Why is the brain disturbed by harsh sounds?
Harsh noises, such as alarm bells and sirens, hold the brain's attention by stimulating its aversion networks. ... Read More...
hippocampus
Study finds hub linking movement and motivation in the brain
The lateral septum encodes speed and acceleration information as an animal navigates and learns how to obtain a reward from its environment.... Read More...
The brain may actively forget during dream sleep
REM sleep has previously been linked to memory formation. A new study reveals this sleep period may also be critical for us to forget certain memories, preventing information overload. Researchers identified a mechanism involving MCH neurons which causes us to forget information during sleep.... Read More...
New piece of Alzheimer’s puzzle found
When injected into mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, two short peptides significantly improved memory, reduced inflammation, and lowered amyloid plaque buildup in the brain.... Read More...
Exercise could slow withering effects of Alzheimer’s
For those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and other risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, participating in aerobic exercise several times a week may slow neurodegeneration. Aerobic exercise reduced hippocampal atrophy in those with MCI. ... Read More...
‘Hunger Hormone’ Linked to Memory in Alzheimer’s Study
A study that used postmortem brain tissue samples from Alzheimer's patients and mouse models found the hunger hormone ghrelin is linked to cognitive impairments and memory loss associated with the disease. ... Read More...
Chronic cocaine use modifies gene expression
Chronic 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...
Lack of oxygen doesn’t kill infant brain cells, as previously thought
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.... Read More...
Signal blocks stem cell division in the geriatric brain
A gene regulated called Id4 appears to be a key component in controlling stem cell proliferation. ... Read More...
How memories form and fade
Stable memories are encoded by teams of neurons firing in synchrony, providing redundancy that enables the memory to persist over time.... Read More...
Stress in pregnancy impacts childrens’ vulnerability to stress in adulthood
Prenatal 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...
Link between brain immune cells and Alzheimer’s disease development identified
The brain's immune cells may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Turning off microglia in specific areas of the brain prevented the formation of amyloid plaques. The findings could help pave the way for new treatments for Alzheimer's.... Read More...