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hypothalamus

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·January 28, 2021·3 min read

Risk-Taking Linked to Particular Brain Features

Researchers found functional and anatomical differences in the brains of people who are more likely to embark on risky behaviors.

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·December 27, 2020·6 min read

Love and Hate in the Brain

Activity in the medial preoptic area tilts the mouse brain toward love and affection, while activity in the ventromedial hypothalamus is associated with more aggressive or hateful acts.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 2, 2020·4 min read

Common Neural Circuit and Potential Target for Anxiety and OCD

Glutamatergic neural connections between the prelimbic prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens appear to be responsible for co-morbid anxiety and OCD behaviors.

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·November 18, 2020·5 min read

Novel Roles of Oxytocin in Controlling Male Sexual Function

Oxytocin injections in rodent models directly activated SEG/GRP neurons via oxytocin receptors and influenced male sexual functions in the lumbar spinal cord. Reducing the activity of oxytocin receptors resulted in a decrease in sexual activity and ejaculatory response in the animals.

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·November 16, 2020·3 min read

Changes to the Brain’s Reward System May Drive Overeating in Mice

Diet-induced changes to the reward system and innate differences may predispose mice to over-eating.

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·October 29, 2020·7 min read

Studies Link Some Autism to Brain Cells That Guide Sociability and Platonic Love

Mouse study links specific autism types to abnormal parvocellular oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus.

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·October 26, 2020·5 min read

Single Brain Region Links Depression and Anxiety, Heart Disease, and Treatment Sensitivity

Overactivity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex underlies several key symptoms of depression, anxiety, and heart disease.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 7, 2020·4 min read

The Effects of Oxytocin on Social Anxiety Depend on Location

Oxytocin produced in the BNST increased stress-induced social anxiety behaviors in mice. The findings shed light on why oxytocin can sometimes provoke anti-social effects.

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·October 4, 2020·5 min read

How Aggression Leads to More Aggression

Hard wired neural circuits in mice that govern aggression are strengthened following victories in aggressive encounters. Synapses in the hypothalamus show signs of LTP following aggression training.

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·October 2, 2020·4 min read

New Clues About the Link Between Stress and Depression

p11, a protein implicated in serotonin function, affects the initial release of cortisol in mice by modulating the activity of specific neurons in the hypothalamus. Previous studies found people with depression lave lower levels of p11 in their brains. The findings could help in the development of new treatments for depression and stress.

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·September 30, 2020·4 min read

Social Novelty Has a Special Place in the Brain

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.

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·September 29, 2020·5 min read

Repeated Pregnancy Loss May Be Tied to the Olfactory System

Women who experience unexplained repeated pregnancy loss (uRPL) process olfactory signals related to male body odor differently to other women. Those who experience uRPL are better able to identify the smell of their spouse.