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synaptic plasticity

·May 18, 2026·9 min read

Novel Drug Target to Reverse Fragile X Syndrome Found

Can an overactive synaptic protein hold the key to treating the most common genetic cause of autism? A new study identifies the protein EPAC2 as a potent drug target for reversing the behavioral and neurological deficits of Fragile X syndrome.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 18, 2026·8 min read

How the Brain Filters Calcium to Form Memories

By collecting over 50,000 high-resolution cryo-EM movies, researchers visualized how a molecular sieve called the Asn cage filters calcium from magnesium based entirely on their hydration properties. While magnesium holds water too tightly to squeeze through the pore, calcium sheds its water shell, dehydrates, and transits freely to trigger synaptic plasticity.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 13, 2026·9 min read

A New Genetic Entry Point for Autism Traits

Can autism's core traits be separated from cognitive ability? Researchers have identified PTCHD1-AS, a long non-coding RNA gene that regulates social interaction and repetitive behaviors without affecting learning or memory. By tracing this gene's influence to synaptic plasticity in the striatum, the study provides a "molecular pattern" for future precision treatments aimed specifically at the hallmark features of the autism spectrum.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 13, 2026·9 min read

Single Brain Connection Pinpointed as the Starting Point of Learning

Scientists have pinpointed a single synaptic connection in the basal ganglia as the origin point for vocal learning. By studying zebra finches, researchers discovered that "turning off" these specific synapses causes a bird's song to revert to babbling. This discovery highlights the brain's delicate balance between creative experimentation and technical mastery, offering new insights into human speech and movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

This shows two heads surrounded by magnetic pulses.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2026·7 min read

Magnetic Pulses Restore Brain Circuits to Treat Depression

Researchers have discovered that accelerated magnetic stimulation selectively targets IT neurons to regrow lost synaptic connections, providing the first cellular-level evidence of how TMS repairs the stress-damaged brain in just 24 hours.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 23, 2026·6 min read

3D Bio-Hybrid Device Merges Neurons and Computing

A 3D bio-hybrid device uses a microscopic metal mesh to grow and "program" living brain cells for computation.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·April 2, 2026·8 min read

How the Brain Builds Images Step-by-Step

How does the brain see edges and shapes? A new study confirms the Hubel and Wiesel model, showing that orientation selectivity is constructed in the visual cortex. Discover how the brain turns raw thalamic signals into visual perception.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 26, 2026·10 min read

Stroke Survivors’ Brains Rejuvenate to Compensate for Injury

Can a stroke make part of your brain younger? New research using deep learning reveals that undamaged brain regions reorganize and show "youthful" structural patterns to compensate for severe stroke damage.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 25, 2026·7 min read

Acetylcholine Decides Dopamine’s Role

The timing of acetylcholine release determines whether dopamine promotes learning or movement. This millisecond-level interaction provides a new framework for understanding Parkinson's and depression.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 23, 2026·6 min read

Caffeine Restores Social Memory After Sleep Loss

Caffeine can rescue social memory deficits caused by sleep deprivation. By targeting the hippocampal CA2 region, caffeine restores specific neural pathways without causing global overstimulation.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 17, 2026·8 min read

Mapping the Short-Term Plasticity of Working Memory

New research identifies Munc13-1 as the key protein that allows synapses to "bulk up" during activity, a process essential for holding onto daily information.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 19, 2026·7 min read

Twin Enzymes Rewire Your Brain for Interaction and Memory

Twin enzymes, different worlds. Scientists have discovered that MNK1 and MNK2 act as the brain's specialized switches for memory and social curiosity.