Scientists discovered that inactivity makes brain cells grow, but not in a good way. In a study published in the Journal of Comparative Neurology, researchers found more neuronal branching in sedentary rats compared to active rats. The growth occurred in a region of the brain that controls blood pressure, leading the scientists to hypothesize that these changes may be part of the reason inactivity is...
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[caption id="attachment_5185" align="aligncenter" width="584"] The granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus. Image provided by Mark Maynard.[/caption] Binge drinking damages brain regions responsible for memory, decision-making, and behavioral control. After a binge, the brain begins to heal itself but not much is known about this self-repair process. In a study published in PLoS ONE, researchers used rats to find that binge drinking damages the hippocampus, and...
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The loss of cholinergic neurons is one of the earliest pathological events of Alzheimer’s disease. Cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain supply the cerebral cortex with acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter that plays a role in learning, memory, and attention. Details about the function and organization of basal forebrain (BF) neurons are not well understood, but Dr. Laszlo Zaborszky has recently uncovered new information about the...
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Social isolation is stressful. Scientists have known it for decades. They also know that isolation causes changes to occur in the brains of rodents and primates. But most studies examine the effects of isolation during childhood; and the ones that do focus on adulthood tend to use male subjects. For the first time, researchers in Spain show that long-term social isolation causes part of the...
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A montage of three images of single striatal neurons transfected with a disease-associated version of huntingtin, the protein that causes Huntington's disease; By: Dr. Steven Finkbeiner, Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, The Taube-Koret Center for Huntington's Disease Research, and the University of California San Francisco; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Patients with Huntington's disease deteriorate physically, cognitively, and emotionally. There is no cure for the inherited...
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Gaunt facial features and a frighteningly thin figure are physical hallmarks of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that predominantly affects adolescent girls. But in addition to extreme weight loss, changes take place that aren't as visually apparent. For the first time, scientists in New York have found evidence of brain plasticity in the activity-based anorexia (ABA) mouse model. Led by Dr. Chiye Aoki of New York...
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Humans and gorillas are approximately 98% identical on a genetic level, however there is little published research exploring Alzheimer's disease pathology in gorillas. A new paper reports that gorillas display similarities in advanced age to humans ̶ including the presence of Alzheimer's disease precursors like amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and tau lesions. The study, published in the Journal of Comparative Neurology, provides evidence of Alzheimer's disease precursors in the western...
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Foods like tuna fish and Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, a mineral that scientists say has antioxidant effects, keeping the brain healthy and free of clutter so cells can work smoothly together. A key element of this process is Selenoprotein P (Sepp1) – a protein that delivers selenium to neurons by binding with another protein – ApoER2. Neuroscientists at the University of Hawaii say...
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Scientists hypothesize that during puberty, experiences influence brain development in ways that shape brain structure and even behavior in adulthood. One type of experience that often arises in the minds of pubescent teens and adolescents is sex. But a study published in the journal Hormones and Behavior suggests engaging in sexual activity too soon could be detrimental to the adult brain, and may lead to...
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Each year, nearly ninety thousand children are born extremely premature in the United States – that is, before 28 weeks gestation. Most of them survive, but about half the survivors suffer from severe health problems throughout their childhood and into adulthood, including learning and behavioral disorders such as ADHD. “Treatment options are clearly urgently required to prevent the brain damage and associated memory deficits that follow...
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