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synapses

·May 9, 2025·6 min read

How Memories Take Shape at the Synapse Level

A groundbreaking new technique called EPSILON allows researchers to map the proteins involved in memory formation with unprecedented detail, providing a window into the molecular architecture of learning. This approach focuses on tracking AMPARs—key receptors that regulate synaptic strength—over time, illuminating how the brain encodes, strengthens, and stores memories.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 17, 2025·5 min read

Synapses Use Multiple Learning Rules to Encode New Information

New research reveals that individual neurons follow multiple learning rules simultaneously, challenging the long-held belief that synaptic plasticity operates uniformly throughout the brain. Using advanced two-photon imaging, scientists tracked changes in synapses during learning in mice, uncovering that different regions within a single neuron adapt using distinct plasticity mechanisms.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 7, 2025·4 min read

Key Neurons Linked to Autism and Schizophrenia Risk

Layer 5 pyramidal neurons, crucial for brain information processing, vary significantly in their synaptic protein composition based on neuron type. Research shows that intratelencephalic (IT) neurons and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons share some synaptic proteins but also have unique characteristics influencing their functions.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·October 11, 2024·5 min read

Newly Discovered Protein Complex Shapes Synapses and Mental Health

Researchers have identified a protein complex, TrkC-PTPσ, that plays a key role in the structural organization of synapses in the brain, impacting cognitive behaviors. By studying this complex, scientists uncovered how it regulates synaptic protein phosphorylation, essential for healthy brain function. Disruptions in this protein complex led to anxiety-like behaviors in mice, providing insights into mental health conditions like anxiety and autism.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·September 30, 2024·4 min read

Prion Disease Mutations Impact Synapses Before Symptoms Appear

New research reveals that prion disease mutations can alter the structure of neuron synapses long before symptoms emerge. Scientists studied neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of patients with the E200K prion protein mutation, showing changes in neuron-to-neuron contact sites even in the absence of misfolded prion proteins.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 29, 2024·3 min read

How the Brain Enhances Sleep Through Synaptic Strength

Researchers have discovered that stronger synaptic connections between neurons in the brain trigger deeper sleep. Using a molecular tool called SYNCit-K, scientists enhanced synaptic strength in the prefrontal cortex of mice, inducing sleep and aligning with predictions from a mathematical model of brain activity.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 27, 2024·3 min read

Enzyme Key to Brain Function and Synapse Health Discovered

A new study reveals that the absence of the TRMT10A enzyme disrupts tRNA levels, leading to impaired protein synthesis and brain function. Researchers found that mice lacking the Trmt10a gene had decreased levels of key tRNAs, which affected neuronal synapses and cognitive abilities.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 8, 2024·5 min read

Synaptic Quality Key to Age Related Memory Preservation

A recent study reveals that the quality, not the quantity, of synapses in the brain is crucial for preserving memory in older adults. Researchers found that larger dendritic spine head diameters in the temporal cortex correlate with better episodic memory performance, challenging the long-held belief that memory decline is primarily due to synapse loss.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 25, 2024·6 min read

The Brain Stores 10x More Info Than Thought

Researchers developed a method to measure synaptic strength, precision of plasticity, and information storage in the brain. Using information theory, researchers found that synapses can store 10 times more information than previously believed.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 1, 2024·4 min read

Sleep’s First Half Crucial for Brain Reset

During the first half of sleep, the brain actively weakens the synaptic connections formed during wakefulness, supporting the Synaptic Homeostasis Hypothesis on the purpose of sleep. This finding suggests that sleep serves as a crucial reset that prepares the brain for new learning by reducing synaptic strength.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 14, 2024·6 min read

Unraveling Alzheimer’s: A Novel Mechanical Perspective on Amyloid Precursor Protein’s Role

groundbreaking study introduces a novel hypothesis that Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), known for its role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is crucial for the mechanical integrity of synapses through its interaction with talin, a synaptic scaffold protein. It proposes that the misprocessing of APP disrupts mechanical signaling pathways, leading to synaptic degeneration and memory loss, thereby contributing to the progression of AD.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 8, 2024·5 min read

Unlocking Synaptic Mysteries: The Role of FAM81A Protein

Researchers have identified a critical protein, FAM81A, that plays a pivotal role in forming postsynaptic protein agglomerations, essential for synaptic function in the brain. By analyzing 35 previous studies, the team discovered FAM81A's consistent presence in the postsynaptic density, a complex protein structure vital for neuron signal transmission.

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synapses

How Memories Take Shape at the Synapse Level

Synapses Use Multiple Learning Rules to Encode New Information

Key Neurons Linked to Autism and Schizophrenia Risk

Newly Discovered Protein Complex Shapes Synapses and Mental Health

Prion Disease Mutations Impact Synapses Before Symptoms Appear

How the Brain Enhances Sleep Through Synaptic Strength

Enzyme Key to Brain Function and Synapse Health Discovered

Synaptic Quality Key to Age Related Memory Preservation

The Brain Stores 10x More Info Than Thought

Sleep’s First Half Crucial for Brain Reset

Unraveling Alzheimer’s: A Novel Mechanical Perspective on Amyloid Precursor Protein’s Role

Unlocking Synaptic Mysteries: The Role of FAM81A Protein

Taming Tumor Chaos: Researchers Uncover Key to Improving Glioblastoma Treatment

Hippocampus Predicts Rewards by Reorganizing Memories

Memory Rewritten: Study Finds No Clear Line Between Episodic and Semantic Retrieval

Brain Stimulation Method Can Evaluate Consciousness in Alzheimer’s Disease

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