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Hokkaido University

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·December 28, 2022·4 min read

Good and Bad Feelings for Brain Stem Serotonin

A newly identified serotonin pathway that originates from the median raphe nucleus acts in opposition to the reward/aversion pathway in the nearby dorsal raphe nucleus. The findings could pave the way for the development of new treatments for major depression, addiction, and other disorders associated with serotonin.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 15, 2022·4 min read

Inhibiting Imitation of Others Can Increase Understanding of Others

Inhibiting imitation of others increases empathy and allows people to recognize the facial expression of others, regardless of their situation.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 19, 2022·4 min read

Neonicotinoid Causes ASD-Like Symptoms

Disrupted neurotransmission via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors during fetal development results in an impaired preference for animate objects similar to autism in chick models.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 9, 2022·4 min read

Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease in the Blood

A new blood sample test is capable of measuring the build-up of Alzheimer's disease-associated amyloid-beta in the brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 22, 2022·3 min read

ATP From Sensory Neuron-Interneuron Crosstalk Is Key to Spreading Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

In rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation in one joint is transmitted to other joints via the sensory neuron connections in the spinal cord, leading to inflammation in the other joints. Inflammation in one joint led to an increase in ATP in other joints, which triggered an increase of a signaling molecule that resulted in inflammation. Blocking the pathway reduced the spread of inflammation.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 22, 2021·4 min read

Pandemic Changed Perceptions of Masked Faces

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on our perceptions of facemask wearers. Those who wore facemasks were considered healthier and more attractive than those without masks, a new study reports.

Brain Cancer Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·October 1, 2020·4 min read

Molecules Responsible for Radio-Resistant Glioblastoma Identified

Study reveals how two key molecules, Rab27b, and epiregulin, interact to contribute to radioresistance in glioblastoma brain cancer.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 20, 2020·3 min read

COVID-19 cytokine storm: Possible mechanism for the deadly respiratory syndrome

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, enters human cells by attaching to ACE2 and utilizing TMPRSS2. Drugs that block ACE2 or inhibit the enzyme could help treat the coronavirus, but only during early infection. As the infection progresses, SARS-CoV-2 becomes engulfed in human cells, reducing the number of ACE2 receptors on a cell and leading to an increase of angiotensin II in the blood. Angiotensin II triggers an inflammatory pathway, providing a positive feedback cycle, named IL-6 amplifier, resulting in excessive immune activation and the cytokine storm associated with severe COVID-19.

Electrophysiology Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·September 26, 2019·4 min read

Molecular link between chronic pain and depression revealed

Inhibitory inputs to the neural circuit between the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dlBNST) to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) increase when a person is in chronic pain. This alteration is mediated by enhanced corticotropin-releasing factor signaling within the dlBNST, leading to suppression of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. The result is depressive mood and anhedonia associated with chronic pain.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology Visual Neuroscience

·June 21, 2018·3 min read

How do Horses Read Human Emotional Cues?

Whether a person is familiar to the animal or not, horses integrate human facial expressions and vocal tones to perceive human emotion, a new study reports.

Featured Psychology

·November 28, 2017·3 min read

Nodding Raises Likability and Approachability

A positive nod can go a long way to help boost your likability and approachability, researchers report.

Featured Genetics Neurology

·September 1, 2017·3 min read

Virus Hijacks Cell’s Transportation System

According to a PNAS study, the RNAs of tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are transported from the cell body to dendrites. The viral RNAs then reproduce the viruses within the dendrites, disturbing neural activity.