Tag: Nervous System

Scientists learn more about how gene linked to autism affects brain: Modulating CHD8 might help some people with complex condition

New preclinical research shows a gene already linked to a subset of people with autism spectrum disorder is critical to healthy neuronal connections in the developing brain, and its loss can harm those connections to help fuel the complex developmental condition. Scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center report in Developmental Cell their data clarify

The neurons that rewrite traumatic memories

Memories of traumatic experiences can lead to mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can destroy a person’s life. It is currently estimated that almost a third of all people will suffer from fear- or stress-related disorders at one point in their lives. Now, a new study shows — at the cellular

Psychedelic drugs promote neural plasticity in rats and flies

Psychedelic drugs may have mind-altering powers in the physical sense, too. A new study, published June 12 in the journal Cell Reports, found psychedelics, specifically DOI, DMT, and LSD, can change brain cells in rats and flies, making neurons more likely to branch out and connect with one another. The work supports the theory that

Waves move across the human brain to support memory: Columbia Engineers discover a new fundamental feature of brain oscillations: These traveling waves reflect patterns of neuronal activity that move across the cortex and are important for memory and cognition

The coordination of neural activity across widespread brain networks is essential for human cognition. Researchers have long assumed that oscillations in the brain, commonly measured for research purposes, brain-computer interfacing, and clinical tests, were stationary signals that occurred independently at separate brain regions. Biomedical engineers at Columbia Engineering have discovered a new fundamental feature of

Gene linked to intellectual ability affects memory replay in mice

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have discovered that a gene associated with human intellectual ability is necessary for normal memory formation in mice. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the study shows that mice with only one copy of the gene replay shorter fragments of their previous experiences during periods of rest,

Scientists show how brain circuit generates anxiety: Research suggests a possible target for future anti-anxiety drugs

Neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified a neural circuit in the amygdala, the brain’s seat of emotion processing, that gives rise to anxiety. Their insight has revealed the critical role of a molecule called dynorphin, which could serve as a target for treatment of anxiety-related disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Though

‘Second brain’ neurons keep colon moving: Brain in the gut coordinates activity of millions of neurons to propel waste through digestive system

Millions of neurons in the gastrointestinal tract coordinate their activity to generate the muscle contractions that propel waste through the last leg of the digestive system, according to a study of isolated mouse colons published in JNeurosci. The newly identified neuronal firing pattern may represent an early feature preserved through the evolution of nervous systems.

Link between tuberculosis and Parkinson’s disease discovered: The mechanism our immune cells use to clear bacterial infections like tuberculosis (TB) might also be implicated in Parkinson’s disease

The mechanism our immune cells use to clear bacterial infections like tuberculosis (TB) might also be implicated in Parkinson’s disease, according to a new collaborative study led by the Francis Crick Institute, Newcastle University and GSK. The findings, which will be published in The EMBO Journal, provide a possible explanation of the cause of Parkinson’s

Levers and zippers in the cell’s ‘customs’

The passage of ions through the cell membrane is controlled by ion channels, which are protein complexes that regulate vital processes, such as the heartbeat, as well as being the target towards which many drugs are directed. Now a study by the University of Wisconsin, led by a Spanish researcher, presents a novel model to

Learning music or speaking another language leads to more efficient brains: Whether you learn to play a musical instrument or speak another language, you’re training your brain to be more efficient, suggests a Baycrest study

Whether you learn to play a musical instrument or speak another language, you’re training your brain to be more efficient, suggests a Baycrest study. Researchers found that musicians and people who are bilingual utilized fewer brain resources when completing a working memory task, according to recently published findings in the journal, Annals of the New

EPO protects preemies’ brains by modifying genes essential for generating new brain cells: Modified genes are essential for neurogenesis and responding to environmental stressors

Erythropoietin (EPO) helps to protect and repair vulnerable brains though it remains a mystery how the anemia drug does so. Genetic analyses conducted by a multi-institutional research team finds that EPO may work its neuroprotective magic by modifying genes essential for regulating growth and development of nervous tissue as well as genes that respond to

Calcium-based MRI sensor enables more sensitive brain imaging: System detects direct signals of neural activity; could reveal patterns underlying behavior

MIT neuroscientists have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sensor that allows them to monitor neural activity deep within the brain by tracking calcium ions. Because calcium ions are directly linked to neuronal firing — unlike the changes in blood flow detected by other types of MRI, which provide an indirect signal — this