Low-level exposure to lead during development does not lead to alcohol use disorder, but does alter the neural circuits in a way that if addiction occurs, it makes it harder to refrain from returning to addiction related behaviors. Read More
The retrieval of mitochondria via a feedback loop is vital to sustaining synaptic transmission. Read More
The key to performance and motivation lies within the ratio of glutamine and glutamate in the nucleus accumbens. The ratio of glutamine to glutamate relates specifically to stamina. Read More
Familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 (FHM2) causes a malfunction of astrocytes in the cingulate cortex. Manipulating astrocytes in the cingulate cortex reversed the disfunction, preventing an increase in migraine-like symptoms in mice carrying the FHM2 defect. Read More
The direct contact of mGluR4 receptors with other key proteins plays a significant role in the regulation of synaptic activity. Read More
Glioma brain tumors alter the function of astrocytes, possibly contributing to seizures many brain cancer patients experience. Astrocytes encasing gliomas exhibit different molecular signatures based on their proximity to the cancer cells. Those directly touching the cancer cells become elongated and swollen, mimicking the astrocyte's response to other epilepsy-related brain injuries. Read More
A single, stressful event causes rapid and long-lasting retraction of astrocyte branches. Stress induces this change by halting the production of GluA1. Read More
When autoantibodies are able to enter the bran and act on NMDA receptors, people experience relief from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Read More
A single neuron, through its axon, is capable of simultaneously producing different effects in separate areas of the cerebral cortex. Read More
A drug commonly prescribed for edema improves the symptoms for young children on the autism spectrum with no significant side effects. The drug, bumetanide, decreases the ratio of GABA to glutamate in the brain. Read More
A new analysis method shows the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously thought. Read More
Hangxiety, the feeling of waking up with anxiety the morning after heavy drinking, is a common symptom associated with a hangover. Researchers explain how a heavy night's drinking alters neurochemistry, leaving some of us prone to waking with anxiety. Read More
