Researchers Eliminate Schizophrenia Symptoms in Animal Model
When elevated levels of neuregulin-1, a gene associated with schizophrenia, are returned to normal, the symptoms of the illness disappear.
Scientists Create Novel Approach to Find RNAs Involved in Long-term Memory Storage
Researchers question why numerous different RNAs are transported to synapses. One reason, they suggest, is that they are stored to later help maintain long-term memory.
Flip of a Single Molecular Switch Makes an Old Brain Young
Monitoring the synapses of living mice, researchers discover an important genetic switch for brain maturation. Mice without the Nogo Receptor 1 gene have persistent levels of juvenile brain plasticity through adulthood.
Blueprint For an Artificial Brain
Researchers are using memristors, electronic microcomponents which imitate natural nerves, as key components to create a blueprint for an artificial brain.
Rewriting a Receptor’s Role
Researchers upend a long-held view about the basic functioning of a key receptor molecule involved in signaling between neurons. The study describes how a compound linked to Alzheimer’s disease impacts NMDA receptors and weakens synaptic connections between brain cells.
Protein Family Linked to Autism Suppresses the Development of Inhibitory Synapses
A study shows another family of proteins linked to neurodevelopmental disorders regulates the function of neuroligins and neurexins in order to suppress the development of inhibitory synapses.
Neuroscientists Pinpoint Location of Fear Memory in Amygdala
Researchers examine the how fear responses are learned, controlled, and memorized. They show that a particular class of neurons in a subdivision of the amygdala plays an active role in these processes.
Human Brains Share a Consistent Genetic Blueprint and Possess Enormous Biochemical Complexity
Scientists at the Allen Institute for Brain Science reported that human brains share a consistent genetic blueprint and possess enormous biochemical complexity. The findings stem from the first deep and large-scale analysis of the vast data set publicly available in the Allen Human Brain Atlas.
Blue Brain Project Accurately Predicts Connections Between Neurons
Proof of concept: Researchers identify principles to support brain simulation models. Blue Brain Project has identified key principles that determine synapse-scale connectivity by virtually reconstructing a cortical microcircuit and comparing it to a mammalian sample. These principles now make it possible to predict the locations of synapses in the neocortex.
Scientists Discover Previously Unknown Cleansing System in Brain
A previously unrecognized system that drains waste from the brain at a rapid clip has been discovered by neuroscientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center and dubbed the glymphatic system.
