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University of Minnesota

Brain Cancer Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·July 10, 2025·4 min read

Cancer Pathway Found to Weaken Brain and Eye Barriers

Researchers have uncovered a surprising connection between a cancer-related signaling pathway and the blood-brain and blood-retina barriers. The study shows that the tumor-suppressing protein p53 weakens the Norrin/Frizzled4 pathway, which is crucial for maintaining these protective barriers.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 13, 2025·3 min read

Different Autism Genes, Same Brain Signature

New research shows that different genetic forms of autism may produce a shared brain activity pattern, revealing a potential common neural signature despite distinct genetic origins. Using brain-wide recordings in preclinical models, scientists observed that autism-linked mutations affected how expectations are updated during decision-making.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 5, 2025·4 min read

Anxiety and Apathy Affect Decision-Making in Opposite Ways

A new study reveals that anxiety and apathy lead to fundamentally different patterns in decision-making under uncertainty. Anxious individuals perceive their environment as highly volatile, leading them to explore more options, especially after negative outcomes.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 21, 2024·3 min read

Brain’s Self-Organization is Key to Development

A new study reveals that the brain's cortex can self-organize during development, transforming unorganized inputs into highly structured activity patterns. This self-organization is guided by mathematical rules similar to those found in other natural systems. Disruptions in these patterns could impact sensory perception and contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·March 11, 2024·4 min read

Brain’s Unified Blueprint: Shaping Early Neurodevelopment

Researchers provided new insights into brain development, revealing that different brain regions share a similar organizational structure in early stages rather than being pre-specialized. This finding, supported by advanced optical imaging, suggests a universal blueprint for brain development, which has significant implications for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 6, 2023·3 min read

The Cerebellum is Key to Unlocking Social Memory Woes

Researchers made a pivotal discovery about the cerebellum's role in social recognition memory, potentially revolutionizing treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. By modulating cerebellar activity in preclinical models, they found it crucial for retrieving social information, a function often deteriorating in dementia patients.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 1, 2023·4 min read

Untangling the Human Mind: The Interplay Between Cognition and Personality

Researchers make strides in mapping the complex interplay between human cognition and personality traits. This study synthesized data from over 1,300 studies globally, representing 2 million participants, to examine how personality traits and cognitive abilities intertwine.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 8, 2023·5 min read

New Technique Rapidly Detects Parkinson’s and Chronic Wasting Disease

Researchers have developed a faster and more accurate diagnostic technique for the detection of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and chronic wasting disease (CWD). The method dramatically improves the performance of advanced protein-misfolding detection methods.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 13, 2023·4 min read

The Dynamics of Memory-Encoding Synapses in the Brains of Live Mice

Researchers used neuroimaging technology to show the creation and elimination of synapses between neurons in the brains of living mice. The findings provide insight into what happens when memories are created and forgotten. The research could pave the way for new treatments for PTSD.

This shows the outline of a body surrounded by lightening bolts and sound waves

Featured Neuroscience Pain

·August 11, 2022·5 min read

Sound Plus Electrical Body Stimulation Has Potential to Treat Chronic Pain

Combining electrical stimulation with sounds that activate the somatosensory cortex could help bring relief to those suffering from chronic pain and other neurological conditions.

This shows a child playing with building blocks

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·June 23, 2022·4 min read

Researchers Discover Solutions to Gender Bias in Autism Diagnoses

Study reports girls and boys show similar rates of concern for ASD and identifies several biases contributing to the inflated sex ratio for autism diagnosis. The findings could help with the early identification of girls on the autism spectrum.