Biologists discover new strategy to treat central nervous system injury
Neurobiologists at UC San Diego have discovered how signals that orchestrate the construction of the nervous system also influence recovery after traumatic injury. They also found that manipulating...
View ArticleImproved brain mapping tool 20 times more powerful than previous version
Salk Institute scientists have developed a new reagent to map the brain's complex network of connections that is 20 times more efficient than their previous version. This tool improves upon a technique...
View ArticleFrom retina to cortex: Unexpected division of labor
Neurons in our brain do a remarkable job of translating sensory information into reliable representations of our world that are critical to effectively guide our behavior. The parts of the brain that...
View ArticleSmall brain area plays key role in making everyday decisions
Choosing what shirt to buy, what to order for lunch or whether to go with the hearty red wine or the lighter white all involve assigning values to the options. A small brain structure plays a central...
View ArticleThe uncertain brain: Untangling ambiguity in neural circuits
Every day humans and animals face ambiguous circumstances. If we become sick after eating, we blame the food; however, if we then fall ill without having eaten that food, the causal link becomes...
View ArticleScientists transform lower-body cells into facial cartilage
Caltech scientists have converted cells of the lower-body region into facial tissue that makes cartilage, in new experiments using bird embryos. The researchers discovered a "gene circuit," composed of...
View ArticleRefining optogenetic methods to map synaptic connections in the brain
Optogenetics is a technique that combines genetics and optics to control neuronal activity, which is based on the discovery of light-sensitive membrane channels within pond algae that control movement...
View ArticleA new window to understanding the brain
Scientists in recent years have made great strides in the quest to understand the brain by using implanted probes to explore how specific neural circuits work.
View ArticleAdverse effects of cannabis scientifically verified
Researchers have clarified important mechanisms involved in the formation of neural circuits in the brain. This group also discovered that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance...
View ArticleHow brain separates relevant and irrelevant information
Imagine yourself sitting in a noisy café trying to read. To focus on the book at hand, you need to ignore the surrounding chatter and clattering of cups, with your brain filtering out the irrelevant...
View ArticlePositive and negative memories and behaviors are split up in the brains of mice
Like broccoli and ice cream on a toddler's plate, the brain also keeps nice and nasty information in separate places. Within the amygdala, an important memory center in the brain, pleasant experiences,...
View ArticleThe power of expectation can restrain hyper-emotional memories in the brain
The creaking of an opening gate followed by a dog attack can disturb otherwise pleasant evening walks. The sound of that gate opening on subsequent walks will elicit an emotional response, and the...
View ArticleBiologists identify signals that drive distinct behavior in microscopic...
Dr. Kevin Collins carefully places a petri dish with what looks like a blotch of yellowish slime under a microscope. Magnified, the slime comes alive as hundreds of translucent worms, known as...
View ArticleSwitching off the brain: Study implements an optogenetic tool that inhibits...
Switching off specific brain regions in a laboratory animal is an important type of experiment used to better understand how the brain works. A study published in Nature Methods by Singapore-based...
View ArticleA new brain mapping technique reveals circuitry of Parkinson's disease tremors
If a piece of electronics isn't working, troubleshooting the problem often involves probing the flow of electricity through the various components of the circuit to locate any faulty parts.
View ArticleMyopia cell discovered in retina
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a cell in the retina that may cause myopia when it dysfunctions. The dysfunction may be linked to the amount of time a child spends indoors and away...
View ArticleFighting blindness: Scientists bring a key protein into focus
Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered how a protein called α2δ4 establishes proper vision. Their research helps explain why mutations in the gene...
View ArticleWhite House funds songbird study to unlock mystery of vocal learning
A young songbird sings an intricate melody from its caged perch, trying to echo the mating song heard so many times from his father.
View ArticleBoosting natural brain opioids may be a better way to treat anxiety
Boosting natural brain opioids may be a better way to treat disabling emotions, says new research revealing their role in regulating critical brain circuits affecting fear and anxiety.
View ArticleNeuroscientists rewire brain of one species to have connectivity of another
ATLANTA-Scientists at Georgia State University have rewired the neural circuit of one species and given it the connections of another species to test a hypothesis about the evolution of neural circuits...
View ArticleCoupling of movement and vision
In a study published in Cell, Georg Keller and his group shed light on neural circuits in the cortex that underlie the integration of movement and visual feedback. They identified a mechanism in the...
View ArticleHow we recall the past: Neuroscientists discover a brain circuit dedicated to...
When we have a new experience, the memory of that event is stored in a neural circuit that connects several parts of the hippocampus and other brain structures. Each cluster of neurons may store...
View ArticleNew research on Fragile X syndrome reinforces importance of early detection
Fragile X syndrome—the most common heritable cause of autism spectrum disorder—is something of a phantom. It interferes with the production of a protein critical to synapse formation during a brief...
View ArticleProteins involved in brain's connectivity are controlled by multiple checkpoints
University of Bristol scientists have found that the delivery of a group of proteins involved in the information flow between the brain's nerve cells to the synapse is much more sophisticated than...
View ArticleA new genetic marker for schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a complicated disease that often appears in early adulthood. Although scientists have not traced the genetic causes, more than 80% of schizophrenia cases are considered to have a...
View ArticleNeurobiologist studies how the brain learns to interpret what the body touches
It's a touchy subject—literally. Samuel Andrew Hires, assistant professor of biological sciences, wants to know how the brain learns to understand what we're touching. Understanding how this works...
View ArticleExploring the neural mechanisms behind social decision-making, cooperation,...
Humans, primates, and many other animals are innately social, spending much of their lifetimes in the presence of other individuals, but little is known about the neural mechanisms that generate social...
View ArticleAutism-linked gene stunts developing dendrites
Increased expression of a gene linked to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) leads to a remodeling of dendrites during brain development, according to a new study conducted in cultured neurons and an ASD...
View ArticleSongbirds may hold the secret to how babies learn to speak
The explanation for how people learn complex behaviors, such as speech, might be found in a new study of songbirds by scientists at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
View ArticleFinding the tipping point for sleep
Sleep is essential for many aspects of normal life, but how we actually fall asleep remains a mystery.
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