Hypothalamus News and Research

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The Hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst.

Study reveals key role of opsin 3 in regulating food intake and energy balance

Scientists discovered years ago that the hypothalamus - which helps to manage body temperature, hunger, sex drive, sleep and more - includes neurons that express the protein opsin 3 (OPN3).

14 Feb 2025

Exercise improves brain insulin sensitivity and lowers dementia risk in older adults with prediabetes

Researchers explore the impact of exercise on the short-term regulation of insulin pathways in brain circuits.

28 Jan 2025

Innovative research links biometric data to mood prediction in shift workers

The CORONA virus pandemic also brought about a pandemic of mental illness. Approximately one billion people worldwide suffer from various psychiatric conditions. Korea is one of more serious cases, with approximately 1.8 million patients exhibiting depression and anxiety disorders, and the total number of patients with clinical mental diseases has increased by 37% in five years to approximately 4.65 million.

22 Jan 2025

Scientists uncover how aging rewires the brain's molecular landscape

Scientists mapped how aging alters gene expression across brain cell types in mice, revealing immune activation, neuronal decline, and hypothalamus-specific changes that may impact aging and neurodegeneration.

2 Jan 2025

Brain mapping reveals cell-specific aging patterns

Based on new brain mapping research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), scientists have discovered that not all cell types in the brain age in the same way.

1 Jan 2025

Study reveals brain circuits and chemical messengers behind the regulation of meal initiation

When you are feeling hungry, the brain takes the necessary steps toward consuming a meal. Many of these steps are not well known, but a new study published in the journal Metabolism by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reveals brain circuits and chemical messengers that contribute to the regulation of meal initiation and food intake.

20 Dec 2024

Study reveals tumor and immune cell interactions in craniopharyngiomas

Craniopharyngiomas are brain tumors that negatively impact the hormonal function of the nearby pituitary.

16 Dec 2024

The brain’s hunger switch: TRH neurons hold the key to obesity therapies

Scientists uncover how TRH neurons suppress hunger by inhibiting AgRP neurons, advancing our understanding of GLP-1-based obesity treatments.

9 Dec 2024

Discovery of leptin-responsive neurons offers new hope for obesity treatment

Obesity affects a staggering 40 percent of adults and 20 percent of children in the United States. While some new popular therapies are helping to tackle the epidemic of obesity, there is still so much that researchers do not understand about the brain-body connection that regulates appetite.

5 Dec 2024

Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation restores walking after spinal cord injury

Scientists have identified neurons in the lateral hypothalamus that can be targeted through deep brain stimulation to improve walking after spinal cord injury (SCI). This innovative approach shows promise in both animal models and initial human trials, paving the way for groundbreaking treatments.

2 Dec 2024

Hypothalamic DBS therapy improves recovery of lower limb movements after spinal cord injury

Researchers at EPFL and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), led by professors Grégoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch, have achieved a major milestone in the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI).

2 Dec 2024

New insights into leptin's role in hypothalamic neural circuit development

Researchers from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences have uncovered the first example of activity-dependent development of hypothalamic neural circuitry.

25 Nov 2024

New discovery in the peripheral nervous system could help control obesity

An international team of researchers has discovered a new component of the peripheral nervous system that acts by increasing energy metabolism in the body.

25 Nov 2024

Researchers identify brain circuit behind sexual rejection in females

A team from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) has pinpointed a critical neural circuit for sexual rejection, identifying a set of brain cells that play a crucial role in determining whether a female accepts or rejects mating attempts based on her reproductive cycle.

25 Nov 2024

Novel compound BHB-Phe could offer new approach to weight loss

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions report in the journal Cell the discovery of BHB-Phe, a novel compound produced by the body that regulates appetite and body weight through interactions with neurons in the brain.

12 Nov 2024

How gut bacteria regulate stress and sleep cycles

This study reveals that gut microbiota, particularly Lactobacillus species, regulate the daily rhythm of stress hormones like corticosterone, influencing stress responses and brain function at different times of the day. Disruptions in gut bacteria lead to altered stress responses and increased susceptibility to disorders like depression.

10 Nov 2024