Alzheimer’s disease destroys neurons that keep us awake
Tau accumulations disrupt wake-promoting neurons. The findings help explain why day-time napping and sleep disruptions are often reported in Alzheimer's patients.... Read More...
UCSF
1 in 300 thrives on very-early-to-bed, very-early-to-rise routine
Advanced sleep phase may affect as many as one in 300 people, and may be the result of a genetic trait.... Read More...
Team IDs Spoken Words and Phrases in Real Time from Brain’s Speech Signals
Using ECoG and machine learning, researchers decoded spoken words and phrases in real-time from brain signals that control speech. The technology could eventually be used to help those who have lost vocal control to regain their voice.... Read More...
Mood neurons mature during adolescence
Late developing neurons in the amygdala may be responsible for emotional development and mood disorders, researchers report. ... Read More...
Algorithm that Tailors Digital Meditation Program Improves Attention and Memory
MediTrain, a new app-based program that uses a closed-loop algorithm to tailor the length of meditation sessions to a person's ability, can improve memory and attention in younger people.... Read More...
Brain changes in autism traced to specific cell types
Studying brain tissue samples from people with ASD revealed a common set of alterations in genes associated with synaptic communication between neurons. The changes were identified mainly in neurons in the uppermost layers of the neocortex. ... Read More...
Alzheimer’s disease is a ‘double-prion disorder’
Self-propagating amyloid and tau act as prions in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Higher levels of the prions in human brain samples were strongly correlated with early onset of Alzheimer's and death at a younger age.... Read More...
To boldly go or anxiously hang back? Mouse Study
Inhibiting VIP interneurons disrupts medial prefrontal cortex representations of anxiety-related information which drive avoidance behaviors. ... Read More...
Had Enough Water? Brain’s Thirst Centers Make a Gut Check
Hydration signals from the gut travel via the vagus nerve to activate thirst neurons in the SFO. These neurons signal to cells in the median preoptic nucleus, driving animals to drink and the kidneys to conserve water in the bloodstream.... Read More...
CRISPR Gene Editing Makes Stem Cells ‘Invisible’ to Immune System
Researchers say the new technique can help prevent transplant rejection.... Read More...
Sugar’s Sick Secrets: How Industry Forces Have Manipulated Science to Downplay the Harm
UCSF researchers report the food and beverage industries push sugary products while obfuscating the significant health issues added sugars can cause. The findings shed light on sugars' link to disease and exposes industrial tactics to downplay the public health risks of diets too high in sugar.... Read More...
The Mysteries of the Super-Ager Revealed
Scientific research is helping to unlock the secrets behind why some people live to become super-agers. Researchers propose ways in which we can slow the aging process and extend our life spans.... Read More...