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Showing posts from February, 2022

How Opioid Use Affects Offspring

Opioid use prior to pregnancy raises the risk that male offspring will develop type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, a new rat study finds. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/zouUXx2

MRI Images Epigenetics in the Brain

Researchers have developed a new imaging approach that captures DNA methylation in the brain. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/JPqXDjb

A New Molecular Pathway Shared by Two Neurodegenerative Disorders Discovered

Mislocalization of the TDP-43 protein alters the genetic instructions for UNC13A. The findings provide a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of ALS and frontotemporal dementia. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/45qUMyR

Familiar Objects Can Prevent Autism-Like Behaviors in Mouse Model

Exposing mice with the autism-associated SHANK3 genetic mutation to new environments can trigger autism-like behaviors, including repetitive movements and problems with social engagement. However, adding familiar objects to the novel environment during the first exposure can reduce the behavioral and brain signaling deficits. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/qZ05Rpc

Physical Fitness Linked to Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

A new study links cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults to a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Older adults with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness have a 33% reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/1qbTO6N

Nostalgia Can Relieve Pain

Viewing nostalgic images of items and scenes associated with childhood can help to reduce pain perception. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/OVJXamu

Extreme Heat Linked to Increase in Mental Health Emergency Care

Days of extreme heat are associated with increased rates of emergency room visits for mental health-related disorders, specifically stress, anxiety, mood disorders, and substance use disorders. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3HSKMQy

Acute Stress Leads to Dynamic Changes in the Brain

During moments of acute stress, different brain networks alter their communication over the course of the stressful situation. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/LtExv5R

‘Maladaptive’ Coping Mechanisms Contribute to Poor Sleep Quality

People who experience sleep problems and attempt to alter their sleep patterns via maladaptive coping mechanisms, such as napping or using sleep aids, may experience worse quality of sleep. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/oxbifka

Bond Between Mothers and Their Babies Integral to Infant Development

A mother's positive perception of her bond with her infant is a marker for more optimal social, emotional, and behavioral development. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/tnJwT5k

ADHD Linked to Hoarding Behavior

People with ADHD are significantly more likely to develop hoarding behaviors, a new study finds. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/7QDqzNs

How Neurons Find Their Place

Using an advanced microscopy technique, researchers discovered the role adhesion molecules play in guiding neurons into their correct location. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/xPCARQ7

Children May Instinctively Know How to Do Division Even Before Hitting the Books

A child's ability to perform approximate calculations extends to true division. The findings may provide a basis for strategies for teaching mathematical concepts. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/kd0hQuo

Touch Sensitive Brain Cells Controlled by Micromagnets

A newly developed technique allows researchers to remotely active neurons with the aid of microscopic magnetic particles. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/rSwW3DK

Assessing Connections in the Brain’s Reading Network

Neuroimaging reveals surprisingly few links between white matter structure and reading ability in children. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/meEjLOa

New Information About the Effects of Sleep on the Human Brain

Study sheds light on how various types of pulsations in the brain change while a person sleeps. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/wOMdA6y

Is There a Genetic Link Between the Risk of Schizophrenia and the Surface of the Brain?

Specific genes that contribute as risks for developing schizophrenia also affect the thickness and size of the brain's surface. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/edUlZm4

Having a Poor Score on a Simple Memory Test May Be Linked to Alzheimer’s Biomarkers

Even for older people experiencing no general memory or thinking problems, performing poorly on a simple memory test may be linked to biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3FAvfha

Gene Allowing Humans to Feel Touch May Play a Role in Sense of Smell

A gene commonly associated with the sense of touch may also play an important role in the sense of smell, researchers report. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/JqP0h8d

Siblings of Children With Disabilities May Have Greater Cognitive Empathy

Children who had a sibling with a developmental disorder scored higher in cognitive empathy than those who had typically developing siblings. However, there were no differences in emotional empathy or prosocial behaviors between those who had neurotypical or neurodivergent siblings. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/mxyX5eR

Moms at Highest Risk for Postpartum Depression Identified

Younger mothers, first time moms, and women who give birth to twins are at the highest risk of developing postpartum depression, a new study reports. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/hIFptmo

Disliking Music: What’s the Point?

A new study explores music aversion, finding musical dislike may facilitate identity expression and help demarcate social groups. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/H6EDeXx

It’s the Rhythm That Counts

Study reveals how rhythmic brain activity shapes our perception. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/jcBD04W

Interplay Between Brain Networks in Autism

Findings provide a mechanistic explanation of why people with autism display more internally focused cognition, including mind wandering, and less focus on external cues. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/y8dIlAe

Plant Product Shows Promise in Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Kushen, a dried root of a pea plant, may alleviate symptoms of neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease when combined with an enzyme inhibitor. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/a5kMnlE

Singing in the Brain

Researchers have identified a population of neurons in the auditory cortex that responds to singing, but not any other type of music. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/HdXqDlk

What Happens in Our Brain When We Die?

