A rare genetic mutation that causes blindness also appears to be associated with above-average intelligence, a new study reports.
The motivation to exert sustained effort to achieve a goal following stress exposure depends on an individual's level of trait anxiety. The expression of CRHR1 in dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area connects anxiety to either boosted or diminished motivation levels.
Electric fields may represent information held in working memory, allowing the brain to overcome representational drift.
Blocking matrix metalloproteinases MMP2 and MMP9 can have the opposite effect on neuroplasticity depending on whether the brain is healthy or injured.
Human neurons have fewer ion channels compared to other animals. The reduced number of ion channels may have allowed the human brain to divert energy to other neural processes, researchers say.
In fruit flies, there is a second barrier in the brain where glial cells ensure a spatial separation for different functional compartments.
Nicotine exposure significantly altered the metabolism and secretion of serotonin, acetylcholine, kynurenic acid, and choline in HT22 hippocampal cells. Findings suggest nicotine could have neuroprotective properties and provide cognitive enhancement.
A new study reveals the mechanisms by which neurons and astrocytes work together to form synapses.
Dopamine-controlled fan cells in the lateral entorhinal cortex are required for the formation of associative memories.
Findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying brain damage in microgravity.
The delicate balance between learning new behaviors and expressing old habits is controlled by two different populations of neurons in the dorsolateral striatum.
Axonal swelling in the Purkinje cells of mice had no detrimental impact on firing rate or the speed at which axons transmit signals. At peak firing rate, axons with swellings were less likely to fail than those without.
