Seeing and Smelling Food Prepares the Liver for Digestion: Mouse Study
Researchers say the sight and smell of food alone may be enough to prompt the liver to start the processes that help digest food.... Read More...
hypothalamus
Targeting a Hunger Hormone to Treat Obesity
Researchers have identified a signaling pathway that appears to be responsible for hunger. Targeting the pathway, researchers say, could be key to finding new treatments to curb obesity.... Read More...
Out Like a Light”: Brain’s Sleep Switch Identified
Researchers have identified a set of neurons, located in a region of the hypothalamus, that may be the switch that turns the brain off, allowing for sleep. The neurons are also tied to body temperature regulation.... Read More...
Brain Region for Stress Control is Larger in Depressed People
Researchers report the hypothalamus is, on average, five percent larger in those with mood disorders like major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, than it is in those without depression.... Read More...
New Brain Process Responsible for Long Term Stress Identified
Researchers have identified a new neural mechanism that contributes to long term stress and PTSD. The study reports the mechanism is mediated by brain fluid in areas associated with stress response.... Read More...
Immune Cells Play Key Role in Determining Male or Female Characteristics in Developing Brain
A new study reports mast cells play a key role in determining sex differences in the developing brain. ... Read More...
Key Brain Circuits for Reward Seeking and Avoidance Behavior Identified
Researchers have identified two subpopulations of neurons in the BNST that connect to separate populations of neurons in the lateral hypothalamus which appear to drive two opposing emotional states; avoidance and reward seeking... Read More...
Destructive Mechanism That Blocks the Brain from Knowing When to Stop Eating Identified
Researchers report mice fed a high fat diet produce an enzyme called MMP-2, which results in leptin being blocked from binding to its receptors. This, they report, prevents neurons from signaling that the stomach is full. The study suggests blocking MMP-2 may help people with obesity to lose weight.... Read More...
A New Model For How Brain Reward Response May Impact Anorexia
Researchers report the brain's response to taste stimuli is linked to higher anxiety and a drive for thinness in those with anorexia.... Read More...
A Peek Into the Interplay Between Sleep and Wakefulness
Researchers have identified novel neural pathways that help regulate sleep and wakefulness.... Read More...
Researchers Trigger Hot Flashes in Male and Female Mice
By inducing hot flashes, most commonly associated with menopause, in both male and female mice, researchers discover Kiss1 neurons initiate a fast boost in skin temperature followed by a drop in core body temperature.... Read More...
Vaginal Microbiome May Influence Stress Levels of Offspring
A new mouse study reveals pups of mothers who faced prenatal stress and who were exposed, by birth, to maternal vaginal microbiota had decreased body weight and exhibited increased stress hormones as adults. ... Read More...