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brain plasticity

This shows a person sitting and mushrooms.

·April 30, 2025·6 min read

Psilocybin Shows Promise for Parkinson’s Mood and Motor Symptoms

A new pilot study reveals that psilocybin—the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms—may significantly improve mood, cognition, and motor function in people with Parkinson’s disease. The compound was well tolerated, with only mild side effects, and benefits persisted for weeks after dosing. While the study was primarily designed to test safety, researchers observed meaningful and lasting improvements in multiple symptoms.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 23, 2025·4 min read

Psychedelic Sparks Long-Term Brain Plasticity

A single dose of the psychedelic compound 25CN-NBOH significantly improved cognitive flexibility in mice, with effects lasting up to three weeks post-treatment. Treated mice adapted more quickly in rule-switching tasks, indicating enhanced neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 17, 2025·5 min read

Synapses Use Multiple Learning Rules to Encode New Information

New research reveals that individual neurons follow multiple learning rules simultaneously, challenging the long-held belief that synaptic plasticity operates uniformly throughout the brain. Using advanced two-photon imaging, scientists tracked changes in synapses during learning in mice, uncovering that different regions within a single neuron adapt using distinct plasticity mechanisms.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 7, 2025·5 min read

Thalamus Identified As a Hub for Memory and Brain Plasticity

A new study reveals that the thalamus, long overshadowed by the cortex and hippocampus, plays a crucial role in shaping and updating brain connections. Researchers observed plasticity in thalamic neurons in response to visual experiences, independent of the cortex—an unexpected finding.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 20, 2025·7 min read

Brain’s Memory Maps Constantly Evolve to Capture Changing Experiences

A new study reveals that memory-related brain activity continues to shift even after learning, challenging traditional views of stable neural representations. Researchers analyzed hippocampal neurons in mice and found that their "place cells," which encode spatial memory, subtly changed each time the mice revisited a familiar environment.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 8, 2025·7 min read

Mitochondria’s Role in Social Memory May Offer Clues to Brain Disorder

Researchers have identified a unique mitochondrial process in CA2 neurons that supports learning, memory, and social recognition. Mitochondria in different parts of these neurons vary in structure and function, with those at the outermost synapses relying on the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) for plasticity. Deleting the MCU gene disrupted this plasticity, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining neural connectivity.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 3, 2024·5 min read

Cannabis Impacts Brain Plasticity via Astrocyte Receptors

Researchers discovered that cannabis affects brain development by interacting with CB1 receptors on astrocytes, not just neurons. Using a mouse model, they showed that removing these receptors impaired the brain’s ability to adapt during critical periods of plasticity, particularly in the visual cortex.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 24, 2024·6 min read

Yamanaka Factors Can Reverse Neuronal Aging

Yamanaka factors can reverse aging in brain neurons, improving synaptic connections, metabolism, and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Researchers introduced the Yamanaka factors into neurons of adult mice, finding that this process rejuvenated the cells without negative side effects, even enhancing motor and social behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 10, 2024·3 min read

Bilingual Brains Build Stronger Connections

New research demonstrates that learning a second language enhances brain connectivity, particularly when started in childhood. Scientists found that bilingual individuals have more efficient communication between brain regions, notably between the cerebellum and left frontal cortex.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 9, 2024·6 min read

How Brains Learn Over Longer Timescales

Researchers have discovered a novel brain mechanism, behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity (BTSP), that enables neurons to encode information over seconds rather than milliseconds, aligning more closely with learning timescales. Previously, encoding models like Hebbian plasticity focused on neuron activity within mere milliseconds, but BTSP extends this window, allowing neurons to integrate information over seconds.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 27, 2024·3 min read

Enzyme Key to Brain Function and Synapse Health Discovered

A new study reveals that the absence of the TRMT10A enzyme disrupts tRNA levels, leading to impaired protein synthesis and brain function. Researchers found that mice lacking the Trmt10a gene had decreased levels of key tRNAs, which affected neuronal synapses and cognitive abilities.

This shows the outline of a woman and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 21, 2024·5 min read

Pregnancy Dramatically Reshapes the Brain

A new study provides the first detailed map of brain changes during pregnancy, showing significant neuroplasticity in adults. Researchers found a decrease in gray matter volume and a temporary increase in white matter in a pregnant brain.