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ATP

·April 30, 2023·4 min read

Brain Drain: Measuring the Energy Consumption of Our Thinking Minds

Our brain consumes a significant amount of energy, accounting for about 20% of the body's total energy consumption. Most of this energy is used for information processing. While research shows that increased mental activity does lead to slightly higher energy consumption, this increase is minimal, region-specific, and often offset by energy decreases in other areas. Feeling exhausted after mental activity is likely due to mental stress rather than actual energy depletion. Pacing yourself can help avoid mental overload, stress, and fatigue.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 26, 2023·4 min read

Why a High-Fat Diet Could Reduce the Brain’s Ability to Regulate Food Intake

Study reports in the short term, astrocytes regulate caloric intake by controlling the signaling pathway between the gut and brain. Eating high-fat or high-calorie diets disrupts this pathway.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 22, 2022·3 min read

ATP From Sensory Neuron-Interneuron Crosstalk Is Key to Spreading Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

In rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation in one joint is transmitted to other joints via the sensory neuron connections in the spinal cord, leading to inflammation in the other joints. Inflammation in one joint led to an increase in ATP in other joints, which triggered an increase of a signaling molecule that resulted in inflammation. Blocking the pathway reduced the spread of inflammation.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Visual Neuroscience

·November 28, 2021·6 min read

Morning Exposure to Deep Red Light Improves Declining Eyesight

A once-weekly three-minute exposure to long-wave deep red light activates mitochondria in the retina, helping to naturally boost declining vision.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 30, 2021·6 min read

Too Much Salt Suppresses Phagocytes

Too much salt can disrupt the energy balance of immune cells and prevent them from functioning correctly.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 12, 2020·5 min read

Mosquitoes’ Taste for Blood Traced to Four Types of Neurons

The sense of taste in female mosquitoes is specially tuned to detect at least four different substances in blood.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience

·October 5, 2020·3 min read

How the Brain May Fuel Intense Neural Communication

The retrieval of mitochondria via a feedback loop is vital to sustaining synaptic transmission.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 30, 2020·4 min read

Novel Role of Microglia as Modulators of Neurons in the Brain Is Discovered

Researchers have identified a bio-chemical circuit that supports neuron-microglia communication. When neurons are active, they release ATP. Microglia sense extracellular ATP and the compound draws the immune cell toward the neuron.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 8, 2020·3 min read

Appetite can be increased by cells in the brain

Glial cells known as tanycytes deliver signals to neurons in the brain to activate appetite. Optogenetic stimulation of tanycytes increases appetite.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·January 27, 2020·3 min read

New look at odd holes involved in taste, Alzheimer’s, and asthma

Microscopy study sheds light on the function of two calcium homeostasis modulators.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 4, 2019·4 min read

New insight into motor neuron death mechanisms could be a step toward ALS treatment

When a motor neuron-specific pool of heat shock protein 90 (Hps90) was inhibited, motor neuron apoptosis was triggered.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 29, 2019·3 min read

Could a small fish prompt a leap forward for Alzheimer’s disease research?

Using zebrafish models, researchers detected genes with altered levels of expression. The genetic variations were associated with abnormalities with mitochondrial function and the production of ATP.

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ATP

Brain Drain: Measuring the Energy Consumption of Our Thinking Minds

Why a High-Fat Diet Could Reduce the Brain’s Ability to Regulate Food Intake

ATP From Sensory Neuron-Interneuron Crosstalk Is Key to Spreading Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Morning Exposure to Deep Red Light Improves Declining Eyesight

Too Much Salt Suppresses Phagocytes

Mosquitoes’ Taste for Blood Traced to Four Types of Neurons

How the Brain May Fuel Intense Neural Communication

Novel Role of Microglia as Modulators of Neurons in the Brain Is Discovered

Appetite can be increased by cells in the brain

New look at odd holes involved in taste, Alzheimer’s, and asthma

New insight into motor neuron death mechanisms could be a step toward ALS treatment

Could a small fish prompt a leap forward for Alzheimer’s disease research?

AI-Enhanced Imaging: Probing Brain’s Visual Processing

High ‘Good Cholesterol’ Linked to Dementia Risk

Cannabis and Alcohol Co-use Impacts Adolescent Brain and Behavior

Sleep Loss Impairs Decision-Making

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