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·April 2, 2019·5 min read

Study reveals genes associated with heavy drinking and alcoholism

18 genetic variants have been identified which appear to be associated with alcohol use disorder and heavy drinking. Of these genes, five were overlapped, eight were associated with heavy consumption and five were linked to an increased risk of AUD. The study concluded that while heavy drinking is a risk factor for alcoholism, it is not a sufficient cause of the disorder.

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Featured Neuroscience

·April 2, 2019·4 min read

How the brain finds meaning in metaphor

EEG study reveals the use of metaphors elicits bigger N400s in the brain than abstract verbs.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 2, 2019·4 min read

Circadian clock plays unexpected role in neurodegenerative diseases

Disrupted sleep patterns may help to protect neurons in the brain in Huntington's disease.

This is a photo of a young girl with a brain drawn over her head

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 2, 2019·4 min read

Research shows impact of poverty on children’s brain activity

Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and whose mothers have lower levels of education, have weaker brain activity in areas of the brain associated with working memory and are more likely to experience attention problems.

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 2, 2019·3 min read

Dopamine conducts prefrontal cortex ensembles

Dopamine activation controls the ensemble activity of neurons and increases oscillatory activity in the prefrontal cortex.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 1, 2019·3 min read

HIV infection increases the risk of death associated with depressive symptoms in veterans

Study reveals a moderate correlation between depression and mortality in veterans with HIV, but not among those without HIV infection.

This is the chemical structure of FKBP51

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·April 1, 2019·3 min read

Depression, obesity, chronic pain could be treated by targeting the same key protein

Researchers have developed a compound that blocks the FKBP51 protein, which helps reduce chronic pain, provides positive outcomes for diet-induced obesity and improves symptoms of depression.

This shows the location of the thalamus in the brain

Featured Neuroscience

·April 1, 2019·4 min read

Thalamus and cerebral cortex interactions influence the decision on sensory perceptions

The direction of information flow and instant synchronization of the sensory thalamocortical circuit play critical roles in sensory perception.

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 1, 2019·4 min read

Just an hour of weekly walking staves off disability

One hour of walking, or other physical activity, per week, significantly increases the likelihood of maintaining a disability-free status for up to 4 years in older people at risk for osteoarthritis.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 1, 2019·4 min read

Brain growth inhibited by heavy alcohol use

Heavy drinking during adolescence negatively impacts brain development and growth. Chronic alcohol exposure reduces cerebral white matter and the development of the subcortical thalamus.

This shows the retrosplenial cortex's location in the brain and maps between UCL and Imperial College London.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 1, 2019·3 min read

Key brain region for navigating familiar places identified

The posterior hippocampus tracks distance to a newly learned location, as well as familiar environments. By contrast, when navigating a familiar location, the retrosplenial cortex takes over responsibility for tracking distance. The findings shed light on how the brain navigates and encodes spatial information.

This is a diagram of how the smart pajamas tracks bodily functions during sleep

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·April 1, 2019·4 min read

‘Smart’ pajamas could monitor and help improve sleep

Researchers have developed smart sleepwear, embedded with self-powered sensors, which monitor heart rate, sleep posture and breathing. The technology will provide useful information to researchers, as well as the general public, to help improve sleep patterns.