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Genetics

Genetics articles related to neuroscience research will be listed here.

This shows an older man sitting and brains.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 18, 2025·4 min read

Sitting for Hours May Shrink the Brain

Prolonged sedentary behavior in adults over 50 is linked to cognitive decline and brain shrinkage in regions vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. Even among those who exercise regularly, spending more time sitting was associated with worse cognitive outcomes.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 18, 2025·7 min read

Parents’ Age, Ancestry, and Habits Shape New DNA Mutations

A massive genomic study has revealed that parental age, ancestry, and smoking habits subtly influence the number of new genetic mutations (de novo mutations) passed from parents to children. By analyzing whole-genome data from 10,000 parent-child trios, researchers found that most variation in mutation rates comes from parental age, especially the father’s.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 17, 2025·5 min read

Alzheimer’s Disrupts the Whole Body, Not Just the Brain

Alzheimer’s disease is traditionally seen as a brain disorder, but new research using fruit flies reveals that it also affects organs and tissues throughout the body. Scientists created an Alzheimer’s Disease Fly Cell Atlas to profile gene expression across 219 cell types in flies expressing human Alzheimer’s proteins.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 16, 2025·3 min read

Silent Switches in DNA Gave Rise to Human Intelligence

Despite sharing over 98% of our DNA with chimpanzees, humans possess strikingly advanced cognitive and emotional abilities. A new study reveals that rapid shifts in gene regulation—rather than changes in protein-coding genes—may explain this leap.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 16, 2025·4 min read

Clues in Spinal Fluid Could Unlock Early FTD Diagnosis

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a common form of early-onset dementia, is often misdiagnosed due to its overlapping symptoms with psychiatric and neurological disorders. In a new NIH-funded study, researchers identified key protein changes in spinal fluid that may serve as the first specific biomarkers for FTD in living patients.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 16, 2025·6 min read

Genetic Twist Behind Orange Cat Fur Finally Uncovered

After decades of mystery, researchers have finally identified the gene behind orange fur in domestic cats: a deletion mutation in the X-linked gene ARHGAP36. This mutation increases gene activity in pigment-producing skin cells, shifting fur color toward orange by altering pigment production pathways.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 15, 2025·5 min read

Recessive Genes May Quietly Shape Health, Learning, and Fertility

Carriers of recessive gene mutations, long thought to be unaffected, may actually face subtle disadvantages, including more medical issues, shorter educational attainment, and reduced reproductive success. A study of over 300,000 individuals reveals that people who carry recessive genes for intellectual disability are especially impacted, despite having only one mutated gene copy.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 14, 2025·5 min read

Tiny Gene Fragment Key to Memory Revealed

Researchers have discovered that a nine–amino acid microexon spliced into the DAAM1 gene is critical for memory formation, functioning exclusively in neurons. Deleting this microexon in mice resulted in fewer synaptic spines—essential structures for learning and memory—and caused a 40% decline in memory performance.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 13, 2025·5 min read

Protein Differences Between Sexes Aren’t All Genetic

An international study of 6,000 proteins across 56,000 people found that while protein levels differ significantly between males and females, most of these differences are not caused by genetics. Only about 100 proteins showed sex-specific genetic regulation, suggesting that environmental, hormonal, and lifestyle factors play a major role in shaping health outcomes.

This shows a foot radiating red light, symbolizing pain.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·May 13, 2025·7 min read

Century-Old Mystery May Hold the Key to Diabetic Nerve Pain

A little-known cellular structure called the Nageotte nodule—first described over 100 years ago—has been identified as a key feature of diabetic neuropathy in new research. These nodules, made of decayed sensory neurons and support cells, were found in abundance in the sensory ganglia of diabetic organ donors.

Brain Cancer Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 12, 2025·6 min read

Mapping the Cellular Secrets of Glioblastoma

Two landmark studies have mapped the complex cellular ecosystems of glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, offering unprecedented insights into how its diverse cells evolve and resist treatment. Using single-cell RNA sequencing on over 430,000 cells from 59 patients, researchers identified three new glioblastoma cell states and classified tumors into three overarching cellular ecosystems.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 10, 2025·4 min read

Exercise Boosts Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s

Exercise enhances the effectiveness of stem cell-derived neuron transplants in a Parkinson’s disease (PD) rat model. Transplanted neurons alone improved basic motor functions, but when combined with voluntary exercise, the rats displayed significantly better agility and paw control.

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Genetics

Sitting for Hours May Shrink the Brain

Parents’ Age, Ancestry, and Habits Shape New DNA Mutations

Alzheimer’s Disrupts the Whole Body, Not Just the Brain

Silent Switches in DNA Gave Rise to Human Intelligence

Clues in Spinal Fluid Could Unlock Early FTD Diagnosis

Genetic Twist Behind Orange Cat Fur Finally Uncovered

Recessive Genes May Quietly Shape Health, Learning, and Fertility

Tiny Gene Fragment Key to Memory Revealed

Protein Differences Between Sexes Aren’t All Genetic

Century-Old Mystery May Hold the Key to Diabetic Nerve Pain

Mapping the Cellular Secrets of Glioblastoma

Exercise Boosts Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s

Gene Key to MS Immune Regulation Discovered

Maternal Depression Linked to Weaker Bonds

Study Challenges Link Between Football and Brain Protein Buildup

Spotting Silent Scars: A New Way to Detect Childhood Abuse

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