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Northwestern University

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·March 24, 2023·5 min read

New Discovery Reveals Sex-Specific Causes of Depression Triggered by Stress Hormones Dysfunction

Men are more likely to have a dysregulated HPA axis that is associated with depressive symptoms, while women have higher levels of binding proteins for stress hormones that may prevent dysregulation of the HPA axis. The findings shed new light on how stress hormones impact dopamine transmission and how this impacts depression on a sex-specific basis.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 20, 2023·4 min read

Americans’ IQ Scores Are Lower in Some Areas, Higher in One

While scores for verbal reasoning and matrix reasoning have decreased, scores for spatial reasoning have improved, researchers report.

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Autism Featured Neuroscience

·February 28, 2023·4 min read

Social Deficits and Seizures in Autism Type Tied to Overexcited Brain Circuits

A genetic subtype of ASD and schizophrenia have a duplicate gene that triggers overactivity in neural circuits, leading to social deficits and seizures. When researchers reduced the level of the PRRT2 gene in mouse models of 16p11.2 duplication syndrome, social behaviors were restored and seizure activity decreased.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 20, 2023·8 min read

First Wearable Device for Vocal Fatigue Senses When Your Voice Needs a Break

A newly developed sensor tracks a person's vocal use and alerts them to overuse before vocal fatigue and potential injury occur.

Featured Psychology

·February 10, 2023·4 min read

Restricted Abortion Access Will Cause Psychiatric Harm

Women seeking abortions are three times more likely to suffer from a mental health disorder, and restrictive abortion rights will only cause more women to experience mental health problems, researchers say. Additionally, the physical and emotional stress caused as a result of forced pregnancy will have a detrimental impact on the brain development of the fetus, raising the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·February 7, 2023·4 min read

Potential Therapeutic Target for Schizophrenia Identified

Calcium signaling was found to be a central abnormality in schizophrenia neurons. Targeting calcium signaling in neurons could be a potential new way to treat the 16p11.2 duplication variation of schizophrenia.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·January 30, 2023·5 min read

Calcium Channels Regulate Neuroinflammation and Neuropathic Pain

The Orai1 class of calcium channels regulates sex differences in the functioning of immune cells associated with neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 27, 2022·4 min read

Investigators Develop New Therapy for Autism Subtype

Researchers have developed a new treatment that could potentially be used to treat patients with the Phelan-McDermid syndrome autism subtype.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 13, 2022·4 min read

New Immune Culprit Discovered in Alzheimer’s Disease

In patients with cognitive decline, the cerebral spinal immune system is dramatically altered. The findings shed light on how inflammation and the immune system play a role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 4, 2022·4 min read

Novel Deep Learning Method May Help Predict Cognitive Function

A novel deep learning method that uses graph convolutional neural networks (gCNNs) can predict cognitive function based on the brain's size and structure. The algorithm may provide insights into the relationship between brain morphology and different cognitive functions, as well as declines in cognitive function.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 24, 2022·4 min read

Study Looks Inside the Brain During Sleep to Show How Memory Is Stored

Sounds presented during sleep associated with previously learned stimuli reactivated memory and improved memory storage.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 30, 2022·4 min read

Superager Brains Contain ‘Super Neurons’

Neurons in the memory-associated entorhinal cortex of super-agers are significantly larger than their cognitively average peers, those with MCI, and even in people up to 30 years younger. Additionally, these neurons contained no signs of Tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.