FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·July 29, 2019·2 min readImpaired brain activity in rats with family history of alcohol abuseNeural patterns of activity in the medial prefrontal cortex associated with the intention to drink alcohol are influenced by the genetic risk for alcohol use disorder.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·July 28, 2019·4 min readCBD and genetic testing provide hope for ‘intractable’ epilepsy in childrenGenetic testing can help identify children at risk of epilepsy, in addition to identifying new genetic mutations associated with the condition. Using CBD based medications can also help reduce seizures in children with epilepsy.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·July 27, 2019·3 min readGenes underscore five psychiatric disordersNineteen gene sets have been identified that contribute to at least five psychiatric disorders. The gene sets were associated with ADHD, ASD, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·July 26, 2019·3 min readBrain region linked to altered social interactions in autism modelThe anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a critical role in regulating social behaviors. In mouse models of ASD, dysfunction in the ACC was linked to social impairments associated with the disorder.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·July 25, 2019·5 min readExploring genetic ‘dark matter,’ researchers gain new insights into autism and strokeStudy illuminates the role of non-coding mutations in autism spectrum disorder. Researchers say non-coding mutations may also shed light on an array of other neurological and health disorders.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 25, 2019·4 min readTo become, or not to become… a neuronBcl6 acts as a driver of neurogenic transition by directly silencing a selection of genes that belong to multiple extrinsic pathways promoting self-renewal. Bcl6 is only expressed in specific subsets of neurons and progenitor cells during brain development.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceNeuroscience Videos·July 25, 2019·4 min readResearchers discover new cause of cell agingFindings have applications for senolyics, the development of drugs that could eliminate aging cells.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 25, 2019·4 min readBrain protein mutation from child with autism causes autism-like behavioral change in miceResearchers implanted a genetic mutation that encodes the DAT protein from a child with ASD into mice. The mice began to exhibit autism-like behavioral deficits. Mice with the DAT T356M mutation had reduced social interaction and a loss in social dominance. The mice also demonstrated an increase in hyperactivity. At the physiological level, the researchers found impaired striatal dopamine transmission and clearance.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·July 23, 2019·3 min readFingerprint of Multiple Sclerosis Immune Cells IdentifiedT helper cells in the blood of patients with multiple sclerosis infiltrate the central nervous system, causing inflammation and neural damage.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 22, 2019·4 min readExosomes may hold the answer to treating and diagnosing developmental brain disordersExosomes carry signaling information required to regulate neural circuit development.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·July 22, 2019·3 min readStudy finds Nunavik Inuit are genetically uniqueCanada's Nunavik Inuit population are genetically distinct from any other known population. Certain genetic variants identified in this population are associated with a higher risk of brain aneurysms. Nunavik Inuit have distinct genetic signatures in pathways linked to lipid metabolism, allowing them to adjust to higher-fat diets and the extreme temperature of the Canadian Arctic.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·July 22, 2019·5 min readSame repeated stretch of DNA in three neurodegenerative diseasesResearchers identify the same mutation in different areas of the genome that cause at least three different diseases.Read More