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Genetics

this is a woman holding her head while other hands are covering her face

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 3, 2019·5 min read

Hotspot in the genome may drive psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

A 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.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 3, 2019·4 min read

New method developed to target cause of Parkinson’s

Clioquinol, an anti-parasitic medication, overcomes the effect of mutations in the LRRK2 gene associated with Parkinson's disease by restoring the acidity of lysosomes and clearing out protein aggregates.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 2, 2019·4 min read

Newly discovered gene mutation reduces fear and anxiety, and increases social interaction

The Ph4-tm gene has been implicated in fear and anxiety. P4h-tm knockout mice showed diminished response to fear and showed more courageous behavior than wild-type mice with a functional P4h-tm gene.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 1, 2019·9 min read

Alzheimer’s disease is a ‘double-prion disorder’

Self-propagating amyloid and tau act as prions in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Higher levels of the prions in human brain samples were strongly correlated with early onset of Alzheimer's and death at a younger age.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·May 1, 2019·3 min read

20 novel genes associated with bipolar disorder identified

A study of more than 50,000 patients with bipolar disorder in 14 countries helped researchers identify 20 new genetic risk factors for bipolar disorder. Eight of the genes also had an association with an increased risk for schizophrenia. ASD and anorexia, it was discovered, also had genetic ties to bipolar depression.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 1, 2019·5 min read

Restoring brain function in mice with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

Senolytic drugs administered to mice reduced senescent cells around amyloid plaques by more than 90% and decreased neuroinflammation by 50%. Mice treated with the drug combination also showed improvements in spatial memory, compared to other Alzheimer's model mice who received no treatment. The findings could have positive implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in people with the condition.

oligodendrocytes from alzheimer's brain tissue are shown

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 1, 2019·6 min read

A comprehensive map of how Alzheimer’s affects the brain

Axon myelination is significantly disrupted in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers also found brain cells of men and women vary significantly in how their genes respond to the neurodegenerative disease.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 30, 2019·5 min read

Do you smell what I smell?

Small changes in a single olfactory receptor gene can affect how strong, or how pleasant, a person finds a particular odor.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 30, 2019·4 min read

Do microglia hold the key to stop Alzheimer’s disease?

Mouse models and human brain tissue studies reveal microglia react to amyloid beta earlier in older females. Findings may provide avenues for the development of new drugs to help treat the neurodegenerative disease.

Brain Cancer Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 30, 2019·3 min read

New technique may improve detection and treatment of advanced brain cancer

Researchers discovered changes in thousands of genes induced by the tumor microenvironment. The study may help in identifying new biomarkers for the early detection, and subsequent treatment, of brain cancers.

This shows someone holding an old person's hands

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 30, 2019·5 min read

When is Alzheimer’s not Alzheimer’s? Researchers characterize a different form of dementia

LATE, a form of dementia that appears in the oldest-old is often mistaken for Alzheimer's disease, but the brain pathology is very different. The protein TDP-43 appears to play a significant role in the development of LATE. The neurodegenerative disease may progress more gradually than Alzheimer's, but when combined with Alzheimer's disease (a common combination), appears to cause a more rapid decline than either would alone.

This showa a child looking at a DNA strand

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 29, 2019·5 min read

Study links gene to sleep problems in autism

Deficiencies in the SHANK3 gene have been linked to sleep disruptions in both mouse models and people with ASD. Researchers found patients with Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a genetic disorder associated with autism, report trouble falling, and staying asleep. In mouse models, animals lacking the SHANK3 gene had a reduction in deep sleep quality and spent more time awake when other mice were sleeping.