Neuroscience News and Research

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Psilocybin shows promise for treating depression and improving well-being

A direct comparison between the experimental psychedelic drug psilocybin and a standard SSRI antidepressant shows similar improvement of depressive symptoms, but that psilocybin offers additional longer-term benefits.

22 Sep 2024

Mount Sinai expands psychedelic research center with major donation from Parsons Foundation

Mount Sinai Health System this week celebrated the opening of an expansion of its psychedelic psychotherapy research center into a new location and announced a foundational $5 million gift from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

20 Sep 2024

Amyloid-β and tau disrupt brain activity, driving early cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s risk

Researchers discover how amyloid-β and tau pathologies interact to drive early neurophysiological changes and cognitive decline in older adults at risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

20 Sep 2024

New research strengthens the case for a zoonotic origin of COVID-19

A new international collaborative study provides a list of the wildlife species present at the market from which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely arose in late 2019. The study is based on a new analysis of metatranscriptomic data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

20 Sep 2024

An evolutionary ancient brain region drives modern-day cognition

The superior colliculus is a midbrain region that is traditionally thought to help animals orient themselves toward important locations in space, like directing their eyes and head toward a bright flash of light. New research from the University of Chicago shows that this part of the brain also plays a role in complex cognitive tasks like visual categorization and decision making.

19 Sep 2024

New curriculum aims to address substance use disorders in medical education

Nearly 6,000 opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in California in 2021, many due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.

19 Sep 2024

Primary care physicians face rising complexity of mental health concerns

An examination of millions of patient visits to primary care physicians shows that mental health concerns are second only to musculoskeletal complaints in everyday care.

19 Sep 2024

Study reveals links between bodily rhythms and visual perception

A study funded by the SNSF highlights previously unknown links between the body and the brain. The findings of this research carried out at the University of Fribourg show how our bodily rhythms affect our visual perception.

19 Sep 2024

Researchers uncover receptor that dampens sensory input

Signals in our brain are not always processed in the same way: Certain receptors modulate these mechanisms, influencing our mood, perception, and behavior in various ways. One of these is the 5-HT2A receptor, which has a recently discovered unique characteristic.

18 Sep 2024

New biomarkers offer hope for early detection and prevention of Alzheimer's

The failure to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia in the elderly, at an early stage of molecular pathology is considered a major reason why treatments fail in clinical trials. Previous research to molecularly diagnose Alzheimer's disease yielded "A/T/N" central biomarkers based on the measurements of proteins, β-amyloid ("A") and tau ("T"), and "N" encompassing neurodegeneration. A/T/N can be measured in brain tissue, by in vivo brain imaging techniques, and by analysis of cerebrospinal fluid and plasma.

18 Sep 2024

New tool unveils dynamic changes in brain extracellular matrix

Between and around the billions of neurons in the human brain is an equally vital scaffold, the extracellular matrix (ECM).

18 Sep 2024

Study helps explain why having ApoE4 increases risk of neurodegeneration

A new study helps explain why having ApoE4—the gene variant most closely linked to Alzheimer's disease—increases the risk of neurodegeneration and white matter damage.

18 Sep 2024

MIND diet may reduce cognitive decline risk, study suggests

People whose diet more closely resembles the MIND diet may have a lower risk of cognitive impairment, according to a study published in the September 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Results were similar for Black and white participants.

18 Sep 2024

Study links diabetes drugs to lower risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease

A class of drugs for diabetes may be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the September 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Sep 2024

Understanding brain activity shifts in Alzheimer’s disease

Amyloid-beta and tau proteins have long been associated with Alzheimer's disease. The pathological buildup of these proteins leads to cognitive decline in people with the disease.

18 Sep 2024

Study reveals sequential neuronal activation regulating food intake

The process of food intake appears to be organized at the cellular level like a relay race: during eating, the baton is passed between different teams of neurons until we have consumed the appropriate amount of energy.

17 Sep 2024

Research reveals only a few brain regions remain untouched by transition to motherhood

Research shows pregnancy triggers neuroanatomical changes in the brain, with decreased cortical volume and increased white matter integrity over gestation.

17 Sep 2024

New research reveals dynamic brain changes throughout pregnancy

Pregnancy is a transformative time in a person's life where the body undergoes rapid physiological adaptations to prepare for motherhood - that we all know.

16 Sep 2024

New microscopy technique detects early Parkinson's disease indicators

Researchers at Tel Aviv University cooperated with three major Israeli medical centers to develop a new method for detecting protein aggregation in cells – a hallmark of Parkinson's disease.

16 Sep 2024

New survey highlights gaps in menopause knowledge and management

The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, in partnership with leading sexual wellbeing company the Lovehoney Group and its Womanizer brand, has released early data from new nationally representative surveys exploring menopause knowledge, symptom management, medical care engagement, and health disparities among Americans.

16 Sep 2024