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prefrontal cortex

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·May 21, 2019·2 min read

Multiple brain regions moderate and link depressive mood and pain

People with higher levels of depressive moods exhibited heightened sensitivity to pain, and had greater activation in the prefrontal cortex, insula and somatosensory cortex.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 16, 2019·6 min read

Brain changes in autism traced to specific cell types

Studying brain tissue samples from people with ASD revealed a common set of alterations in genes associated with synaptic communication between neurons. The changes were identified mainly in neurons in the uppermost layers of the neocortex.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·May 7, 2019·6 min read

Why visual stimulation may work in fight against Alzheimer’s: Mouse study

Inducing gamma oscillations with visual stimulation via a process known as gamma entrainment using sensory stimuli, or GENUS, was shown to reduce amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau in mouse models of dementia. Providing GENUS daily during the early stages of neurodegeneration helps preserve neural and synaptic density across multiple brain areas and improves cognitive performance for learning and spatial memory tasks.

These are fmri scans of the female mice brains lacking shank3

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 7, 2019·2 min read

Autism gene linked to brain and behavior deficits in mice

A deficiency of the SHANK3 gene, a gene associated with ASD, results in structural and functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex. The functional and structural alterations in the PFC were linked to an impairment in social interaction in male mice.

this is a woman holding her head while other hands are covering her face

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 3, 2019·5 min read

Hotspot in the genome may drive psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

A cluster of epigenetic marks in an enhancer at IGF2 could enhance dopamine synthesis associated with psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The findings may help in devising more effective treatments and screening strategies for both disorders.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 30, 2019·4 min read

To boldly go or anxiously hang back? Mouse Study

Inhibiting VIP interneurons disrupts medial prefrontal cortex representations of anxiety-related information which drive avoidance behaviors.

This shows a child sitting by a beautiful lake

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 29, 2019·5 min read

Autism diagnoses prove highly stable as early as 14 months

Autism diagnosis becomes stable starting at 14 months of age, researchers report. The accurate diagnosis of ASD, four months earlier than previously believed, leads to more opportunities for early interventions.

This showa a child looking at a DNA strand

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 29, 2019·5 min read

Study links gene to sleep problems in autism

Deficiencies in the SHANK3 gene have been linked to sleep disruptions in both mouse models and people with ASD. Researchers found patients with Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a genetic disorder associated with autism, report trouble falling, and staying asleep. In mouse models, animals lacking the SHANK3 gene had a reduction in deep sleep quality and spent more time awake when other mice were sleeping.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·April 24, 2019·4 min read

Hypersociability in Williams syndrome result of Myelination deficits

Myelin thickness and oligodendrocytes were significantly reduced in the prefrontal cortex in mouse models of Williams syndrome.

This shows two heads and networked lines

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 19, 2019·3 min read

Behavioral disorders in kids with autism linked to reduced brain connectivity

Reduced connectivity between the amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex has been identified in children on the autism spectrum who exhibit disruptive behaviors, compared to those on the spectrum who do not. Findings suggest this distinct brain network could be independent of core autism symptoms.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 11, 2019·3 min read

Ketamine reverses neural changes underlying depression-related behaviors: Mouse study

The formation of prefrontal cortex dendritic spine formation sustains the remission of depressive related symptoms and behaviors following ketamine treatment by restoring lost spines.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 10, 2019·5 min read

Inflammation linked to chemical imbalance in schizophrenia

Increased kynurenic acid production has been implicated in the pathology of schizophrenia. The findings provide a new target for cell-specific treatments that help reduce the production of kynurenic acid and reduce symptoms of schizophrenia.