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Genetics

Genetics articles related to neuroscience research will be listed here.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 10, 2025·5 min read

Eye Protein Levels Linked to Cognitive Decline

A new study reveals that levels of the SLIT2 protein in eye and blood samples are linked to cognitive performance in middle-aged adults. Researchers found that lower SLIT2 in vitreous humor correlated with poorer memory and global cognition, while higher SLIT2 in plasma also predicted lower cognitive scores.

This shows the outline of heads and DNA.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 9, 2025·4 min read

Evolution of Human Brain May Explain High Autism Rates

A new study suggests that autism may be linked to the rapid evolution of brain cell types unique to humans. Researchers found that outer-layer neurons in the human brain evolved far more quickly than in other apes, with significant changes in autism-associated genes.

Brain Cancer Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·September 8, 2025·6 min read

Hidden DNA Loops Linked to Early Spread of Brain Cancer

Scientists have discovered that rogue DNA rings, called extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), appear early in glioblastoma and drive its rapid growth and resistance to therapy. By combining patient data, imaging, and computational modeling, researchers found that ecDNA often carries the EGFR cancer gene and its aggressive variants.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 5, 2025·4 min read

Environment Shapes Autism-Linked Social Behaviors

A new study shows that environment significantly affects social behavior in zebrafish carrying a mutation linked to autism. In stressful, white Styrofoam tanks, the fish displayed higher anxiety and less social contact, while in familiar Plexiglass tanks their sociability improved.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 4, 2025·5 min read

Autism Gene Found to Alter Brain’s Social Hormone Signals

A new study reveals how a mutation in the Shank3 gene, associated with autism, alters social behavior by disrupting vasopressin release in the brain. In mice, this mutation reduced sociability and defensive aggression by limiting vasopressin reaching the lateral septum.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·September 2, 2025·9 min read

Alzheimer’s Linked to Epigenomic Breakdown, Not Just Plaques

A new large-scale study shows that Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the erosion of epigenomic control, where brain cells lose the ability to maintain stable gene expression. Using a multi-region atlas of 3.5 million cells, researchers found that vulnerable cells in key memory regions such as the hippocampus suffer breakdowns in nuclear compartmentalization and lose their “epigenomic information.”

This shows a map of the world with DNA and speech bubbles overlayed.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 30, 2025·5 min read

Genetics Reveal How Human Contact Shapes Language Evolution

A new study shows that genetic evidence of historical contact between populations reveals consistent patterns of language change. By combining genetic data with linguistic databases, researchers found that unrelated languages became 4–9% more similar after human contact.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 30, 2025·5 min read

“Junk DNA” Plays Key Role in Brain Development and Disease

A new study shows that repetitive DNA, once dismissed as “junk,” plays a critical role in shaping the human brain. Scientists found that LINE-1 transposons, a type of mobile DNA element, are active in stem cells and regulate key genes during early brain development.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 29, 2025·4 min read

Stem Cells Use Toggle Switch to Regenerate Neurons

Scientists have uncovered how stem cells in the olfactory system continually regenerate neurons responsible for our sense of smell. Using live zebrafish imaging, cell tracking, and single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers identified a bistable toggle switch that drives progenitor cells to commit to specific fates and self-organize into “cellular neighborhoods.”

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·August 28, 2025·4 min read

Brain Cells Behind Depression Identified

Researchers analyzing post-mortem brain tissue found two cell types altered in people with depression: excitatory neurons that regulate mood and stress, and microglia that manage inflammation. The findings highlight how depression is tied to measurable brain changes, not just emotional symptoms.

This shows a brain surrounded by proteins in a snow globe.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·August 26, 2025·6 min read

Blocking a Brain “Death Complex” Slows Alzheimer’s

Scientists have discovered that a toxic complex formed between NMDA receptors and TRPM4 channels drives neuron death in Alzheimer’s disease. Using a novel molecule called FP802, researchers were able to break apart this “death complex” in mice, preventing cognitive decline, synapse loss, and mitochondrial damage.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 21, 2025·5 min read

Gene Blueprint of Neural Stem Cells in the Brain Identified

A new study has mapped the genetic blueprint of neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs), the rare cells responsible for generating new neurons in the adult brain. Using a digital sorting algorithm and cross-species analysis, researchers identified 129 NPC-specific genes, 25 of which are already linked to neurological disorders and 15 that may explain previously unknown conditions.