A rare autoimmune disorder popularized by the autobiography and movie "Brain on Fire" is triggered by an attack on NMDA receptors. The disease occurs when antibodies attack NMDA receptors in the brain, leading to memory loss, intellectual changes, seizures, and death.
A new study clarifies the mechanism behind how ketamine works as an antidepressant. Researchers say there is evidence to suggest ketamine binds to NMDA receptors, instead of opioid receptors. Reducing the belief that ketamine is an opioid may make patients with depression more open to using the treatment.
Bilirubin, a bile pigment most commonly associated with jaundice in newborns, appears to have neuroprotective properties. A new study in mice reveals bilirubin may protect the brain against oxidative stress.
A single shot of ketamine administered to heavy drinkers following reactivation of their drinking memories led to a rapid decrease in the urge to drink. The effect lasted for over nine months.
When autoantibodies are able to enter the bran and act on NMDA receptors, people experience relief from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.
Using optogenetics to inhibit the JNK protein prevented synapses from shrinking in response to stress.
NMDA receptor hypofunction is involved in the reduction of sleep spindles and delta oscillations, which appear in the brain during deep natural sleep. Findings confirm the role NMDA receptors play in sleep disorders that accompany psychotic states.
Familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 (FHM2) causes a malfunction of astrocytes in the cingulate cortex. Manipulating astrocytes in the cingulate cortex reversed the disfunction, preventing an increase in migraine-like symptoms in mice carrying the FHM2 defect.
Studying rats in a virtual reality maze, researchers discover certain hippocampal neurons play a vital role in a specific mechanism of navigation.
NYX-783, a newly discovered drug, helps modulate NMDA receptor function in neurons. The drug appears to be effective at suppressing the return of PTSD symptoms in rodent models.
The adult brain contains millions of "silent synapses", or immature connections between neurons that remain inactive until they are required for learning new information and storing new memories.
Ketamine alters neural activity in the cerebral cortex, silencing normally active neurons and activating neurons that are normally inactive. The ketamine activity-induced "switch" in brain regions associated with depression may help explain its treatment effects.