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New gene implicated in neuron diseases
Motor neurons control movement, breathing, swallowing and speaking. Their death is a hallmark of progressive diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy and ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Understanding what can cause motor neurons to die is a key to developing precision treatments. Scientists are finding that the causes of motor neuron diseases are […]
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How Psychedelics Bind to Key Brain Cell Receptor
Psychedelic drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline cause severe and often long-lasting hallucinations, but they show great potential in treating serious psychiatric conditions, such as major depressive disorder. To fully investigate this potential, scientists need to know how these drugs interact with brain cells at the molecular level to cause their dramatic biological effects. […]
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Scientists discover what happens in our brains when guessing
Researchers have identified how cells in our brains work together to join up memories of separate experiences, allowing us to make educated guesses in everyday life. By studying both human and mouse brain activity, they report that this process happens in a region of the brain called the hippocampus.
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How Fear Persists in the Mouse Brain
After a sudden fright, it’s common for your heart rate to stay elevated, your palms to stay sweaty and senses to remain alert for another threat. Mice also exhibit this response and a team of Caltech researchers wanted to learn what’s happening at a cellular level in the mouse’s brain during these persistent displays of […]
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As Pandemic Progressed, People’s Perceived Risks Went Up
In the first week of the coronavirus pandemic, people living in the United States underestimated their chances of catching the virus, or of getting seriously ill from the virus, according to a recently published Caltech-led study. But as the days progressed, those same people became more worried about their personal risk, and, as a result, […]
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首款“即插即用”的BCI系统
脑机接口（BCI）设备是瘫痪患者重要的辅助工具，能帮助他们通过意念控制鼠标和机械臂。但目前所广泛采用的插入式电极设备容易因时间的推移而出现信号改变的情况，需要使用者反复进行校准，十分繁琐。为了解决这一弊端，该团队研发出了一种基于大脑皮层电扫描技术（ECoG）的可植入设备，如便条纸般大小，只需固定在大脑皮层上即可使用。虽然这种设备所接收到的信号没有插入式电极精准，但却更为稳定。加上一同开发的可自行与脑电不断进行匹配更新的算法，就能在初校后实现 “即插即用”的效果，长时间不进行校准也不会影响使用，大大提高了BCI设备的便利性。
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甲状腺炎症与焦虑症具有相关性
在治疗焦虑症的时候，人们常常把目光放在神经系统上，而最新的研究结果却表明，内分泌系统的问题也会使人产生焦虑情绪。一部分焦虑症患者的超声和血检报告显示，其甲状腺功能虽然处于正常范围但却有明显的炎症反应。这种炎症反应是自身免疫障碍的一种表现，而在使用布洛芬和甲状腺素进行治疗后，不但甲状腺的情况有了改善，焦虑水平也出现了明显的下降。除了甲状腺，研究人员怀疑性激素和肾上腺素相关的问题也可能诱发焦虑情绪。因此，在进行心理诊疗时，还需将生理情况也纳入考量。
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摩擦皮肤可激活止痒神经通路
在感觉到皮肤瘙痒的时候我们常会选择抓绕，虽然这样能在一定程度上缓和瘙痒感，但却很容易使肌肤产生损伤。除了抓绕，其实轻轻摩擦或触摸皮肤也能达到止痒的效果。瘙痒感来源于背角神经元，而在触摸过后这种神经元的活跃性就会降低，刺激感觉神经元也能达到同样的效果。可见，皮肤下的感觉神经可以通过激活脊髓中抗瘙痒的中间神经元来抑制背角神经元的活动，从而减轻瘙痒感。
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啮齿类研究显示大脑可将血糖长期调控在正常范围
糖尿病是种极其普遍的慢性疾病，通常需要每天服用降糖药或直接注射胰岛素以稳定血糖。这种治疗手段不但极其麻烦且常常达不到完全控制血糖水平的目的，而最新的小鼠模型则显示，只要在脑室内注射一定量的成纤维生长因子1（FGF1），就能在数周到数月的时间内长期维持正常的血糖值。FGF1这种物质主要作用于下丘脑中的神经胶质细胞，且其降糖效果依赖于完整的黑皮质素信号传导，负责血糖调控的相关神经元其细胞膜外的网状结构也在FGF1的注射后得以修复。FGF1这一作用机制的揭露对长效降糖药的开发具有深远的意义。
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脑成像研究揭露决策行为新机制
日常生活中我们所做的决策不单受选项的价值差异所影响，还会取决于所处的环境。在经常性能获得奖赏的环境中，人们倾向于重复那些过去所做的决定，而在不常获得奖赏的环境中，就会对新的选项做更多的探索。除此以外，环境中的不确定性对决策也会产生一定的影响。在初次接触众多选项的时候，大脑通常会先表现出一定的探索精神，在掌握了较多的情况后便会更倾向于选择那些自己所熟悉的选项。功能性核磁共振结果揭露了这些机制所涉及的脑区，其中，负责评估环境奖赏特性的区域位于岛叶皮层和中缝核背侧，而从腹内侧前额叶皮层的激活情况中我们则能推测出这是一个在探索新选项的大脑还是一个喜欢确定性的大脑。包括赌博成瘾在内的诸多决策相关的精神和行为类障碍都有可能使用该实验结果来进行解释，并由此找到有针对性的干预手段。