Neurons News and Research

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New Insights into the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Infant Attachment

Specific neurons in the brain's zona incerta (ZI) play a crucial role in the early social interactions of an infant and its mother, building their bond and reducing stress, according to a new study in mice. Activation of the same neurons in adult mice increased anxiety- and fear-like responses, the study showed.

26 Jul 2024

Oligodendrocytes as Producers of Amyloid Beta in Alzheimer's Disease

Oligodendrocytes are an important source of amyloid beta (Aβ) and play a key role in promoting neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published July 23, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Rikesh Rajani and Marc Aurel Busche from the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, and colleagues.

24 Jul 2024

Neuropeptides Revealed as Key Messengers in Fear Response

Researchers at Salk developed techniques to examine neuropeptides, which are messenger proteins in the brain that regulate the fear response in mice.

23 Jul 2024

How an obesity gene influences brain function

A complex condition, obesity is brought on by a confluence of factors including behavior, diet, and heredity. Getting enough food to survive and thrive was a challenge for millennia.

16 Jul 2024

Scripps Research Unveils Brain Neurons That Control First Bite and Drinking Behavior

Do you grab a fork and take a first bite of cake, or say no and walk away? Our motivation to eat is driven by a complex web of cells in the brain that use signals from within the body, as well as sensory information about the food in front of us, to determine our behaviors.

12 Jul 2024

Key Brain Cells Discovered in Delaying First Bite of Food

Scientists at Scripps Research have pinpointed a group of neurons in the previously overlooked parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN) that govern the initiation of feeding behavior.

11 Jul 2024

Kainate Receptors: A Potential Target for Novel Cerebellar Therapies

The Institute of Neurosciences (IN), a collaborative center of the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is leading a study in Tokyo, Japan, in conjunction with Keio University, which highlights the critical role one of the glutamate receptors plays in the proper functioning of the cerebellum's synapses.

11 Jul 2024

UCL Study Uncovers Astrocytes' Role in Brain Energy Boosting Mechanism

A key mechanism which detects when the brain needs an additional energy boost to support its activity has been identified in a study in mice and cells led by UCL scientists.

4 Jul 2024

TRPC5 Gene Alterations: A Key Player in Obesity and Postpartum Depression

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Cambridge and collaborating institutions have discovered that alterations in the human gene TRPC5 cause obesity and postpartum depression.

3 Jul 2024

Understanding the Origins of Brain Disorders Through Neural Pruning

The brain does not store everything for eternity. Trillions of neurons need to be assembled or destroyed at specific times and locations as human brains come together.

2 Jul 2024

Mice Studies Shed Light on Serotonin and Memory

Memory regulation in humans and animal models is regulated by the serotonin 2C receptor in the brain, according to research from Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and affiliated institutions.

1 Jul 2024

Novel Epigenetic Tool CHARM Offers Hope for Prion Disease Treatment

In a new study in mice, researchers introduce "CHARM," a compact and versatile epigenetic editor that can be used to silence prion protein throughout the brain.

28 Jun 2024

New High-Throughput Platform for Rapid Evaluation of Plant-Derived Molecules

Plants are powerhouses of molecular manufacturing. Over the eons, they have evolved to produce a plethora of small molecules -; some are beneficial and valuable to humans, others can be deadly.

28 Jun 2024

New Model Unveils Synaptic Mechanisms in Neurological Diseases

Newly released research from Colorado State University provides basic answers to questions regarding brain cellular connectivity that may be helpful in the development of therapies for neurological conditions like schizophrenia, epilepsy, and autism.

27 Jun 2024

Fruit Fly Motor Circuitry Revealed Through Advanced Mapping Techniques

Work is underway on a wiring diagram of the motor circuits in the central nervous system that control muscles in fruit flies.

27 Jun 2024

Breakthrough in Understanding Connexin-Drug Interactions

Researchers have gained new knowledge of how drugs bind to connexin molecules. These molecules form channels that allow neighboring cells to send direct messages to one another.

27 Jun 2024

Study Uncovers a Biological Explanation for Long-Term Memories

Whether it's a first-time visit to a zoo or when we learned to ride a bicycle, we have memories from our childhoods kept well into adult years.

27 Jun 2024

Neuroscientists Discover Brain Mechanisms Behind Escape Behavior

Neuroscientists have discovered how the brain bidirectionally controls sensitivity to threats to initiate and complete escape behavior in mice.

27 Jun 2024

Novel protein biomarker panel can detect Parkinson's disease in early stages using blood samples

A team of researchers used multiplexed mass spectrometry data and a machine learning model to identify biomarkers that can predict Parkinson’s disease.

27 Jun 2024

Unlocking the Secrets of Aging Brains

Researchers have determined the potential mechanisms through which some long-lived mutants of the Caenorhabditis elegans model system experience cognitive decline and others can retain learning and memory into old age.

26 Jun 2024