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Lithium shows promise as a potential therapy for autism spectrum disorder

A groundbreaking discovery has highlighted lithium - a drug long used to treat bipolar disorder and depression - as a potential therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

23 Dec 2024

Study reveals potential Alzheimer’s risk in women using hormone replacement therapy

Hormone Replacement Therapy involves giving women synthetic oestrogen to replace depleting hormone levels and thus alleviate menopausal symptoms.

23 Dec 2024

Spatial aging clocks reveal how T cells and neural stem cells shape brain aging

Researchers developed spatial aging clocks to map brain cell aging, revealing how T cells accelerate aging and NSCs rejuvenate neighboring cells, offering new insights into brain health and interventions.

22 Dec 2024

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

The crucial role of 'chaperones' in maintaining neuronal function

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to show how proteins called "chaperones" are vital in ensuring that neurons can transmit signals to one another. When this neurotransmission breaks down, devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's along with many others, can occur.

20 Dec 2024

A new link between brain health and mitochondrial function

New findings in mice have uncovered a crucial mechanism linking neuronal activity to mitochondrial function, researchers report, revealing a potential pathway to combat age-related cognitive decline. Mitochondria play a pivotal role in meeting the dynamic energy demands of neuronal activity, producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) primarily via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS).

19 Dec 2024

SMART software offers new solution for modeling cell-signaling networks

Researchers at University of California San Diego have developed and tested a new software package, called Spatial Modeling Algorithms for Reactions and Transport (SMART), that can realistically simulate cell-signaling networks - the complex systems of molecular interactions that allow cells to respond to diverse cues from their environment.

19 Dec 2024

Innovative method to study ALS could lead to personalized treatments

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fast-progressing neurodegenerative disease with an average survival time of three years.

19 Dec 2024

Vanderbilt researchers achieve milestone in Alzheimer's drug development

Researchers at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, a clinical stage biotech within the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, have detailed the successful drug discovery of a phase I single ascending dose clinical trial of VU319, a drug for memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

19 Dec 2024

New molecular insights into the early stages of Rett syndrome

Scientists investigating the severe developmental disorder known as Rett syndrome have discovered a series of crucial molecular changes that occur long before symptoms appear.

19 Dec 2024

Chronic gut infection may play role in Alzheimer’s disease progression

Arizona State University and Banner Alzheimer's Institute researchers, along with their collaborators, have discovered a surprising link between a chronic gut infection caused by a common virus and the development of Alzheimer's disease in a subset of people.

19 Dec 2024

Brain's dual role in processing touch and hearing revealed

Ludwig van Beethoven began to lose his hearing at age 28 and was deaf by age 44. While the cause of his hearing loss remains a topic of scientific debate and ongoing revision, one thing is clear: Despite his hearing loss, Beethoven never ceased to compose music, likely because he was able to sense the vibrations of musical instruments and "hear" music through the sense of touch, researchers believe.

19 Dec 2024

Chemogenetic activation reveals male-female differences in stress resistance neural circuits

Subtle activation of a small subset of neurons in one region of the brain can make male mice resilient to, and even reverse, the detrimental effects of chronic stress. The same is true for female mice, but in a totally different region of the brain.

19 Dec 2024

Hippocampal inflammation affects behavior differently in males and females

Inflammation in the hippocampus – the brain's memory centre – significantly alters motivation and behavior in mice, including food-seeking behaviour, with notable differences between males and females, a recent study reveals.

18 Dec 2024

Space experiment shows faster maturation of brain organoids in microgravity

Microgravity is known to alter the muscles, bones, the immune system and cognition, but little is known about its specific impact on the brain.

18 Dec 2024

Modified lipid nanoparticles for targeted mRNA delivery to the brain

Penn Engineers have modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) - the revolutionary technology behind the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines - to not only cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) but also to target specific types of cells, including neurons.

18 Dec 2024

Thalamus damage plays key role in long-term stroke disability

A recent study from Simon Fraser University researchers has revealed how an overlooked type of indirect brain damage contributes to ongoing disability after a stroke.

17 Dec 2024

Zebrafish study uncovers how ketamine affects brain cells to treat depression

The decades-old anesthetic ketamine could be a game changer for treating severe depression, but there are still many questions about how the drug works, including exactly how it affects the brain's cells and circuits.

17 Dec 2024

Research reveals how the brain processes fundamental learning calculations and social interactions

In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Munir Gunes Kutlu, Assistant Professor at Temple University's Center for Substance Abuse Research, unveils revolutionary findings about how our brains process fundamental learning calculations and social interactions.

17 Dec 2024

New studies reveal how visual information is processed and distributed in the brain

Researchers at Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF), led by Prof. Vincent Bonin, have published two new studies uncovering how visual information is processed and distributed in the brain.

17 Dec 2024