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Salk Institute

This shows AB plaques surrounded by microglia

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 16, 2021·5 min read

Some Alzheimer’s Plaques May Be Protective, Not Destructive

Microglia creates dense-core plaques which help to clear away more wispy plaques from neurons, preventing cell death. Findings suggest the dense-core plaques play a defensive role in protecting the brain from the ravages of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·January 29, 2021·4 min read

Specific Bacteria in the Gut Prompt Mother Mice to Neglect Their Pups

Researchers have identified a strain of E.coli in the guts of female mice that cause them to neglect their offspring. The study shows a direct link between the microbiome and maternal behavior.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·January 5, 2021·5 min read

New Clues Why Gold Standard Treatment for Bipolar Disorder Doesn’t Work for Majority of Patients

Decreased activation of the LEF1 gene is more common in bipolar patients who do not respond to lithium.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 17, 2020·4 min read

Computational Model Reveals How the Brain Manages Short-Term Memories

A new computational algorithm shows how the brain maintains information in the short term using specific types of neurons.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 16, 2020·5 min read

Teaching Artificial Intelligence to Adapt

A new AI model mimics how the prefrontal cortex uses gating to control information flow between different areas of neurons. The system could help in the development of new artificial intelligence technologies that better mimic the human brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·December 10, 2020·4 min read

When It Comes to Feeling Pain, Touch or an Itch, Location Matters

Study identifies where different cells associated with triggering sensorimotor reflexes are located in the spinal cord.

Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 4, 2020·4 min read

New Molecule Reverses Alzheimer’s-Like Memory Decline

CMS121, a synthesized variant of fisetin, a chemical found in fruits and vegetables, improved memory, and slows neurodegeneration in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 28, 2020·4 min read

How genes control courtship and aggression

Study shows how sex-determining genes can mediate courtship and aggressive behaviors in fruit flies. The findings demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between behavior and sex.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·February 27, 2020·5 min read

Eat less, live longer

Calorie restricted diets reduce inflammation, delay the onset of age-related diseases, and extend lifespan, a new study reports.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 19, 2020·5 min read

Altered potassium levels in neurons may cause mood swings in bipolar disorder

Increased potassium currents were responsible for hyperactivity of CA3 neurons. When exposed to potassium channel blockers, the hyperactivity disappeared. However, when exposed to lithium, the drug not only reversed hyperactivity but reduced potassium currents at the same time. The findings strengthen the case that potassium currents play a role in bipolar disorder.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 30, 2020·4 min read

Study links rapid brain growth in autism to DNA damage

Neural progenitor cells generated from skin cell samples of people on the autism spectrum had heightened levels of DNA damage. The damage clustered in 36 of the same genes which had also been damaged in healthy cells exposed to replication stress. Twenty of the genes have previously been linked to the development of autism.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·December 10, 2019·4 min read

Alzheimer’s drug candidates reverse broader aging

CMS121 and J147, two drug candidates that improve memory and slow neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease, also slow aging in healthy, older mice. The compounds block damage to neurons caused by general aging and restore levels of specific molecules to those seen in younger animals.