FeaturedOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·January 2, 2017·10 min readBabies Exposed to Stimulation Get a Brain BoostContrary to popular belief, exposing children to stimuli early can help to boost their development, researchers report.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeurosciencePsychology·April 17, 2018·2 min readBrain Development Influenced by Immune SystemA new study provides further evidence for immune system activation during pregnancy and disruptions in brain development. Many adult diseases, researchers say, may originate during fetal development.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·May 16, 2016·4 min readC. elegans Study Reveals How Differences in Male and Female Brains EmergeResearchers have identified how sexually dimorphic connections arise in the nervous systems of nematode worms.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeurosciencePsychology·November 5, 2017·4 min readWhy Our Brains Need Sleep, and What Happens If We Don’t Get EnoughFrom consolidating memories to cleaning out toxins in the brain that accumulate during waking hours, researchers explore why sleep is so important and what happens when we don't get enough.Read More
AutismFeaturedGenetics·May 25, 2016·4 min readIlluminating the Role of Autism Linked Shank GeneA new study reports a gene mutation linked to autism also plays a critical role when it comes to the formation and maturation of synapses.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience VideosOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 22, 2020·5 min readNew Role for White Blood Cells in the Developing BrainWhen T helper cells are absent in the brain, microglia remain suspended between the fetal and adult developmental state. Mice lacking brain T cells showed changes in behavior and defective synaptic pruning. The study reveals the critical role T cells play in the development of the brain.Read More
ElectrophysiologyFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·February 3, 2017·4 min readBrain Plasticity: How Adult Born Neurons Get WiredResearchers report adult neurogenesis not only helps increase the number of cells in a neural network, it also promotes plasticity in the existing network. Additionally, they have identified the role the Bax gene plays in synaptic pruning.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 17, 2015·4 min readAlgorithms Based on Brains Make For Better NetworksResearchers take inspiration from the developing brain to create improved computer algorithms.Read More
AutismElectrophysiologyFeatured·August 21, 2014·5 min readChildren with Autism Have Extra Synapses in BrainAccording to a new study, children with autism have an excess of synapses in the brain, due to a slowdown of the normal pruning process during development.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·February 4, 2019·5 min readExcess Immune Pruning of Synapses in Neural Cells Derived From Patients with SchizophreniaResearchers have directly observed excessive synaptic pruning in cells derived from people with schizophrenia.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·January 18, 2022·7 min readStudy Highlights Connections Between Addictive Drugs and Brain Function in MiceStudy reveals the specific changes that occur in the brains of mice exposed to cocaine. The findings shed new light on the role of dopamine in addiction, and provide new insight into dopamine transmission in the brain.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 15, 2020·5 min readAutism in males linked to defect in brain immune cells and microgliaAn over-production of eIF4E impairs microglial cells, hampering their ability to effectively prune synapses and leading to autism-like behaviors in male mouse models of ASD.Read More