenging cognitive tasks. By analyzing these spiral wave fingerprints, they could classify different stages of cognitive processing. This could be a step towards understanding the incredible engineering of our biological computing engines.

Tuesday - September 5 2023, 02:40 UTC - 1 year ago

A preprint paper written by neuroscientists, philosophers, and computer scientists proposed a list of indicators of consciousness that could be used for determining whether an AI agent exhibits sentience. Tests based on a comparison between the indicator properties of AI and those of humans revealed that, although artificial consciousness might be achievable in the near future, current AI systems are not conscious.

Friday - August 25 2023, 15:37 UTC - 1 year ago

Our research into the biological root of arithmetic has led us to believe mathematics is a realization in symbols of the fundamental nature and creativity of the mind. We explored the behavior of bees to gain insight into this, as they can take a meandering journey to find nectar and then return by the most direct route. We showed that the abilities of bees in returning to the hive suggested principles that could be used to explain simpler arithmetic operations. Our study brings together the insights from the psychologist Jean Piaget and the mathematician Jacques Hadamard.

Monday - August 21 2023, 08:05 UTC - 1 year ago

Scientists have uncovered a startling discovery concerning the interplay between the brain, body, and blood, and its potential implications on longevity research: platelet factor 4, a protein produced in the body since childhood, is the key to regaining cognitive functions of memory, learning, and reasoning that fade with age. Early testing on mice has revealed promising results, and clinical trials on humans suggest PF4 may prove itself to be a revolutionary elixir for treating age-related ailments such Alzheimer's, stroke, and brain injury.

Monday - August 7 2023, 11:25 UTC - 1 year ago

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute discovered a mechanism where the insulin superfamily of hormones, specifically IGF1 and IGF2, are locally produced and released by neurons during synaptic plasticity, promoting memory formation and cognitive health. This breakthrough could potentially guide future research in combating cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.