Neuroscience News

According to Leitao-Goncalves et al, gut bacteria control food choice and egg laying in Drosophila melanogaster. Image credit: Leitao-Goncalves et al, doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2000862.

Gut Bacteria ‘Speak’ to Brain to Control Food Choices in Animals

May 2, 2017 by News Staff

In a study published recently in the journal PLOS Biology, neuroscientists identified three gut bacteria species — Acetobacter pomorum, Lactobacillus...

Scientists Find Link between Immune System, Memory and Structure of Brain

Apr 27, 2017 by News Staff

In two separate studies, researchers have demonstrated that both the structure of the brain and several memory functions are linked to immune-related genes. The...

Drinking a beetroot juice before exercise makes the aging brain perform more efficiently. Image credit: Ken Bennett, Wake Forest University.

Beetroot Juice before Exercise Keeps Aging Brain Sharp

Apr 19, 2017 by News Staff

According to a study published recently in the Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, drinking a beetroot juice before exercise makes the brain of...

Neuroscientists Identify New Neural Pathway that Controls Hand Movements

Apr 5, 2017 by News Staff

A new neural pathway has been identified by a group of neuroscientists that could underlie our ability to make the coordinated hand movements needed to...

Dopaminergic system and reward processing: dopaminergic neurons are located in the midbrain structures substantia nigra (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA); their axons project to the striatum (caudate nucleus, putamen and ventral striatum including nucleus accumbens), the dorsal and ventral prefrontal cortex; the mesolimbic dopamine pathway mediates the psychopharmacology of reward, whether that is a natural high or a drug-induced high, and is sometimes referred to as the pleasure center of the brain, with dopamine as the pleasure neurotransmitter. Image credit: Oscar Arias-Carrion et al, doi: 10.1186/1755-7682-7-29.

Study: Neurotransmitter Dopamine Plays Role in Human Bonding

Feb 20, 2017 by News Staff

Researchers have found for the first time that dopamine, a vital neurotransmitter in the brain, is involved in human bonding. The results appear in the...

Morrissey et al found that there are specific groups of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of a rat’s brain - the region most associated with long-term memory; these neurons develop codes to help store relevant, general information from multiple experiences while, over time, losing the more irrelevant, minor details unique to each experience. This image shows a rat hippocampal neuron. Image credit: ZEISS Microscopy / CC BY 2.0.

Neuroscientists Uncover How Brain Maintains Useful Memories

Feb 15, 2017 by News Staff

A team of neuroscientists at the University of Toronto in Canada has discovered a reason why we often struggle to remember small details of past experiences....

This image shows an ON Delayed retinal ganglion cell. Image credit: Adam Mani & Gregory W. Schwartz, Northwestern University.

Researchers Find Myopia-Causing Cells in Retina

Feb 13, 2017 by News Staff

A team of researchers at Northwestern University has discovered a type of retinal ganglion cell that may cause myopia when it dysfunctions. The study is...

Model depicting the FLP-7/NPR-22 neuroendocrine axis that underlies the 5-HTergic control of body fat loss. In the nervous system, an integrated 5-HT and octopaminergic circuit stimulates body fat loss. In this study, we report the discovery of a tachykinin signalling system that underlies the 5-HTergic control of body fat loss in C. elegans. The FLP-7 neuroendocrine peptide is secreted from the ASI neurons in response to 5-HT and Oct-mediated signalling. The nutrient sensor AAK-2/AMPK acts in the ASI neurons via the CREB co-regulator CRTC-1 to regulate FLP-7 release in response to 5-HT-encoded signals of food availability. Upon release, FLP-7 acts in the intestine via the NPR-22/NK2R receptor to stimulate the ATGL-1 lipase, which drives fat loss. The identification of FLP-7 and NPR-22 addresses a long-standing question about the molecular basis of the central effects of 5-HT on fat loss in peripheral tissues. Image credit: Lavinia Palamiuc et al, doi: 10.1038/ncomms14237.

Scientists Identify Brain-Signaling Molecule that Triggers Fat Burning

Feb 8, 2017 by News Staff

A research team led by Scripps Research Institute scientist Dr. Supriya Srinivasan has identified a brain hormone that appears to trigger fat burning in...

Mathieu Quesnel-Vallières et al induced autistic-like behavior in mice by lowering the levels of nSR100 protein, which is important for normal brain development. Image credit: Mathieu Quesnel-Vallières et al, doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.11.033.

Study: Drop in nSR100 Protein Levels Causes Autistic-Like Behavior in Mice

Dec 16, 2016 by News Staff

As many as 33% of autism cases could be explained by a scarcity of a protein called nSR100 in the brain, a new study in the journal Molecular Cell has...

Running may affect the structure and function of the brain in ways similar to complex tasks like playing a musical instrument. Image credit: Pete Linforth / Skeeze.

