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UCSD

·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 Psychology

·April 17, 2025·5 min read

Natural Disaster Trauma Disrupts Brain’s Decision Circuits

Survivors of the 2018 Camp Fire in California exhibit long-term cognitive changes, particularly in decision-making. Participants directly exposed to the wildfire showed reduced ability to choose long-term rewards and displayed hyperactivity in brain regions tied to rumination.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 21, 2025·5 min read

Mutations Drive Aging and Shape Epigenetic Clock

A new study has uncovered a direct link between somatic mutations and epigenetic modifications, challenging established views on aging. Researchers found that random genetic mutations drive predictable changes in DNA methylation, offering new insights into the relationship between mutation accumulation and epigenetic clocks.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·December 17, 2024·3 min read

Neural Stem Cell Transplants Show Promise for Spinal Injuries

A Phase I clinical trial has demonstrated the long-term safety of neural stem cell transplantation for chronic spinal cord injuries. Researchers followed four patients for five years, with two showing sustained neurological improvements, including better motor function and sensory responses.

This shows a brain, shopping carts, and bags.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 15, 2024·7 min read

Why We Buy What We Buy: The Neuroscience of Shopping

New research in neuroeconomics explores the brain processes behind shopping decisions, revealing how factors like brand recognition, pricing, and online versus in-person experiences influence purchases. The ventral striatum, a brain region linked to reward, evaluates products even without active decision-making.

This shows a dog and a communication board.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 10, 2024·5 min read

Dogs Using Soundboards Show Intentional Communication

Dogs trained to use soundboards can combine two-word buttons purposefully to communicate needs and desires, rather than randomly or by imitating their owners. Researchers analyzed over 260,000 button presses from 152 dogs, finding meaningful combinations like "outside + potty" occurring more often than chance.

This shows a teen on a phone and one jogging.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 4, 2024·5 min read

Excessive Sedentary Time in Teens Linked to Social Media Use

A global study reveals adolescents spend 8-10 hours daily on sedentary activities, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s 2-3 hour recommendation. Social media accounts are significantly linked to increased screen time and overall sedentary behavior, raising concerns about its impact on physical health.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 8, 2024·6 min read

Pathway Identified for Early Intervention in ALS Progression

Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that may trigger ALS’s earliest stages, identifying proteins that mislocalize, causing neuron degeneration. By targeting the RNA-binding protein SmD1, scientists were able to prevent key ALS proteins from leaving their protective cellular zones, preserving neuron function. The findings may lead to ALS therapies capable of halting progression before significant neurodegeneration occurs, offering potential new strategies against the disease.

This shows mitochondria, DNA and a person.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 26, 2024·3 min read

Mitochondrial DNA Linked to Gulf War Illness Severity in Veterans

Gulf War illness (GWI), a chronic fatigue condition affecting veterans, is linked to genetic variants in mitochondrial DNA. These variants, inherited through the maternal line, appear to predispose some individuals to more severe symptoms of GWI after exposure to environmental toxins.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 26, 2024·4 min read

Reversible Brain Mechanism Explains Memory Loss from Drug Abuse

Scientists have uncovered a mechanism in the brain that explains how drugs like methamphetamine and PCP impair cognitive functions, particularly memory. The study shows that these drugs trigger neurotransmitter switching in the cerebral cortex, where excitatory glutamate neurons switch to inhibitory GABA neurons, leading to memory deficits. Interestingly, researchers were able to reverse this switch and restore memory performance in mice using molecular tools and the antipsychotic drug clozapine. This discovery could pave the way for developing therapies to counteract drug-induced cognitive impairments and other brain disorders.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·September 5, 2024·6 min read

Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Pain More Than Placebo

Mindfulness meditation reduces pain by engaging distinct brain mechanisms, different from the placebo effect. Researchers found that mindfulness meditation was significantly more effective at reducing pain intensity and unpleasantness compared to placebo treatments.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 29, 2024·5 min read

Dogs Using Soundboard Buttons Understand Words

A new study reveals that dogs trained with soundboard buttons can comprehend and respond to specific words, indicating they may truly understand the words and not just react to cues from their owners. Researchers found that dogs responded appropriately to words like “play” and “outside,” regardless of who pressed the buttons, suggesting genuine word comprehension.