FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 11, 2022·3 min readBrain Cells Identified for Regulation of Sleep-Wake RhythmResearchers identified a molecularly-defined cell population in the hypothalamus that causes a shift in the sleep-wake cycle as a result of exposure to psychostimulants.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·September 28, 2022·4 min readObesity May Be a Neurodevelopmental DisorderObesity is, in part, determined by epigenetic development in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Findings suggest developmental epigenetics plays a significant role in both environmental and genetic influences on obesity risk.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·September 23, 2022·7 min readFriend or Foe? How Mice Decide to Make Love or WarThe neural circuitry that connects olfactory information about another mouse's sex to decision-making in the brain determines the behavioral outcome as to whether aggression or affection is expressed.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·September 19, 2022·6 min readSocial Touch and Its Newly Discovered Neural PathwayA neural pathway that leads directly from the thalamus to the hypothalamus plays a critical role in processing touch information, a new study reveals.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·September 15, 2022·3 min readLength of REM Sleep Linked to Body TemperatureStudy reports warm-blooded animals with higher body temperatures have lower amounts of REM sleep, while those with lower body temperatures have more REM sleep. Researchers say REM sleep acts like a "thermostatically controlled brain heater."Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 31, 2022·5 min readCells That Control Hunger Affect Brain Structure and FunctionAgRP neurons in the hypothalamus play a critical role in shaping the structure and function of the prefrontal cortex in mice. The findings shed light on how the prefrontal cortex is altered in disorders such as schizophrenia.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 20, 2022·3 min read‘Cuddle Hormone’ Oxytocin Strongly Affects Male Mice on Becoming FathersNeurons that secrete oxytocin in the paraventricular nucleus in the hypothalamus are responsible for activating paternal instincts in new fathers, a mouse model study finds.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·June 28, 2022·4 min readNo More Binge Eating: Signal Pathway in the Brain That Controls Food Intake DiscoveredAgRP neurons in the hypothalamus control the release of endogenous lysophospholipids, helping to control the excitability of cerebral cortex neurons and stimulating the desire for food intake.Read More
ElectrophysiologyFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·June 6, 2022·4 min readA Unique Neural Microcircuit in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus MicrocircuitFindings reveal sparse chemical connectivity as a generalized feature of the hypothalamus circuitry.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·May 17, 2022·4 min readStimulating Brain Circuits Promotes Neuron Growth in Adulthood, Improving Cognition and MoodResearchers used optogenetics techniques to stimulate specific brain areas to increase neurogenesis and the production of neural stem cells to improve memory, cognition, and emotional processing in animal models.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·April 15, 2022·4 min readDecoding a Direct Dialog Between the Gut Microbiota and the BrainHypothalamic neurons directly detect variations in bacterial activity and adapt appetite and body temperature accordingly. The findings demonstrate a direct dialog occurs between the brain and the gut microbiota.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 1, 2022·4 min readUbiquitous Nutrients Suppress Appetite and Promote MovementIngested non-essential amino acids curb appetite and promote movement in mouse models.Read More