Amygdala News and Research

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Study may help explain the symptoms and organs involved with SARS-CoV-2 infection

A study of a gateway receptor for SARS-CoV-2 led by Walter Lukiw, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience, Neurology and Ophthalmology at LSU Health New Orleans' Neuroscience Center of Excellence and School of Medicine, may help explain the wide variety of symptoms and organs involved with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19.

28 Aug 2020

Act of smiling can trick the human mind to be more positive

From Sinatra to Katy Perry, celebrities have long sung about the power of a smile - how it picks you up, changes your outlook, and generally makes you feel better.

14 Aug 2020

Anxiety and depression coexisting could cause physical changes to the brain

A new study from the researchers at the Australian National University shows that there may be physical changes in the brain volume among persons who have coexisting and anxiety and depressive disorders.

6 Aug 2020

Study reveals how two key neural circuits control social preference

Some individuals love meeting new people, while others abhor the idea. For individuals with conditions such as autism, unfamiliar social interactions can produce negative emotions such as fear and anxiety. A new study from Scripps Research reveals how two key neural circuits dictate the choice between social approach and avoidance.

14 Jul 2020

Study may lead to new treatments for people with PTSD and memory disorders

Memories linked with strong emotions often become seared in the brain.Most people can remember where they were on 9/11, or what the weather was like on the day their first child was born. Memories about world events on Sept 10, or lunch last Tuesday, have long been erased.

14 Jul 2020

UNM study sheds new light on transition of fear to anxiety

A deadly coronavirus pandemic, economic instability and civil unrest menace the mental well-being of millions.

9 Jul 2020

DNA hypermethylation correlated with reduced amygdala volume in male patients with schizophrenia

Researchers at Kumamoto University, Japan have revealed that DNA methylation occurs in the gene that codes serotonin transporter (SERT), a protein that regulates neurotransmitter transmission, in schizophrenia and bipolar patients.

9 Jul 2020

UIC Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics receives $8.2 million NIH grant

The University of Illinois at Chicago received $8.2 million from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to continue the Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics and its research on how alcohol affects genes through epigenetics -- chemical changes to DNA, RNA or proteins that alter the expression of genes without directly modifying them.

4 Jun 2020

Research shows how traumatic stress can cause aggression

Traumatic stress can cause aggression by strengthening two brain pathways involved in emotion, according to research recently published in JNeurosci.

13 May 2020

Study reveals how the brain processes sensory cues and generates survival behaviors

You know that feeling when everything suddenly goes quiet? Researchers have identified a novel neural circuit that plays a critical role in processing sound cues of danger to trigger defense responses in rats when silence falls.

13 May 2020

Gut microbiome influences pattern of activation in rat’s brain during opioid addiction

When Sierra Simpson was in college, she was sick for a year with recurring fevers and vomiting. Her doctors couldn't figure out what she had. Suspecting a bacterial infection, they tried treating her with high doses of antibiotics.

27 Apr 2020

Researchers find a key brain region for controlling binge drinking

A team of National Institutes of Health-funded researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina has found that deactivating a stress-signaling system in a brain area known for motivation and emotion-related behaviors decreases binge drinking.

17 Apr 2020

Study: Genetic and neural factors influence ADHD diagnosis

Genetic studies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show that it takes many common genetic variations combining together in one individual to increase risk substantially.

1 Apr 2020

Cannabinoid 1 receptor expression displays sexually dimorphic pattern in the mouse brain

A major challenge in neuroscience lies in understanding how molecular and circuit differences in the brain synergistically contribute to sex differences in behavioral phenotypes. Sex differences in the brain may arise from the identity, distribution and relative abundance of cell types.

17 Mar 2020

Mouse study shows how associative fear memory is formed in the brain

How does the brain form "fear memory" that links a traumatic event to a particular situation? A pair of researchers at the University of California, Riverside, may have found an answer.

13 Mar 2020

Researchers uncover novel neurotransmitter system in the brain

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals between neurons or from neurons to other cells. They interact with specific receptors found in the brain of humans and animals, controlling a variety of biological processes, e.g. fear, anger, pleasure, memory, energy, appetite and sleep.

5 Mar 2020

Optimizing the use of oxytocin to help people overcome social difficulties

Oxytocin is known for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding and it has also been shown to have a wider application in the development and regulation of social behavior in many species.

3 Mar 2020

Researchers find the potential of opioid drug to help mask fear memory

Anxiety disorders such as phobias and PTSD are fairly common problems in society. One of the prime causes of anxiety disorders is the inability to overcome the fear for certain contexts when they no longer apply.

19 Feb 2020

New study provides clear picture of brain abnormalities associated with schizophrenia

What if the key to a better understanding of schizophrenia has been here all along--but researchers haven't had the resources to study it?

12 Feb 2020

Pheromone darcin changes brains of female mice

Pheromones are chemicals that animals produce to change the behavior of another animal of the same species. Many species use these chemicals to communicate information about the location, sexual, and social status of potential partners. A team of researchers from Columbia University may have unlocked how the pheromone darcin, aids in attracting mice of the opposite sex.

2 Feb 2020