Parkinson's patients have reduced acylated-ghrelin to unacylated-ghrelin ratios in their blood. Lower levels of unacylated-ghrelin have been associated with a reduced ability to generate new neurons and memory impairments. Read More
Researchers have identified a signaling pathway in the hippocampus that plays a critical role in creates novel memories about new environments. Read More
A clusterization approach allows researchers to analyze dendritic spines in new ways. Read More
Engram cells encode details of memories as they are formed. These cells become reactivated when a memory is recalled. The process is controlled by remodeling of chromatin in the cells. Read More
Fecal transplants could someday be a useful tool to help improve cognitive decline associated with aging, a new study reports. Read More
A specialized area of the mouse brain called the SuM specializes in detecting novel experiences. Within this brain area, responses to social novelty, or experiences related to unknown individuals, were segregated from those related to unfamiliar places, before being sent to areas of the brain associated with memory. Read More
Amyloid plaques form in the same location and spread in the same way in the brains of people with both obstructive sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease. Read More
Study implicated hippocampal neurons in our ability to make educated guesses. Read More
Young adults with the Alzheimer's associated ApoE gene had differences in brain activity when presented with memory tasks. Read More
Researchers have identified a new mechanism of learning that stabilizes memory and reduces interference between different memories. Read More
BIN1, a gene associated with Alzheimer's disease, regulates hippocampal neural activity. Neurons with higher levels of BIN1 fired more often and were more prone to hyperexcitability. BIN1 is the first gene to be linked to hyperexcitability as a driving factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Read More
Neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex respond more to loss than to gain. Avoidance of risk-taking is affected by an area of the hippocampus that is associated with memory and anxiety. The findings suggest a close relationship between memory processing and decision making when risk is present, especially in stressful situations. The fresh insights might help guide new psychiatric therapies for disorders marked by excessive avoidance, such as anxiety, and depression, and also mania and addiction, where excessive risk-taking is a common feature. Read More
