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thalamus

·June 5, 2020·3 min read

NMDA receptors may link psychosis and sleep deficits

NMDA receptor hypofunction is involved in the reduction of sleep spindles and delta oscillations, which appear in the brain during deep natural sleep. Findings confirm the role NMDA receptors play in sleep disorders that accompany psychotic states.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 29, 2020·3 min read

Age, sex and smoking influence opioid receptor function in the brain

Age, sex, and gender influence the organization of the brain's opioid system. Findings shed light on why there are significant differences between the opioid system on an individual level, and why some are more prone to developing opioid-linked pathologies than others.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 26, 2020·5 min read

Schizophrenia: When the thalamus misleads the ear

A new study reports hyper-connectivity between substructures of the thalamus, and the cerebral cortex may be responsible for auditory hallucinations associated with schizophrenia.

This shows a woman in a creepy house looking scared

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 12, 2020·2 min read

How the brain responds to the sudden sound of silent danger

Study provides insight into the neural mechanisms of how prey animals use the sounds or actions of others to infer danger and respond defensively.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 4, 2020·4 min read

Exercise boosts motor skill learning via changes in brain’s transmitters

Neurons in the caudal pedunculopontine nucleus, an area of the brain that regulates motor coordination, switch neurotransmitters from acetylcholine to GABA as a result of exercise. The switch appears to provide feedback control that regulates motor coordination and skill learning.

This shows the tactile stimulation device

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 15, 2020·5 min read

How expectations influence learning

Our brains make predictions based on experience during episodes of learning. Researchers found expectations during the predictions affect the activity of various brain networks.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 5, 2020·2 min read

COVID-19 linked to rare form of encephalitis

A patient who tested positive for COVID-19 developed acute necrotizing encephalitis (ANE) as a result of the coronavirus infection. An MRI scan revealed the patient had lesions in the thalamus and temporal lobes, areas of the brain implicated in consciousness, sensation, and memory function. Researchers advise doctors to look out for COVID-19 patients who present with altered levels of consciousness, as this may be symptomatic of ANE.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 1, 2020·6 min read

Second Type of Schizophrenia Discovered

Combining neuroimaging data with artificial intelligence, researchers have identified two distinct neuroanatomical subtypes of schizophrenia. The first, more typical subtype is associated with a lower widespread volume of gray matter compared to healthy controls. In the second subtype, gray matter volume is largely similar to healthy brains.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·February 23, 2020·4 min read

Iron in brain shows cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s

The measure of iron in the brain may help doctors predict which patients with Parkinson's disease are most likely to develop dementia.

This is a 3d reconstruction of a synapse

Featured Neuroscience

·February 19, 2020·4 min read

Researchers identify neurons capable of coordinating functional networks in the brain

A single neuron, through its axon, is capable of simultaneously producing different effects in separate areas of the cerebral cortex.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·February 12, 2020·5 min read

Multi-center neuroimaging study offers new insights on schizophrenia

Those with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome had significantly lower brain volume, as well as lower volumes in specific structures, including the thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala.