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Northwestern University

·November 2, 2023·7 min read

Sleepless Nights: The Brain’s Surprising Reaction to All-Nighters

unveiled the science behind the buoyant mood many feel after acute sleep deprivation, like pulling an all-nighter. The study in mice showed that not only does dopamine release rise during these short periods without sleep, but the brain also rewires itself, enhancing synaptic plasticity for several days.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 4, 2023·5 min read

The Vegetarian Code: Your Genes Might Dictate Your Diet

A new study illuminates a potential genetic foundation underpinning an individual's adherence to a strict vegetarian diet. Analyzing genetic data from over 5,000 strict vegetarians and 329,455 controls, researchers identified genes significantly associated with vegetarianism, primarily influencing lipid metabolism and brain function.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 4, 2023·8 min read

AI Designs Unique Walking Robot in Seconds

Pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) has astoundingly synthesized the design of a functional walking robot in a matter of seconds, illustrating a rapid-fire evolution in stark contrast to nature's billion-year journey. This AI, operational on a modest personal computer, crafts entirely innovative structures from scratch, distinguishing it from other AI models reliant on colossal data and high-power computing.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 15, 2023·6 min read

Parkinson’s Onset Theory Challenged: Synaptic Dysfunction Before Neuron Death

Contrary to the widely held belief that Parkinson’s disease originates from the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, a new study suggests a precursor: synaptic dysfunction. This revelation unveils the dysfunction of dopaminergic synapses prior to neurodegeneration.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 14, 2023·5 min read

Sleep’s Secret Lives: Navigating the Mystery of Arousal Disorders

Arousal disorders, including the mysterious actions of sexsomnia, sleepwalking, and sleep terrors, remain a significant gray area in sleep medicine. A new study reveals that unlike other sleep disorders, arousal disorders lack consensus treatment guidelines.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 13, 2023·4 min read

Brain’s Own THC: Endocannabinoids Are Nature’s Way to Combat Stress

A recent study illuminates the brain's unique response to stress: releasing its own cannabinoid molecules akin to THC from cannabis plants. Centered in the amygdala, these molecules counteract stress alarms originating from the hippocampus, an integral memory and emotion region.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 2, 2023·5 min read

How Live Viola Music Calms Epilepsy Patients

Patients undergoing testing for epilepsy often experience significant distress when their medication is reduced to provoke seizures. However, a recent study reveals that listening to live improvisatory viola music helps these patients achieve a meditative state, as shown by EEG measurements.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 3, 2023·6 min read

Beyond Reward, Dopamine Drives Movement

Researchers discovered a genetic subtype of dopamine neurons that fires during movement, contrary to the long-standing belief that dopamine neurons primarily respond to rewards. This groundbreaking discovery has implications for Parkinson's disease, a disorder characterized by the loss of dopamine neurons affecting the motor system.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 18, 2023·4 min read

Study Challenges Longstanding Beliefs About Action of Antipsychotic Medications

Researchers uncovered a pivotal detail that could revolutionize schizophrenia treatment. Contrary to longstanding belief, antipsychotic drugs that mitigate overactive dopamine, a hallmark of schizophrenia, interact primarily with a different type of neuron than originally assumed.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 6, 2023·4 min read

Deciphering the Century-Old Mystery: Revealing the Temporal Pole’s Function in the Brain

Researchers uncovered the critical role of the temporal pole, a previously mysterious area of the brain. A disease called TDP-C that specifically damages the temporal pole allowed the team to discern its function in word comprehension, face recognition, and behavior regulation.

This shows an abstract drawing of a bald man and stem cells.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 5, 2023·3 min read

Stem Cell Breakthrough: A Potential Cure for Baldness

In a new study, researchers discovered that age-related stiffness in hair follicle stem cells can inhibit hair growth. By enhancing the production of a tiny RNA, miR-205, they managed to soften these cells, encouraging hair growth in both young and old mice.