A single neuron, through its axon, is capable of simultaneously producing different effects in separate areas of the cerebral cortex.
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.
A new analysis method shows the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously thought.
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.
Different classes of neurons in the ventral pallidum control positive and negative motivations, sending opposing signals along a shared motivation-processing circuit.
Researchers explore the biology behind hangovers, including how excessive alcohol consumption alters glutamate, serotonin, and dopamine. The paper also examines how to reduce the effects of a heavy night's drinking.
The dietary supplement sarcosine taken in combination with antipsychotic medications may be beneficial for the treatment of schizophrenia.
A lack of oxygen as a result of preterm birth does not cause hippocampal neurons to die but does impair hippocampal development. Hypoxia causes hippocampal cells to fail to mature normally, causing a reduction in long-term potentiation and impaired learning.
Ketamine, an anesthetics which has been commonly used as an illicit party drug, is helping people overcome depression. The drug works rapidly and provides lasting relief from depressive symptoms for weeks after exposure. Researchers are examining how ketamine works in the brain to help positively influence behavior in those with mood disorders.
Sulforaphane, a compound derived from broccoli sprouts, may be a useful new treatment for those suffering from schizophrenia. In a recent set of animal and human studies, researchers characterized novel chemical imbalances in the brain related to glutamate. Levels of glutamate, they discovered, can be altered by administering sulforaphane.
The mGlu2 receptor plays a critical role in the effectiveness of ketamine for treating depression.
Researchers have uncovered a mechanism in the BNST that senses the negative effects of alcohol and modulates the urge to drink. The study reports that when this mechanism doesn't function correctly, we lose the ability to recognize that we have had enough to drink.