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.
Rat study reveals place cells in the hippocampus have the same patterns of activity whether they correctly, or incorrectly recall a memory. However, when the memory is incorrect, the activity begins later and is slower.
The VGLUT protein is more abundant in the dopamine neurons of female fruit flies, rodents, and humans than in males. The finding shed light on why females have greater resilience to age-related dopamine neuron loss and disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
People with schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders may have a more permissive blood-brain barrier which allows the immune system to become more actively involved in the central nervous system. The resulting inflammation may contribute to the clinical manifestation of psychosis-like symptoms.
A new map of the basal ganglia provides a blueprint of the structure of the brain region and reveals a new level of influence connected to this area.
Study identifies genes that become activated in the brain prior to the initiation of severe repetitive behaviors associated with addiction, ASD, and schizophrenia.
An increase in theta oscillations in the hippocampus help make learning and subsequent memory more efficient.
Over-expression of the synaptic protein RAPGEF2 drives synaptic loss associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Some neurons have the ability to detect and compensate for neighboring neurons, while others do not. The findings shed new light on synaptic plasticity.
Mentally and physically demanding tasks trigger functional hypoxia across the brain. This oxygen shortage activates Epo, which stimulates the growth of new neurons and synapses.
A newly developed light-activated protein allows researchers to study single synapses of a neuron.
A set of neurons in the subthalamic nucleus have been implicated in canceling planned behaviors or actions.
