FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 17, 2019·3 min readMothers’ behavior influences bonding hormone oxytocin in babiesGreater maternal involvement upregulates the oxytocin system in their babies.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·September 23, 2019·5 min readHormone potentially linked to hypersexual disorder identifiedStudy implicates dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms of both DNA methylation and microRNA activity, in addition to oxytocin to hypersexuality.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·September 2, 2019·3 min readChronic cocaine use modifies gene expressionChronic cocaine use alters the epigenetic profile of the FosB gene in the hippocampus. These alterations are required for cocaine-dependent gene expression and cocaine environment associations. Modification of hippocampal FosB results in a condition critical for cocaine-related learning.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·August 27, 2019·4 min readGene linked to autism undergoes changes in men’s sperm after cannabis useMarijuana use alters a gene associated with autism in sperm. Hypomethylation was identified in the DLGAP2 gene in the sperm of male rats exposed to THC. The hypomethylated state was also detected in the forebrains of their offspring. Further research is needed to establish if there is a definitive link between paternal cannabis use and ASD in humans.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·August 26, 2019·4 min readFrom cradle to grave: Postnatal overnutrition linked to agingIslets of Langerhans in overnourished infant mice showed epigenetic profiles resembling those of much older mice.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·August 22, 2019·3 min readStress in pregnancy impacts childrens’ vulnerability to stress in adulthoodPrenatal stress can have an epigenetic impact on the future mental health of offspring. Adult children of women who experienced prenatal stress are more vulnerable to stress and other mental health disorders.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·August 20, 2019·4 min readAlzheimer’s drug reverses brain damage from adolescent alcohol exposureDonepezil, a drug routinely administered to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, shows promise in treating damage caused to the brain by adolescent alcohol exposure. The drug reverses neuroinflammation and neuron damage in rats exposed to alcohol during adolescence.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·August 15, 2019·3 min readModerate to heavy drinking during pregnancy alters genes in newborns and mothersPOMC, a gene which regulates the stress response system, and PER2, a gene associated with circadian regulation, are altered in women who drank moderate-to-high amounts of alcohol during pregnancy and their newborns.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 9, 2019·3 min readParental ‘memory’ is inherited across generationsA new insect study reveals a preference for ethanol persisted for five generations following paternal exposure. The findings shed light on the role paternal experience plays across generations in disease and risks for addiction in humans.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·July 1, 2019·2 min readBiological toll on brain function of Holocaust survivors revealedNeuroimaging reveals Holocaust survivors have decreased gray matter in brain structures associated with emotional processing, memory, and social cognition. Early results show similar neuroanatomical changes in the children of survivors, suggesting an epigenetic link.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·June 15, 2019·3 min readMouse study finds BPA exposure has transgenerational effects on gene linked to autismExposure to BPA appears to have a transgenerational effect on autism risk. Mice whose great grandmothers were exposed to BPA during pregnancy exhibited social behavioral deficits associated with ASD.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·June 6, 2019·3 min readStudy shows how the nervous system can transmit information across multiple generationsNeural small RNAs regulate germline genes to control behavior transgenerationally in nematodes.Read More