In order to remember where important events happened, or how to get from A to B, our brains form mental "maps" of our environment. An important component of these mental maps are the so-called grid cells. Different grid cells are active when we occupy different locations in an environment, creating a characteristic pattern of activity. This pattern consists of equilateral triangles that form a symmetrical grid structure. The discovery of grid cells, in the brains of rats, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2014. Scientists suspect the same is true in human brains.
When mice learn to do a new task, their brain activities change over time as they advance from 'novice' to 'expert.' The changes are reflected in the wiring of cell circuits and activities of neurons.
Adolescent binge drinking modifies gene expression in a fashion that increases susceptibility to anxiety and alcohol use disorders in adulthood, according to research in rats recently published in eNeuro. Targeting the microRNAs responsible could be a new route for undoing the damage of alcohol use caused during adolescence.
Previous researchers found that microRNA, small bits of RNA that modify how genes are expressed rather than coding for a protein, are involved in how early-life alcohol exposure changes the brain, but the exact mechanism was unknown.
The drug ketamine decreases alcohol consumption in male, but not female, rats, according to new research published in eNeuro. The findings suggest that ketamine may be a viable treatment option for male patients with an alcohol use disorder.
Prior studies found that ketamine reduces alcohol use disorder symptoms in both rats and humans, but the drug was administered once, rather than over a more realistic treatment time period. Ketamine is itself an addictive drug, so it is critical to examine how it affects patients over extended use.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Telling the difference between a teen's normal ups and downs and something bigger is among top challenges parents face in identifying youth depression, a new national poll suggests.
Though the majority of parents say they are confident they would recognize depression in their middle or high school aged child, two thirds acknowledge barriers to spotting specific signs and symptoms, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at the University of Michigan.
Findings from more than 1,000 elderly individuals assessed over six years have revealed no links between statin medication and cognitive decline, such as memory loss, presenting new advice amidst some consumer concerns that statins may have a negative impact on cognitive health.
The collaborative study, led by researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), UNSW Sydney, shows that statin use is even protective against memory decline in some individuals at risk of dementia.
A parasitic wasp was recently discovered in Guanajuato, Mexico, where it was found to parasitize the eggs of an invasive stink bug, known as the bagrada bug, which is a major pest of cruciferous vegetables.
Progeria is a very rare disease that affects about one in 18 million children and results in premature aging and death in adolescence from complications of cardiovascular disease. In a study on mice and human cells, researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institute and IFOM, the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology in Italy, have identified how antisense oligonucleotide therapies could be used as a new possible treatment option for the disease. The results are published in the journal Nature Communications.
Trento, 15 November 2019 – (a.s.) New drugs can be developed from old ones. This revolutionary pharmacological approach that has been gaining ground recently was confirmed by a study conducted by two major research centres of the University of Trento and published today in Nature Communications.
Osaka, Japan - Arthritis is a common chronic disease in which joints become inflamed, leading to stiffness and pain that can often be debilitating. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune form of the disease, arising when immune cells attack the tissue that lines the joints. There is a need for new treatment options, as current therapies only alleviate symptoms or, at best, slow the disease.