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
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 29, 2020New model predicts the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemicResearchers used data of active COVID-19 case rates from China to set the parameters for the model. Applying the formula to other counties, including the UK, France, and Brazil, they found a match in the evolution of active cases and fatality rates over time. Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 29, 2020How toxic protein spreads in Alzheimer’s diseaseTau spreads through the human brain via neural communication pathways. The spread is accelerated by the presence of amyloid-beta. Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 29, 2020Age, sex and smoking influence opioid receptor function in the brainAge, sex, and gender influence the organization of the brain's opioid system. Findings shed light on why there are significant differences between the opioid system on an individual level, and why some are more prone to developing opioid-linked pathologies than others. Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 29, 2020Anesthesia’s effect on consciousness solved, settling century-old scientific debateExposure to anesthesia causes lipid clusters to move from an ordered state to a disordered one, then back again. These changes lead to subsequent effects that cause changes in consciousness. Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 28, 2020Autism severity can change substantially during early childhoodA new study reveals up to 30% of children diagnosed with autism had less severe symptoms at age six than they did at age three. In some cases, children lost their autism diagnoses entirely. Girls are more likely to show a greater reduction in autism symptoms and less of a rise in the severity of symptoms than boys on the autism spectrum. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencevisual neuroscience·May 28, 2020Which areas of our brains represent the colors we see?Neuroimaging study sheds new light on how we perceive colors. Activity in higher visual cortex areas matched the colors test subjects saw. Read More
artificial intelligencedeep learningFeaturedmachine learningNeuroscienceneurotech·May 28, 2020‘Knowing how’ is in your brainArtificial intelligence reveals how the brain programs procedural knowledge. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 28, 2020Strong convictions can blind us to information that challenges themPeople fail to process information that contradicts their convictions. A new study explains the neural processes that contribute to confirmation bias. Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 27, 2020Study uncovers clues to COVID-19 in the brainAltered mental state and strokes are the most common neurological symptoms associated with coronavirus infection. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 27, 2020The neural home where stress livesResearchers have identified a hippocampal neural network that activates during stress. Activity in a hippocampal-hypothalamus network predicts greater feelings of stress, while connectivity between the hippocampus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex predicts less stress. Read More
