It is well-known octopuses change their color while they sleep. A new study reveals the color changes characterize two distinct sleep states, "active sleep" and "quiet sleep". The findings shed new light on the evolution of sleep. Read More
Astrocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells of bipolar patients provide suboptimal support for neural activity. The malfunction can be traced to the inflammation-promoting molecule, interleukin-6. Read More
During REM sleep, people are able to interact with researchers and engage in real-time communication. The study reports while dreaming, people can follow instructions, perform simple math, answer yes and no questions, and tell the difference between different sensory stimuli. Read More
Researchers report α-actinin-3 deficiency improves cold tolerance in humans by increasing muscle tone. Approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide are believed to have this deficiency. Read More
A new two-stage model seeks to answer a longstanding philosophical debate over whether consciousness is continuous or discrete. Findings suggest discrete consciousness is preceded by a long-lasting unconscious processing period. Read More
Friends who "swapped bodies" using virtual reality to generate the perceptual illusion found their beliefs about their personalities altered to become more similar to the beliefs about their friends' personalities. Findings suggest that when our mental self-concept doesn't match our physical self, our memories become impaired. Read More
Cholesterol-lowering statins show promise for the treatment of severe coronavirus infections. Statins lowered the death rate and decreased the need for mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19. Read More
Adult born neurons are essential for synaptic structural remodeling and memory consolidation during REM sleep, a new mouse study found. Read More
Smoking increases the gene expression of ACE2, a protein that binds to SARS-CoV-2, increasing the risk of coronavirus infection. Findings suggest long-term smokers could have an increase of ACE2 in the lungs, leading to higher rates of morbidity in COVID-19 patients. Read More
A visual cortical prosthesis can restore sight by bypassing damage to the eyes and delivering visual information retrieved from a camera directly to the brain. Read More
Anakinra, a clinically approved anti-inflammatory used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, improves respiratory function in patients with severe COVID-19 infection. Read More
Recovered coronavirus patients show a wide range of immune responses following the infection, with about half from a current study showing sustained antibodies two weeks later. Results indicate which parts of the virus are most effective at triggering the immune responses. Read More
