FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 9, 2025·4 min readHigh-Fat Diets in Adolescence Linked to Adult ImpulsivityAdolescent rats fed a high-fat diet displayed increased impulsivity and altered decision-making as adults. These "cheesecake rats" were quicker to act on visual cues (indicative of impulsivity) but showed more conservative choices in gambling tasks, opting for smaller, safer rewards.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·February 5, 2024·4 min readNew Sensor Lights Up Path to Early Alzheimer’s DiagnosisResearchers introduced a novel fluorescence imaging technique that can detect amyloids, key biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, offering a simpler alternative to PET scans. This method utilizes a sensor array of coumarin-based molecular probes, capable of illuminating amyloids to monitor disease progression or distinguish between different conditions.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·September 6, 2023·4 min readSleep Deprivation Depletes a Key Protective Protein in BrainSleep deprivation doesn't just leave you tired—it harms the brain and elevates the risk for diseases like Alzheimer’s. Researchers delving into how this occurs have made a breakthrough by identifying a protein, pleiotrophin (PTN), which drops in sleep-deprived mice.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·August 10, 2022·3 min readMultiple Sclerosis Drug Works in a Surprising WayInterferon betas, a class of drugs commonly prescribed to those with multiple sclerosis reduces the binding of zinc, C-peptide and albumin to red blood cells.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·December 14, 2021·3 min readCOVID Protein Interacts With Parkinson’s Protein, Promotes Amyloid FormationThe COVID causing SARS-CoV-2 protein interacts with alpha-synuclein, speeding up the formation of amyloid plaques, a new study reports.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·November 4, 2021·3 min readLithium Imaging Method Could Shine New Light on Bipolar DisorderA new method of imaging that shows lithium in living cells reveals people with bipolar disorder have a higher accumulation of lithium in neurons than those without the disorder.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·September 25, 2021·3 min readChildren’s Dislike of Cauliflower and Broccoli Could Be Written in Their MicrobiomeChildren whose saliva produced high amounts of sulfur volatiles disliked raw Brassica vegetables the most. The levels of sulfur volatiles were similar in parents and children, suggesting a shared oral microbiome. However, the relationship between sulfur volatiles and the dislike of Brassica vegetables was not as high in adults, suggesting they may have learned to tolerate the taste of the vegetables over time.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceVisual Neuroscience·March 3, 2021·3 min readColor Blindness-Correcting Contact LensesInfusing contact lenses with gold nanoparticles allows for better color perception for those who are color blind.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 3, 2021·3 min readDietary Fats Interact With Grape Tannins to Influence Wine TasteStudy reveals how lipids interact with grape tannins, masking the unfavorable taste of certain wine compounds and altering taste perception.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·May 12, 2020·2 min readExploring why some COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smellACE2 and TMPRSS2, two proteins required for SARS-CoV-2 entry, are produced in cells in the nasal cavity that contribute to odor detection. The findings may explain why people with coronavirus often describe the loss of the sense of smell as a symptom of the virus.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·August 30, 2019·3 min readPeptide hydrogels could help heal traumatic brain injuriesA newly developed peptide hydrogel could help repair some of the damage caused by a traumatic brain injury. In rat models, the hydrogel improved the survival of brain cells, resulting in twice as many neurons at the injury site than in the control rats with TBI. Researchers reported new blood vessels also grew.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·May 15, 2019·2 min readRagweed compounds could protect nerve cells from Alzheimer’sCompounds derived from common ragweed may help in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers report when two of the most active compounds were added to a sample of neurons producing amyloid beta, 20% more cells survived than without exposure.Read More
