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Neuroscience news

Genetics

Comprehensive map reveals neuronal dendrites in the mouse brain in greater detail

Understanding the shape or morphology of neurons and mapping the tree-like branches via which they receive signals from other cells (i.e., dendrites) is a long-standing objective of neuroscience research. Ultimately, this ...

Neuroscience

Single enzyme failure found to drive neuron loss in dementia

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich and the LMU University Hospital Munich uncovered a mechanism that protects nerve cells from premature cell death, known as ferroptosis. The study provides ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Breathe in, breathe out: How respiration shapes remembering

First and foremost, we breathe in order to absorb oxygen—but this vital rhythm could also have other functions. Over the past few years, a range of studies have shown that respiration influences neural processes, including ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

How the brain prioritizes bodily signals in conscious awareness

A new study shows that visual and tactile impressions that are related to our own body are prioritized for reaching conscious awareness. This helps us understand how we develop the feeling that the body is our own—through ...

Genetics

Hidden cellular layers revealed in brain's memory center

Researchers at the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have identified a previously unknown pattern of organization in one of the brain's most important ...

Neuroscience

How the brain protects itself from Alzheimer's disease

High levels of calcium are toxic to cells and contribute to loss of neurons in Alzheimer's disease. A new study published in JCI Insight identifies a mechanism through which the young brain protects itself against high calcium ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Natural brain opioids help us 'see the bigger picture' after rewards

Feeling good doesn't just lift our mood—it also helps us stay flexible and resilient. A new study by an international team of neuroscientists shows that natural brain opioids released after rewards play a key role in broadening ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Acalculia: Why many stroke survivors struggle with numbers

Numbers are all around us. In the morning, we wake up to an alarm that tells us it's time to get out of bed. When deciding what to wear, we often check the temperature outside. We count out the vitamins or prescription pills ...

Neuroscience

Brain shape changes could offer early warning signs of dementia

A new study led by University of California, Irvine's Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory researchers found that aging changes the brain's overall shape in measurable ways. Instead of focusing only on the size ...

Neuroscience

Hormone deficiency makes the brain more flexible than expected

Erythropoietin (EPO) is primarily known to many as a hormone for blood formation. However, it has been known for some years that EPO also plays an important role in the brain—specifically where particularly demanding mental ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Uncovering the molecular basis of long COVID brain fog

Even though years have passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of infection with SARS-CoV-2 are still not completely understood. This is especially true for long COVID, a chronic condition that can develop ...

Neuroscience

Poor sleep may accelerate brain aging

People who sleep poorly are more likely than others to have brains that appear older than they actually are. This is according to a comprehensive brain imaging study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal eBioMedicine. ...

Neuroscience

Fat particles could be key to treating metabolic brain disorders

Evidence challenging the long-held assumption that neuronal function in the brain is solely powered by sugars has given researchers new hope of treating debilitating brain disorders. A University of Queensland study led by ...