FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·June 2, 2020Expression of certain genes may affect vulnerability to PTSDPeople with PTSD tend to have higher expression of the SNRNP35 gene in their brains, and lower ZNF140 gene expression in their blood. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience Videosneurotech·June 2, 2020New technique shows how decisions light up the brainCOSMOS, a newly developed optical technique, can simultaneously record the activity of neurons across the entire top surface of a mouse's cerebral cortex. Read More
ElectrophysiologyFeaturedNeuroscienceneurotechOpen Neuroscience Articles·June 2, 2020A remote control for neuronsResearchers synthesized 3D fuzzy graphene on a nanowire template to create new material for photothermally stimulating cells. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·June 2, 2020COVID-19 could be a seasonal illnessA new study reveals COVID-19 infection rates may correlate with seasonality. Lower humidity is associated with an increase in locally acquired positive cases of coronavirus. The study reports a 1% decrease in humidity could increase the number of coronavirus cases by 6%. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·June 2, 2020Estrogen’s role in the sex differences of alcohol abuseEstrogen level fluctuations appear to play a role in alcohol use disorder in women. Reducing the number of estrogen receptors in the ventral tegmental area decreased binge drinking behaviors in female mouse models. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·June 2, 2020Some people are easily addicted to drugs, but others are notDopamine D2 receptor overexpression in cholinergic interneurons of the nucleus accumbens may explain why some are more prone to cocaine addiction than others. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·June 2, 2020Your brain needs to be ready to remember?When hippocampal firing rates are high before exposure to a learning task, people are better able to successfully encode memory. Findings suggest the hippocampus may have a "ready to encode" mode that facilitates memory recall. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·June 1, 2020Out-of-sync brain waves may underlie learning deficit linked to schizophreniaStudy reveals specific brain wave patterns that underlie the ability to remove irrelevant learned associations to make way for new, updated information. The research shows a particular behavior can be dependent on the synchronization of high-frequency brain waves in different parts of the brain. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·June 1, 2020How ketamine combats depressionKetamine increases the number of serotonin 1B receptors. Ketamine binds to serotonin 1B receptors, reducing the release of serotonin and increasing the release of dopamine. Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 31, 2020Brain imaging demonstrates weaker neural suppression in those on the autism spectrumAbnormal sensory processing associated with ASD has been linked to weaker neural suppression in the visual cortex. Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 30, 2020Evolution of coronavirus outlines path from animals to humansStudy reports SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was well suited to making the jump from animals to humans by shapeshifting as it gained the ability to infect human cells. The virus's ability to infect humans occurred via exchanging gene fragments from a coronavirus that infected pangolins. The species-to-species transmission was a result of the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to bind to host cells through alterations to its genetic material. Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 30, 2020New gut-brain link: How gut mucus could help treat brain disordersChanges in gut mucus may contribute to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurological disorders. Researchers noted changes in types of gut mucus bacteria in those with a range of neurological disorders compared to their healthy peers. Findings suggest those with reduced gut mucus protection may be more susceptible to gastrointestinal problems. Read More
