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neuroplasticity

·May 6, 2024·6 min read

Cartilage-Like Structures Key to Brain Plasticity

A new study highlights a novel mechanism of brain plasticity involving chondroitin sulfate clusters outside nerve cells. Researchers identified these cartilage-like structures as crucial for the brain's ability to adapt and store information.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 5, 2024·4 min read

Powering Brain Repair: Mitochondria Key to Neurogenesis

Researchers made a groundbreaking discovery about the maturation process of adult-born neurons in the brain, highlighting the critical role of mitochondrial fusion in these cells. Their study shows that as neurons develop, their mitochondria undergo dynamic changes that are crucial for the neurons' ability to form and refine connections, supporting synaptic plasticity in the adult hippocampus.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 2, 2024·6 min read

Zombie Neurons: Unlocking the Cerebellum’s Learning Secrets

Researchers have identified "zombie neurons" in the cerebellum that offer new insights into how this brain region facilitates learning through past experiences. Utilizing optogenetics, the team manipulated cerebellar inputs, specifically climbing fibres, to demonstrate their pivotal role in associative learning processes, such as the conditioned blinking response in mice.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·December 14, 2023·8 min read

How Daydreams Shape Our Brain’s Visual Response

Researchers made a breakthrough in understanding how daydreaming affects the brain. By studying mice, they discovered that neurons in the visual cortex fire in patterns similar to when viewing actual images, indicating daydream-like activity.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 8, 2023·6 min read

Brain’s Response to Crucial Language Hub Removal: New Insights

A new study provides unprecedented insights into the human brain's response to the loss of a key language hub. During epilepsy surgery, the team recorded brain activity before and after the removal of the anterior temporal lobe, a hub for language meaning.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 25, 2023·5 min read

Brain Brew: How Daily Coffee Habits May Affect Brain Plasticity and Learning

Researchers explore how chronic caffeine consumption potentially impacts brain plasticity and the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The research indicates that regular caffeine users might experience diminished long-term potentiation (LTP), a crucial process for learning and memory.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 21, 2023·7 min read

Brain Doesn’t Rewire Itself, but Enhances Existing Abilities

Contrary to popular belief, the brain does not completely rewire itself in response to injury, such as loss of sight or amputation. Researchers argue that the brain enhances or modifies its pre-existing architecture through learning and repetition rather than repurposing regions for new tasks.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 2, 2023·5 min read

Unlocking Memory: Key Protein’s Role in Aging and Brain Plasticity Revealed

A new study delves deeper into the workings of the protein TIMP2, crucial for hippocampal plasticity, an essential process for memory and learning. The study highlights how TIMP2 regulates the plasticity of the hippocampus, particularly as it diminishes with age.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 18, 2023·5 min read

Live Imaging Reveals Axon Adaptability in Neuroplasticity

For the first time, researchers observed nerve plasticity within the axon in real-time. This adaptability focuses on the axon initial segment (AIS), a vital nerve cell component initiating electrical signals.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 5, 2023·5 min read

How Insulin-Like Growth Factors Bolster Brain Plasticity

Researchers discovered a mechanism linking insulin-like growth factors (IGF) to brain plasticity. This groundbreaking study uncovers how IGF1 and IGF2 promote brain health and functionality, including learning and memory, through the activation of IGF1-Receptor during synaptic plasticity.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 17, 2023·5 min read

Neuronal Plasticity Genes Linked to Alcohol Use Disorders

A new study discovered a link between alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and alteration of a group of genes known to influence neuronal plasticity and pain perceptions. The team used three distinct animal models to identify the genes responsible for drinking behaviors.

This shows a person meditating on a dock.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 7, 2023·5 min read

Unleashing the Mind: The Neuroscience of Meditation and its Impact on Memory

Meditation's impact on memory is a fascinating confluence of ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience. Evidence suggests meditation can stimulate changes in the brain, or neuroplasticity, potentially fostering structural growth in the hippocampus, a region vital for memory.