Synapse News and Research

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Scientists identify the main components driving amyloid beta-associated synapse degeneration

Healthy adult brains are endowed with a vast number of synapses, structures that relay signals across nerve cells to enable communications, information processing and storage throughout the nervous system.

18 Aug 2021

Transcranial focused ultrasound shows promise to treat forms of chronic pain

Neuromodulation comprises a range of therapeutic approaches to relieving symptoms, such as pain or tremors, or to restore movement or function.

16 Aug 2021

Scientists find clues to how a specific synapse type regulates anxiety-like behavior

The mechanisms behind the organization of neuronal synapses remain unclear owing to the sheer number of genes, proteins, and neuron types involved.

12 Aug 2021

Researchers use tiny worm to trace the development of human brain

Researchers at Sinai Health have used a tiny worm to track how an animal’s brain changes throughout its lifetime, shedding new light on how human brains develop.

5 Aug 2021

'Background noise' in neurotransmission helps keep nerve connections young

Neurons communicate through rapid electrical signals that regulate the release of neurotransmitters, the brain's chemical messengers.

20 Jul 2021

Study finds sex differences in astrocyte-mediated synaptic connectivity during brain development

During development, brain cells may find different ways to connect with each other based on sex, according to researchers at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

19 Jul 2021

Autophagy disruption may be at the root of early cognitive changes in Huntington’s disease

Huntington's Disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms, and motor symptoms are often preceded by cognitive changes.

15 Jul 2021

Researchers study the role of subnuclear NSrp70 in T cell-mediated adaptive immunity

T cells are components of the body’s immune system. The ability of T cells to recognize diverse pathogens and mount a defense against them stems from the way proteins are spliced during their development and maturation.

15 Jul 2021

Research sheds light on a new mechanism for inhibitory synapse specificity in the cortex

Researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered that the cell adhesion protein IgSF11 determines the layer-specific synaptic connectivity of a distinct class of cortical interneurons.

15 Jul 2021

Researchers discover new genetic driver of autism and other developmental disorders

A research group including Kobe University's Professor TAKUMI Toru (also a Senior Visiting Scientist at RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research) and Assistant Professor TAMADA Kota, both of the Physiology Division in the Graduate School of Medicine, has revealed a causal gene (Necdin, NDN) in autism model mice that have the chromosomal abnormality called copy number variation.

9 Jul 2021

Study identifies specialized immune cells that sculpt inhibitory neurons to regulate brain wiring

From the bark of a puppy to the patter of rain against the window, our brains receive countless signals every second. Most of the time, we tune out inconsequential cues--the buzz of a fly, the soft rustle of leaves in the tree--and pay attention to important ones--the sound of a car horn, a bang on the door.

7 Jul 2021

Brain cells snap DNA strands in numerous locations to make memories

The urgency to remember a dangerous experience requires the brain to make a series of potentially dangerous moves: Neurons and other brain cells snap open their DNA in numerous locations--more than previously realized, according to a new study--to provide quick access to genetic instructions for the mechanisms of memory storage.

6 Jul 2021

New drug candidate may reduce anxiety-like behavior in mice

Anxiety, commonly termed as a feeling of fear, dread, and restlessness, is a perfectly normal reaction to stressful situations. However, a state of heightened anxiety, which is the reality for thousands of people who struggle to cope with these feelings, is called anxiety disorder.

29 Jun 2021

New study provides important clue to understand brain disorders

The brain's neurons tend to get most of the scientific attention, but a set of cells around them called astrocytes - literally, star-shaped cells - are increasingly being viewed as crucial players in guiding a brain to become properly organized.

25 Jun 2021

Turning down glial genes can help mitigate Huntington's disease pathogenesis

The brain is not a passive recipient of injury or disease. Research has shown that when neurons die and disrupt the natural flow of information they maintain with other neurons, the brain compensates by redirecting communications through other neuronal networks.

24 Jun 2021

Study offers a deeper understanding of the molecular basis for schizophrenia

A study conducted by a group of Brazilian researchers contributes to a deeper understanding of the molecular basis for schizophrenia, and potentially to the development of more specific and effective treatments for the disease.

8 Jun 2021

New study sheds light on complex brain process that helps learn and form new memories

Making memories involves more than seeing friends or taking photos. The brain constantly adapts to new information and stores memories by building connections among neurons, called synapses. How neurons do this--reaching out arm-like dendrites to communicate with other neurons--requires a ballet of genes, signaling molecules, cellular scaffolding and protein-building machinery.

19 Apr 2021

Marshall University researcher awarded $399,600 NIH grant to study sex differences in brain development

W. Christopher Risher, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biomedical sciences at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, has been awarded a $399,600 grant from the National Institutes of Health for his research on the differences in brain development between males and females.

12 Apr 2021

Researchers provide experimental evidence for synaptic plasticity in the human brain

Neuroscientists agree that a person's brain is constantly changing, rewiring itself and adapting to environmental stimuli.

31 Mar 2021

Virginia Tech neuroscientist uses NIH grant to understand astrocytic processes in the healthy brain

Of all the worlds still to be explored, among the most mysterious may be closest to home. Indeed, it may be right between your ears.

22 Mar 2021

Synapse News and Research

Scientists identify the main components driving amyloid beta-associated synapse degeneration

Transcranial focused ultrasound shows promise to treat forms of chronic pain

Scientists find clues to how a specific synapse type regulates anxiety-like behavior

Researchers use tiny worm to trace the development of human brain

'Background noise' in neurotransmission helps keep nerve connections young

Study finds sex differences in astrocyte-mediated synaptic connectivity during brain development

Autophagy disruption may be at the root of early cognitive changes in Huntington’s disease

Researchers study the role of subnuclear NSrp70 in T cell-mediated adaptive immunity

Research sheds light on a new mechanism for inhibitory synapse specificity in the cortex

Researchers discover new genetic driver of autism and other developmental disorders

Study identifies specialized immune cells that sculpt inhibitory neurons to regulate brain wiring

Brain cells snap DNA strands in numerous locations to make memories

New drug candidate may reduce anxiety-like behavior in mice

New study provides important clue to understand brain disorders

Turning down glial genes can help mitigate Huntington's disease pathogenesis

Study offers a deeper understanding of the molecular basis for schizophrenia

New study sheds light on complex brain process that helps learn and form new memories

Marshall University researcher awarded $399,600 NIH grant to study sex differences in brain development

Researchers provide experimental evidence for synaptic plasticity in the human brain

Virginia Tech neuroscientist uses NIH grant to understand astrocytic processes in the healthy brain

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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