A new study reveals brain oscillations associated with memory retrieval alter in the moments before death, suggesting the brain may replay significant life events just before we die. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/s6x9HGC

Why Young Children Are Hyper-Optimistic

Researchers say young children tend to be hyper-optimistic because they learn much less from bad outcomes than older children. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/vk92JzR

First Sexual Experience Influences Women’s Future Sexual Desire

A woman's first sexual experience impacts her sexual desire later in life, a new study reports. However, in men, the first sexual experience had little to no impact on sexual desire later in life. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/lX86VgB

Early Life Treatment Prevents Autism Symptoms From Developing in Mice

Blocking an overactive signaling pathway in the brains of mice within the first five weeks of their lives prevents autism symptoms from developing, researchers report. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/mh3Pilp

Hormone Found to Regulate Mothers’ Behavior

Prolactin, a hormone responsible for milk production in mothers, reduces a mother's investment in aggressive behaviors and helps to increase protective behaviors. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/Ry2HJIS

Cough Suppressant Knocks Some Hearts Back Into Rhythm

Researchers report some over-the-counter cough suppressants can help correct heart rhythm problems in patients with QT syndrome. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/LzaIJ94

How Recess Helps Students Learn

The combination of physical activity and social interactions children experience during recess helps reduce stress and improve focus back in the classroom. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/xbWVB2p

Dendrites May Help Neurons Perform Complicated Calculations

Different types of dendrites process incoming information in different ways before sending it to the body of the neuron. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/AdwgDeq

Illicit Amphetamine Use Linked to 5-Fold Heightened Risk of Psychosis

People who use illicit amphetamines are at a 5-fold higher risk of developing psychosis, a new study reports. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/QBuXNwz

Exercise Can Help Older Adults Retain Their Memories

Regular exercise may help reduce declines in episodic memory for older adults. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/dIbw1jo

Do We Really ‘Lose Our Filter’ as We Age?

From age-related brain shrinkage that may affect our social cognition, to feeling more confident in our own skin, researchers investigate why older people appear to lose their "filter" when it comes to some social interactions. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/Xwugqin

Understanding the Molecules and Brain Circuits Recruited by Stressful Experience

Specific inhibitory neurons in the prefrontal cortex appear to become persistently activated following acute stress. The findings may pave the way for the creation of more targeted therapeutics for stress. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/cZGNOfa

Brains of Cosmonauts Get ‘Rewired’ to Adapt to Long-Term Space Missions

The brain's structural connectivity alters as a result of long-duration space missions, a new study reports. The most significant changes were identified in white matter tracts, including the sensorimotor tract. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/GhZ3wRa

The Ethics of Research on Conscious Artificial Brains

A new ethical framework proposes researchers should already assume brain organoids already have consciousness, rather than waiting for research to confirm they do. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/LtURZYA

Differences Between Brains of Girls and Boys With Autism

In children with autism, girls had different patterns of connectivity than boys in brain areas associated with motor, language, and visuospatial attention. Generally, girls display fewer repetitive behaviors than boys, which may contribute to delays in ASD diagnosis for females. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/LbAkfNW

Bacteria in the Nose May Increase Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium that is commonly present in the nose, can invade the brain via nerves in the nasal cavity. Once the bacterium is in the central nervous system, brain cells react within days, depositing Alzheimer's-associated amyloid-beta peptides. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/0hxCmZ9

Children With Insomnia Likely to Continue to Suffer as Adults

43% of children who experience insomnia continue to experience symptoms of the sleep disorder during adolescence and into adulthood. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/E78xCjV

Study of LSD Microdosing Doesn’t Show a Therapeutic Effect

Researchers say they have found no evidence LSD microdosing improves mood or cognitive function. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/d8C2OxY

Exposure to Chemical Mixtures During Pregnancy Alters Brain Development

Exposure to a complex mixture of endocrine-disrupting chemicals during pregnancy impacts brain development and language acquisition in children. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/DFfakx7

Scientists Reveal How Venus Fly Traps Snaps Shut

Researchers have revealed the 3d structure of the Flycatcher1 protein channel which enables the Venus flytrap to close in response to prey. The findings shed light on how other mechanosensitive ion channels may operate in other plants, bacteria, and the human body. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/Q9Oke3b

Preclinical Study Finds Gut Fungi Influence Neuroimmunity and Behavior

A specific group of fungi in the intestines may protect against intestinal injury and influence social behaviors. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/76Nr8Bn

Multiple Sclerosis Study With Twins Untangles Environmental and Genetic Influences

A study of monozygotic twins allowed researchers to discover which parts of immune dysfunction in multiple sclerosis were influenced by genetics, and which were influenced by environmental factors. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/vlX35BA

Mental Disorders May Increase Risk for Subsequent Dementia

Researchers say mental health disorders experienced earlier in life may be a salient warning for increased risks of developing dementia later in life. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/c6KODWd

Microbes in Gut Might Affect Personality

Study finds there are distinct bacteria and metabolomic pathways associated with four personality traits. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/tRGzTYQ