Technique can image individual proteins within synapses
A new rapid imaging technique allows researchers to view synaptic proteins at high resolution.... Read More...
synapses
Gene regulators work together for oversized impact on schizophrenia risk
Using CRISPR to alter the expression of four schizophrenia implicated genes which harbor expression quantitative trait loci, researchers were able to mirror gene expression changes seen in postmortem brains of those suffering from three mental health disorders.... Read More...
Opiates reduce the brain’s ability to form and maintain synapses
Opiate exposure causes synaptic rewiring in the nucleus accumbens in addition to decreasing dendritic spines. The findings shed light into the neurobiology of opiate relapse.... Read More...
New insights into how astrocytes help the brain process information
Noradrenaline is essential for astrocytes to respond to local stimulation.... Read More...
‘Hunger Hormone’ Linked to Memory in Alzheimer’s Study
A study that used postmortem brain tissue samples from Alzheimer's patients and mouse models found the hunger hormone ghrelin is linked to cognitive impairments and memory loss associated with the disease. ... Read More...
Blue Brain finds how neurons in the mouse neocortex form billions of synaptic connections
Scientists generated statistical instances of the micro-connectome, containing over 10 million neurons. The model spans five orders of magnitude and contains 88 billion synaptic connections.... Read More...
High-fat diet in utero protects against Alzheimer’s later
High-fat diets during pregnancy may protect the developing brain from Alzheimer's in those with genetic risk factors. ... Read More...
How the brain finds order amidst chaos
Amidst noise and chaos, cortical neurons work in a team to communicate and allow the brain to find order.... Read More...
Gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease is involved in neuronal communication
Study reveals how CD2AP may enhance Alzheimer's susceptibility. The gene affects neural communication by regulating the levels of regulatory proteins present around synapses.... Read More...
Brain protein mutation from child with autism causes autism-like behavioral change in mice
Researchers implanted a genetic mutation that encodes the DAT protein from a child with ASD into mice. The mice began to exhibit autism-like behavioral deficits. Mice with the DAT T356M mutation had reduced social interaction and a loss in social dominance. The mice also demonstrated an increase in hyperactivity. At the physiological level, the researchers found impaired striatal dopamine transmission and clearance.... Read More...
The way a single neuron processes information is never the same
When a neuron receives information, dendrites functionally work together to adjust for the complexity of the input.... Read More...
Sorting protein in neurons defends against neurodegenerative disease
VPS35 is a novel critical component of tau metabolism and the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. ... Read More...