Summary: Researchers have identified the serotonin 2C receptor in the brain as a key regulator of memory in both humans and animal models. This discovery sheds light on mechanisms behind memory decline in disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and points toward new therapeutic approaches. Mutations in the gene that encodes the serotonin 2C receptor (HTR2C) are … Read more

Summary: Routine eye exams may one day help detect Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias years before cognitive symptoms appear. A new study in mice carrying a common genetic variant shows distinct, early changes in retinal blood vessels that mirror cerebrovascular alterations linked to dementia risk, highlighting the retina’s promise as a noninvasive biomarker for brain … Read more

Summary: A gene expression study shows it is possible to distinguish people with treatment-resistant depression from those with major depressive disorder who respond to antidepressants by measuring inflammation levels and the molecular pathways that activate inflammation. Source: King’s College London These findings may help guide the development of personalised depression treatments that incorporate anti-inflammatory approaches. … Read more

Summary: Neurosteroid replacement therapy shows promise as a rapid and effective treatment for postpartum depression, offering relief by restoring brain neurosteroid levels after childbirth. Source: Texas A&M Postpartum depression affects roughly one in eight women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. D. Samba Reddy, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience and … Read more

Summary: A new analysis supports earlier research suggesting that fetal exposure to acetaminophen is associated with an increased risk of later diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Source: NIH A study funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality suggests that acetaminophen exposure … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a distinctive feature of human brain communication networks: the transmission of information through multiple parallel pathways. This pattern was not found in macaque or mouse brains. Using diffusion and functional MRI together with information theory and graph theory, the team mapped “brain traffic” to compare how signals travel across mammalian brains. … Read more

Summary: Neuroimaging shows that people display a reduced neural response in the anterior cingulate cortex when viewing images of others with facial disfigurements. A comparable reduction is seen when observers view other stigmatized groups, such as people experiencing homelessness. This decreased activity may help explain reduced empathy toward people with facial disfigurements and point to … Read more

Summary: Blood tests from participants in an Alzheimer’s research program detected elevated levels of a specific form of tau protein — phosphorylated tau 217 — that closely tracked the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain. Individuals with amyloid accumulation had as much as two to three times the amount of this tau species in … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a specialized class of neurons, called IC-encoder neurons, that cause the brain to “see” illusory shapes—such as squares or triangles that aren’t present in the raw visual input. These cells receive top-down signals from higher visual areas and then complete missing contours in primary visual cortex, actively constructing the perceptual edge … Read more

DNA mutations can drive cancer, yet in certain cases a higher number of mutations may predict a better outcome. A comprehensive genomic study led by Yale researchers, analyzing more than 700 brain tumors, has identified a distinct subtype of glioblastoma (GBM) — the most aggressive form of brain cancer — that carries an unusually large … Read more