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hippocampus

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 1, 2020·4 min read

Study Sheds Light on Brain Mechanism Activated by Uncertainty

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.

This shows neurons and astrocytes in the hippocampus

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience

·August 31, 2020·5 min read

Brain Protein Linked to Seizures and Abnormal Social Behaviors

Alterations in the excitation and inhibition balance is regulated in the developing brain by astrocytes via the ephrin-B1 protein. The loss of astrocytic ephrin-B1 alters the E/I balance by reducing inhibition, resulting in hyperactivity of neural circuits. The hyperactivity results in reduced sociability in mice.

Featured Genetics Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 17, 2020·4 min read

Protective Factor Against Psychological Trauma Discovered

The NTRK2 gene has been implicated in resilience to developing PTSD following psychologically traumatic events. Previous studies outlined the role NTRK2 plays in memory formation. Those with increased regulation of the gene developed fewer traumatic memories following traumatic experiences.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 13, 2020·3 min read

Recalling Memories From a Third-Person Perspective Changes How Our Brain Processes Them

Using a third-person, or observer, perspective to recall memories activates different areas of the brain than using a first-person perspective for memory recall. Adopting an observer-perspective for memory recall leads to increased interaction between the anterior hippocampus and posterior medial network.

Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 11, 2020·5 min read

Aging Memories May Not Be ‘Worse,’ Just ‘Different’

Aging may alter neural processes for remembering continuous real-world experiences and segmenting memories.

Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 11, 2020·4 min read

Cannabidiol Improves Blood Flow to Brain’s Hippocampus

Cannabidiol (CBD) increases cerebral blood flow to areas of the brain associated with memory processing, specifically the hippocampus. The findings identify a potential mechanism for the use of CBD to treat disorders associated with altered memory processing, including Alzheimer's disease, PTSD, and schizophrenia.

Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 5, 2020·4 min read

Body Weight Has Surprising and Alarming Impact on Brain Function

Obesity and higher body mass are linked to decreased cerebral blood flow. Lower cerebral blood flow is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and a range of psychiatric disorders.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 5, 2020·2 min read

Your Amygdala Gets Bigger If You’re Anxious and Depressed

Depression and anxiety have a profound effect on brain areas associated with memory and emotional processing. In people with depression and anxiety, researchers noted shrinkage to the hippocampus. By contrast, the amygdala increased in size.

Featured Psychology

·August 3, 2020·8 min read

Brain Scans of 9- to 11-Year-Olds Offer Clues About Aggressive and Antisocial Behavior

Compared to typically developing children, those with disruptive behavioral disorders, characterized by antisocial behaviors and aggression, had less gray matter in the amygdala and hippocampus.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 31, 2020·5 min read

To Distinguish Contexts, Animals Think Probabilistically

The act of remapping an area can be mathematically modeled as probabilistic reasoning in rodents.

Featured Neurology

·July 20, 2020·4 min read

Oxytocin Could Be Used to Treat Cognitive Disorders Like Alzheimer’s

Oxytocin, the so-called "love hormone," could help to treat cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Researchers demonstrated oxytocin reversed the effects of amyloid-beta on hippocampal LTP in mice. The findings suggest oxytocin could be used as a therapeutic for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Featured Neurology

·July 16, 2020·4 min read

Eating Fish May Protect Brain From Effects of Air Pollution

Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids appears to have a positive effect on brain health in older women who live in areas with high levels of air pollution. Women with lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had more brain shrinkage, specifically in the hippocampus than women with higher levels of omega-3.