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Damage to brain cells reverberates to ‘bystander’ cells
Injury or disease that afflicts a relatively small number of brain cells causes a chain reaction that stops activity across a vast network of neural circuits, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University. The findings, published today in the journal Neuron, may help to explain why people can suffer from temporary but […]
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Novel form of Alzheimer’s protein found in spinal fluid indicates stage of the disease
A novel form of an Alzheimer’s protein found in the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord indicates what stage of the disease a person is in, and tracks with tangles of tau protein in the brain, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Tau tangles […]
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Astrocytes improve decision-making
Recent data from Dr. Perea’s group suggested that, apart from the role of astrocytes in the maintenance of synaptic transmission, these cells can sense and respond to synaptically released inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Yet, astrocyte-neuron communication in brain circuits and its behavioral outcome remained unknown. This study aimed at investigating whether astrocytes actively participate in information […]
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Grasping an object – model describes complete movement planning in the brain
Neuroscientists at the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen have succeeded for the first time in developing a model that can seamlessly represent the entire planning of movement from seeing an object to grasping it. Comprehensive neural and motor data from grasping experiments with two rhesus monkeys provided decisive […]
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Radicals seem to be good for the brain
Reactive oxygen molecules, also known as “free radicals”, are generally considered harmful. However as it now turns out, they control cellular processes, which are important for the brain’s ability to adapt – at least in mice. The researchers focused on the “hippocampus”, a brain area that is regarded as the control center for learning and […]
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Baby’s first breath triggers life-saving changes in the brain
A team of researchers have discovered a signaling system within the brainstem that activates almost immediately at birth to support early breathing. That first gasp that every parent cherishes appears to trigger this support system. “Birth is traumatic for the newborn, as the baby has to independently take control over various important body functions, including […]
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Hidden network of enzymes accounts for loss of brain synapses in Alzheimer’s
A new study on Alzheimer’s disease by Scripps Research scientists has revealed a previously unknown biochemical cascade in the brain that leads to the destruction of synapses, the connections between nerve cells that are responsible for memory and cognition. The findings present a fresh angle for discovering drugs that treat Alzheimer’s disease, which affects roughly […]
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How the brain decides to make an effort
Neuroscientists have provided clear visual evidence that a region of the human brain known as the ventral striatum kicks in during decision-making to weigh the costs versus the benefits of making a physical effort. Nature Human Behavior published the research by scientists at Emory University. It gives the first detailed view of ventral striatum activity […]
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Potential Means of Improving Learning and Memory in People with Mental illnesses
Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report they have identified a genetic variation in the brain tissue of a subset of deceased people — some with typical mental health and some with schizophrenia or other psychoses — that may influence cognition and IQ. In the process, they unearthed biochemical details about how the gene operates. Results of […]
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社交距离对大脑的影响
研究发现一种大脑分子，该分子可以充当动物环境中其他生物的“温度计”，斑马鱼通过机械感受和水流运动“感觉”其他人的存在，这一过程释放了脑内激素。 目前对于大脑系统是如何感知社会环境知之甚少，为了探究神经元基因是否对社会环境的急剧变化做出反应，研究员在不同的时期将斑马鱼单独或与其亲戚一起饲养，他们使用RNA测序来测量数千种神经元基因的表达水平。 结果发现在社交隔离环境中饲养的鱼类，其少数基因表达存在一致的变化，其中之一是甲状旁腺激素2（pth2），该基因编码大脑中一种相对未知的肽。pth2表达不仅追踪了其他人的存在，还追踪了他们的密度。令人意外的是，当斑马鱼被隔离时，pth2在大脑中消失了，但是当把其他鱼加到鱼缸后，其pth2的表达水平迅速升高，就像温度计读数一样。研究还证实了控制pth2表达的感觉方式不是视觉，味觉或嗅觉，而是机械感觉（受试鱼感受到其他鱼类的身体移动）。 该研究表明相对未开发的神经肽Pth2可能具有令人惊讶的作用，它可以追踪并响应动物社交环境的种群密度。很明显，其他动物的存在会对动物获得资源和最终生存产生重大影响-因此，这种神经激素很可能会调节社交大脑和行为网络。