Researchers have discovered that mutations in the FOXJ3 gene act as a “master switch” failure, disrupting how the brain builds its layers and leading to FCD, a primary cause of drug-resistant epilepsy. The study reveals how FOXJ3 controls the formation of brain cortical layers during brain development by regulating the PTEN–mTOR signaling pathway. The PTEN-mTOR … Read more
Archyde The sensation of touch, from a gentle tap to the feeling of clothing against skin, relies on a complex network of nerve cells and specialized proteins. Scientists have long known… You can read the full story here: How PIEZO2 Senses Touch: New Insights into Molecular Mechanisms & Sensory Disorders. Source link
Neuroscientists at King’s College London have pinpointed a mechanism behind the increased neural connectivity observed in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Published in Translational Psychiatry, the study also demonstrated that a cancer medication has the potential to reduce this hyperconnectivity. The research, funded by Alzheimer’s Society and conducted in brain cells of rats, showed that low levels of the protein amyloid-beta could induce … Read more
Humans and animals share a remarkable capacity to sense when others are in distress and respond with comforting behavior. But the motivation for doing so, and why it sometimes breaks down, has been poorly understood. UCLA Health researchers sought to better understand this in a new study published in Nature that uncovered the brain circuitry in mice … Read more
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have used a form of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze anatomical changes in the brain and predict Alzheimer’s disease with nearly 93% accuracy. Their research, published in the journal Neuroscience, also revealed that the anatomical changes, involving loss of brain volume, differ by age and sex. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s … Read more
Scientists propose that Parkinson’s disease may begin far from the brain, where environmental toxins, microbiome disruption, and intestinal barrier damage interact to ignite the biological cascade leading to neurodegeneration. Environmental insults reduce gut resilience and initiate convergent mechanisms that drive Parkinson’s disease. A lifetime of environmental insults (including Western diets and food additives, nano- and microplastics, … Read more
When a cocaine addict relapses, it isn’t a matter of personal failure – it’s the biological result of their brain’s rewiring, new research finds. Michigan State University scientists found that cocaine changes how the hippocampus functions, contributing to the ongoing compulsion to seek out the drug. Their National Institutes of Health-supported research, published in Science … Read more
Chronic pain is one of the most common health conditions worldwide. Back pain is the most frequently reported type, followed closely by head and face pain linked to the jaw joint, in the form of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. While not life-threatening like cancer or infectious disease, chronic pain can dramatically diminish quality of life … Read more
A multiomic atlas of the aging human hippocampus uncovers how epigenetic regulation of neural stem cells and immature neurons may shape cognitive decline or resilience in later life. Study: Human hippocampal neurogenesis in adulthood, ageing and Alzheimer’s disease. Image Credit: MP Art / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Nature, researchers delineated neurogenesis … Read more
When you scratch an itch, something tells your brain when to stop. That moment of relief, when scratching feels “enough,” is not accidental. Scientists have now identified a key molecular and neural mechanism behind this built-in braking system, shedding new light on how the body regulates itch and why this control fails in chronic conditions. … Read more