FeaturedNeuroscience·October 12, 2020·5 min readMosquitoes’ Taste for Blood Traced to Four Types of NeuronsThe sense of taste in female mosquitoes is specially tuned to detect at least four different substances in blood.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·June 11, 2020·2 min readCOVID-19 threatens the entire nervous systemRoughly 50% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms including headaches, dizziness, smell and taste disorders, and stroke, a new study reports. Coronavirus may affect the entire nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and muscles. Neurological symptoms of COVID-19 may appear before the fever and cough commonly associated with infection.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 21, 2020·3 min readCoffee changes our sense of tasteDrinking coffee makes your taste buds more sensitive to sweetness, a new study reports.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·April 13, 2020·4 min readLoss of smell and taste validated as COVID-19 symptoms in patients with high recovery rateStudy confirms sensory loss associated with taste and smell is strongly linked to early coronavirus infection. Based on the findings, people who report olfactory or taste loss are ten times more likely to have COVID-19 than other infections. Patients reported their sensory loss to be profound rather than mild. Encouragingly, the rate of sensory recovery was high, with patients reporting a return of normal smell and taste function within two to four weeks, which matches the time of disease recovery. Researchers also found people who reported sore throats more often tested negative for COVID-19.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 9, 2020·4 min readThe science of how diet can change the way sugar tastesTaste perception appears to be controlled by dopamine in fruit fly models. Tracing the neural pathway, researchers found the same pathways were associated with controlling learning and memory. The network also appears to enhance taste sensations. Researchers also discovered eating lots of sugar suppresses sweet taste perception.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·April 1, 2020·2 min readLoss of smell and taste is strongest predictor of early COVID-19 infectionUser data from a new COVID-19 symptom tracking app reveals a loss of taste and smell are the strongest predictors of a positive coronavirus diagnosis. Using the data, researchers have developed a model to identify which combination of symptoms together could best predict COVID-19 infection in individuals.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·January 27, 2020·3 min readNew look at odd holes involved in taste, Alzheimer’s, and asthmaMicroscopy study sheds light on the function of two calcium homeostasis modulators.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 22, 2020·5 min readWhat it’s like to live without a sense of smell?Olfactory disturbances have wide-ranging implications for both the mental health and emotional well being of sufferers.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 17, 2019·3 min readHow hunger makes food tastierStudy identifies the neural circuits that cause hunger-induced increases in the preference for sweet foods and decreased sensitivity to aversive tastes.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·September 21, 2019·6 min readResearchers hone in on the elusive receptor for sour tasteOTOP1 has been confirmed as a sour taste receptor. The protein is essential and sufficient for sour taste receptor cells to respond to acids and stimulate the nerves that enable sour taste perception.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·August 26, 2019·3 min readObesity tied to weakened response to tasteHigh-fat diets produce blunted, more prevalent responses to taste in the brain and weaken the association of taste responses with ingestive behaviors.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·June 9, 2019·4 min readPosture impacts how you perceive your foodWhether you stand up to eat or sit for dinner, your posture influences how much you enjoy your meal. Standing to eat mutes taste perception and reduces sensory sensitivity, resulting in a decreased enjoyment of food.Read More