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
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 29, 2019·4 min readResearchers explore the epigenetics of daytime sleepinessMethylation sites have been identified in multiple genes implicated in daytime sleepiness.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 3, 2019·5 min readHotspot in the genome may drive psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorderA cluster of epigenetic marks in an enhancer at IGF2 could enhance dopamine synthesis associated with psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The findings may help in devising more effective treatments and screening strategies for both disorders.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·April 17, 2019·4 min readGender identity leaves imprint on human brainsGender identity, rather than sex, may cause the epigenome of the brain to differ in males and females.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 11, 2019·5 min readBody mass index may play a significant role in the progression of multiple sclerosisObesity and a higher body mass index negatively impacts the progression of Multiple Sclerosis. Ceramides are more abundant in the blood of those who are overweight. The ceramides enter inside the nucleus of monocytes, causing proliferation. The increased number of monocytes travel back to the brain, causing more damage for those with RRMS.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsPsychology·March 13, 2019·4 min readNIH-funded rodent study finds molecular link between adolescent alcohol use and adult anxietyAdolescent rats exposed to alcohol had a decrease of both Arc eRNA expression and Arc gene expression in the amygdala during adulthood. Additionally, the alcohol-exposed rats displayed increased anxiety behaviors as they aged.Read More
