Hypothalamus News and Research

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

Brain motor and fear circuits orchestrate the immune response to acute stress

A new study explores how acute stressors affected mice in terms of their immune responses in specific regions of the brain.

2 Jun 2022

UCI-led study identifies sex-specific circuits of muscle signaling to other tissues

A new University of California, Irvine-led study identifies sex-specific circuits of muscle signaling to other tissues and that the organs and processes muscle impacts are markedly different between males and females.

31 May 2022

Study shows how stress has a major impact on the immune system's ability to fight infections

Acute stress can be detrimental to fighting off infection, especially COVID-19, and increases the chance of dying in mouse models.

30 May 2022

Virginia Tech scientist receives $2 million to examine the brain circuit responsible for high-fat food overconsumption

Eliminating your favorite treats could make your brain want them even more, according to a Virginia Tech scientist.

26 May 2022

Distinct maternal signals rhythmically control a variety of neuronal processes, study finds

During fetal development, before the biological clock starts ticking on its own, genes within the fetus's developing clock respond to rhythmic behavior in the mother, according to a new study publishing May 24th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Alena Sumová and colleagues of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. The findings contribute to our understanding of the development of the internal clock, and may have implications for the treatment of premature babies.

25 May 2022

Exposure to cold and warm temperatures causes changes in gene expression in various organs

Human beings, like most organisms, are constantly exposed to alternating colder or warmer temperatures.

17 May 2022

Targeting specific neurons modulates memory retrieval and alters anxiety-like behaviors in mice

We humans lose mental acuity, an unfortunate side effect of aging. And for individuals with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the loss of cognitive function often accompanied by mood disorders such as anxiety is a harrowing experience.

16 May 2022

Researchers show how chronic pain leads to maladaptive anxiety in mice

Hokkaido University researchers have shown how chronic pain leads to maladaptive anxiety in mice, with implications for treatment of chronic pain-related psychiatric disorders in humans.

27 Apr 2022

Scientists demonstrate a new mechanism by which amino acids curb appetite

Proteins can suppress appetite, so a protein-rich diet can help people lose weight. That's just one of the reasons why this kind of diet has become increasingly popular in recent years.

20 Apr 2022

Scientists investigate how gut bacteria directly control the activity of specific neurons

Gut microbiota by-products circulate in the bloodstream, regulating host physiological processes including immunity, metabolism and brain functions.

15 Apr 2022

Discovery of key regulator of body weight could lead to new treatments for metabolic disorders

Yale scientists uncover key regulator of body weight. Yale scientists have discovered that a protein known as augmentor-alpha regulates body weight in mice, an insight that could lead to new treatments for metabolic disorders.

11 Apr 2022

Researchers make progress to develop a drug for treating metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome increases a person's risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, and includes conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

11 Apr 2022

Study suggests severe neuroinvasion by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals with alcohol use disorder

Researchers investigated the effect of repeated alcohol exposure and withdrawal on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane serine protease 2 expression, putative regulators of SARS-CoV-2 entry, in discrete brain regions.

4 Apr 2022

Efficacy of MVA-CoV2-S vaccination to prevent SARS-CoV-2 cerebral infection and associated damage

Researchers demonstrated that an MVA vector expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was 100% effective in preventing neuroinvasion and brain damage by SARS-CoV-2 in transgenic mice.

8 Feb 2022

Study finds higher levels of oxytocin in men with hypersexual disorder

Men with hypersexual disorder may have higher levels of oxytocin in their blood than men without the disorder, according to a small study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

2 Feb 2022

Estrogen-activated neurocircuit in females provide anti-obesity benefits

Seeking to better understand the key role the female hormone estrogen plays in maintaining energy balance and weight control, a group led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine looked into estrogen interactions with specific brain regions that provide these anti-obesity benefits.

20 Jan 2022

SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin can be used to treat insulin resistance in the brain, finds study

Overweight or obesity, an unfavorable distribution of fat in the body and the development of type 2 diabetes are often associated with a reduced effect of the hormone insulin in many organs, including the brain (insulin resistance).

21 Dec 2021

Daytime meals may reduce adverse metabolic effects associated with night shift work

A small clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health has found that eating during the nighttime—like many shift workers do—can increase glucose levels, while eating only during the daytime might prevent the higher glucose levels now linked with a nocturnal work life.

4 Dec 2021

Researchers use embryonic stem cell model to study genetic architecture in the hypothalamus

A study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has implicated several genes involved in a variety of bodily functions associated with the hypothalamus, a notoriously difficult-to-study region of the brain.

21 Nov 2021

Study reveals surprising new information about how the brain is affected by salt consumption

A first-of-its-kind study led by researchers at Georgia State reveals surprising new information about the relationship between neuron activity and blood flow deep in the brain, as well as how the brain is affected by salt consumption.

11 Nov 2021