Runners Have Better Connected Brains, Study Finds

Dec 15, 2016 by News Staff

New research published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience reveals that endurance runners’ brains have greater functional connectivity —...

Sofia Soares et al investigated midbrain dopamine neurons during timing behavior in mice; when measuring and manipulating mouse activity, the team observed that dopamine neurons controlled temporal judgments on a time scale of seconds. Image credit: Geralt.

Neuroscientists Identify Neurons that Control Judgment of Time

Dec 13, 2016 by News Staff

A new study in mice shows that dopamine neuron activity plays a key role in judgment of time, slowing down the internal clock. Sofia Soares et al investigated...

Neuroscientists Say Simple Mathematical Logic Underlies Complex Brain Computations

Nov 25, 2016 by News Staff

According to Dr. Joe Tsien, a neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, the brain’s basic computational algorithm is organized...

According to Murphy et al, large, salty, or protein-rich meals induce post-meal sleep in fruit flies. Image credit: Keith Murphy.

Study: Large, Salty, or Protein-Rich Meals Induce Post-Meal Sleepiness

Nov 23, 2016 by News Staff

Higher protein and salt content in our food, as well as the volume consumed, can lead to longer naps, a new study in fruit flies suggests. According to...

Mouse song system anatomy and syllable types: (A) proposed anatomy of the rudimentary mouse forebrain vocal communication circuit; (B) comparison with human; (C) comparison with songbird; (D) sonograms of examples syllables of the four syllable categories quantified from a C57 male mouse USV song, labeled according to pitch jumps. Anatomical abbreviations: ADSt - anterior dorsal striatum; Amb - nucleus ambiguous; ASt - anterior striatum; aT - anterior thalamus; Av - nucleus avalanche; HVC - a letter-based name; LArea X - lateral Area X; LMO - lateral mesopallium oval nucleus; LMAN - lateral magnocellular nucleus of the nidopallium; LMC - laryngeal motor cortex; LSC - laryngeal somatosensory cortex; M1 - primary motor cortex; M2 - secondary motor cortex; NIf - interfacial nucleus of the nidopallium; PAG - periaqueductal gray; RA - robust nucleus of the arcopallium; T - thalamus; VL - ventral lateral nucleus of the thalamus; XIIts - 12th vocal motor nucleus, tracheosyringeal part. Image credit: Jonathan Chabout et al, doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00197.

Study: Gene Implicated in Human Language Affects Vocal Communication in Mice

Nov 18, 2016 by News Staff

According to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, ultrasonic vocal communication in adult mice is affected by the...

The brain-spine interface developed for this study uses a brain implant like this one to detect spiking activity in the brain’s motor cortex. Seen here, a microelectrode array and a silicon model of a primate’s brain, as well as a pulse generator used to stimulate electrodes implanted on the spinal cord. Image credit: Alain Herzog / EPFL.

Neuroscientists Restore Leg Movement in Nonhuman Primates

Nov 10, 2016 by News Staff

A collaboration of neuroscientists from the United States, China and Europe has used a wireless ‘brain-spine interface’ to bypass spinal cord injuries...

In the study, whole-brain degree count maps, collected before the start of treatment, were used to identify potential brain regional markers for placebo propensity. Group differences in whole-brain maps for degree count (number of connections of any location to the rest of the brain) between placebo responders and non-responders identified four brain regions that differentiated placebo responders from non-responders. The highest significant difference was seen for the right midfrontal gyrus. Abbreviations: r-MFG - right midfrontal gyrus; ACC - anterior cingulate cortex; PCC - posterior cingulate cortex; r-S2/M1 - right secondary somatosensory and primary motor cortex. Image credit: Tétreault P. et al.

New Study Spotlights Brain Region Responsible for Placebo Response in Pain

Oct 31, 2016 by News Staff

A Northwestern University-led team of researchers has identified a region in the brain responsible for the ‘placebo effect’ in pain relief, when a...

Astrocyte cell. Image credit: Gerry Shaw / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Glial Cells Play Critical Role in Control of Appetite, Study Shows

Oct 28, 2016 by News Staff

Glial cells – non-neuronal brain cells that provide structural, nutritional and other supports to the brain — play a critical role in controlling...

Reduction in sensitivity to dishonesty over time. Image credit: Neil Garrett et al.

Study Examines How Human Brain Adapts to Self-Serving Dishonesty

Oct 25, 2016 by News Staff

A study led by University College London researchers Neil Garrett and Tali Sharot provides the first empirical evidence that self-serving lies gradually...

Altered microRNAs in anxiety and metabolic disorders. Image credit: Chanan Meydan et al, doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2016.07.001.

Scientists Find Molecular Link between Anxiety and Metabolic Disorders

Oct 12, 2016 by News Staff

Scientists in Israel have identified molecular elements that bridge anxiety and metabolism — a type of microRNA that influences shared biological...