The Unexpected Altruism of Mice: Unraveling the Biology of Helping Table of Contents The Unexpected Altruism of Mice: Unraveling the Biology of Helping Instinctive Response to Distress Oxytocin & altruism: How the Brain Supports Kindness Understanding Oxytocin: More Than Just Love The Neural Pathways of altruism and Oxytocin Oxytocin and Empathy: Walking in Someone Else’s … Read more
Teh Brain’s Chilling Archive: How Cold Memories Shape Metabolism Table of Contents Teh Brain’s Chilling Archive: How Cold Memories Shape Metabolism The Foundation of Cold Memory Metabolic Shifts Triggered by Past Cold unlocking Therapeutic Potential The Brain’s Chilling Prediction: How Memories of Cold Influence Metabolism Learning to Expect the Chill Unlocking the Neural Pathways of … Read more
Archyde Brain Energy Crisis: New Research Uncovers Glutamate Surge After Stroke Table of Contents 1. Brain Energy Crisis: New Research Uncovers Glutamate Surge After Stroke 2. The Brain’s Energy dependency 3. Glutamate’s Toxic Cascade 4. Self-reinforcing Damage 5. Implications and Future research 6. Counterarguments and Considerations 7. FAQ: Understanding Glutamate and Stroke 8. considering glutamate’s … Read more
image: © artoleshko | iStock A collaboration between the University of Michigan and Stanford University aims to give stroke victims the ability to ‘speak’ using brain implant technology The Marcus Foundation announced a $29.7 million grant, led by Stanford, that would support victims of aphasic stroke, who are often left struggling to communicate. The University of … Read more
Summary: Researchers have identified mutations in the non-coding gene RNU2-2 as a cause of a newly defined neurodevelopmental disorder, often accompanied by severe epilepsy. The discovery sheds light on the critical role of small non-coding genes in brain development and could affect thousands of families globally. RNU2-2 joins RNU4-2, previously linked to a related disorder, … Read more
Summary: A new study has found that delusions typically emerge before hallucinations in individuals at high risk for psychosis, overturning a long-standing belief that hallucinations drive delusional thinking. By analyzing symptom progression across three large cohorts, researchers consistently observed that delusions were the earliest symptom, reappearing even before hallucinations during relapses. The study suggests that … Read more
Summary: New research reveals that the enzyme HDAC5 plays a critical role in suppressing a gene (Scn4b) that regulates brain activity associated with drug-related memories, which are central to relapse in substance use disorders (SUDs). By limiting expression of Scn4b, HDAC5 reduces the excitability of neurons in the brain’s reward system, weakening the formation of … Read more
Summary: Researchers have identified changes in brain connectivity before and after puberty that may explain why some children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome are more susceptible to autism and schizophrenia. Using brain imaging in both mice and humans, the study found that brain regions involved in social behavior were hyperconnected in childhood but under-connected after … Read more
Summary: Researchers have long wondered why some people with high-risk Parkinson’s gene variants develop the disease while others don’t. A new study has uncovered that additional genetic players, particularly the Commander gene complex, influence whether the disease manifests. Using CRISPR interference to screen the entire genome, scientists identified how Commander proteins impact lysosomal function — … Read more
Summary: Scientists have identified a previously unknown type of neural stem cell (pNSC) that exists outside the brain and spinal cord, overturning decades of neuroscience dogma. These peripheral neural stem cells, discovered in tissues like the lung and tail of mice, share key properties with brain-derived neural stem cells, including the ability to self-renew and … Read more