Neurons News and Research

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New tool may shed more light on neurodegenerative diseases

About 350 years ago, Robert Hooke provided an initial description of a cell in Micrographia, and since then, microscopy has played a major role in figuring out life’s rules.

6 May 2020

Molecular basis of rare neurodevelopmental condition reveals possible treatment

Like people, neurons need to talk to one another. But instead of turning thoughts into words, these cells convert electrical signals into chemical ones. For nearly 30 years, biochemist Edwin Chapman has studied how one protein triggers this crucial conversion.

4 May 2020

Spinal Cord Injuries: Finding Better Treatments

Two scientists are seeking answers to questions about spinal cord injuries that have long frustrated the development of effective treatments.

1 May 2020

Genes control courtship and aggressive behaviors in fruit flies

Similar to many other animals, fruit flies engage in many different courtship and fighting behaviors.

29 Apr 2020

Study shows why cold sugary foods have reduced sweetness

Individuals would have often wondered why a bite of warm cherry pie infuses their mouth with sweetness, but the same slice taken directly from the refrigerator is not as tempting as before?

27 Apr 2020

Antibodies Could Provide New Treatment For OCD

Scientists have discovered that patients suffering from OCD have increased levels of a protein called Immuno-moodulin (Imood) in their lymphocytes.

24 Apr 2020

Specialized Nerve Cells Increase The Appetite For High-Fat Foods

Researchers have discovered that a group of nerve cells promotes the consumption of high-fat food.

24 Apr 2020

How do cells react to stressful conditions?

Most often, cells are subjected to stressful conditions that can pose a serious threat to life, for example, toxins or high temperatures.

23 Apr 2020

Biophysicists uncover new features of molecular elevator

Biophysicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have visualized a nearly complete transport cycle of the mammalian glutamate transporter homolog from archaea.

21 Apr 2020

Scents regulate fat metabolism without affecting feeding habits

Dr. Ayse Sena Mutlu, a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor's Huffington Center On Aging, had an intriguing question. Is it possible to change the body's fat storage without changing eating habits?

17 Apr 2020

Novel high-speed microscope successfully records neural activities

Our brain contains tens of billions of nerve cells (neurons) which constantly communicate with each other by sending chemical and electrical flashes, each lasting a short one millisecond (0.001 sec). In every millisecond, these billions of swift-flying flashes altogether traveling in a giant star-map in the brain that lights up a tortuous glittering pattern.

15 Apr 2020

A commonly expressed protein in skin can 'turn on' allergic itch

A commonly expressed protein in skin - periostin - can directly activate itch-associated neurons in the skin, according to new research from North Carolina State University.

9 Apr 2020

Uncovering how different types of stimulation impact neuronal activity

Using electrodes smaller than a human hair, researchers are able to connect mind to machine and interact with the human brain in revolutionary ways.

8 Apr 2020

Memory cells that help to interpret new situations identified

Imagine you are meeting a friend for dinner at a new restaurant. You may try dishes you haven't had before, and your surroundings will be completely new to you. However, your brain knows that you have had similar experiences -- perusing a menu, ordering appetizers, and splurging on dessert are all things that you have probably done when dining out.

7 Apr 2020