Summary: An experimental drug related to diabetes medications slows Parkinson’s disease progression and reduces symptoms in mouse models, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine. Johns Hopkins researchers report that an experimental compound, NLY01, which targets glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors similar to some diabetes drugs, slows the underlying progression of Parkinson’s disease and preserves … Read more

Summary: Participation in arts and cultural activities—such as dance, drama, reading, museum visits or concerts—reduces the likelihood that adolescents will take part in antisocial or criminalized behavior up to two years later, according to a new analysis of large, nationally representative US cohorts. Source: UCL Teenagers who take part in arts and cultural activities—ranging from … Read more

Summary: Women who are more aware of internal bodily signals—such as heartbeats, breathing, and touch—tend to experience orgasms more often and with greater satisfaction. This inward attention, known as interoception, appears to benefit both solo and partnered sexual experiences by helping people focus on and trust their bodily sensations. The research shifts attention away from … Read more

Summary: Higher opioid activity in the brain may help explain appetite loss and the emotional symptoms that accompany anorexia nervosa. In a PET study, people with anorexia showed increased mu-opioid receptor availability—indicating elevated opioidergic tone—compared with healthy controls. At the same time, global brain glucose uptake was preserved despite severe malnutrition, suggesting the brain prioritizes … Read more

Studies in mice reveal how mood-altering drugs may influence brain stem cells Researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified a mechanism by which neural stem cells in the hippocampus—the brain region tied to learning, memory and mood regulation—decide whether to remain dormant or to generate new cells. Using mouse tissue, the team found that these adult … Read more

Zif proteins determine whether a neural stem cell in the brain continues to self-renew or differentiates into a neuron. Related proteins exist in humans and could become targets for future treatments for brain cancer and other neurological disorders. The following article summarizes recent findings on Zif and outlines possible implications for research and therapy. How … Read more

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have reversed severe cognitive deficits in a mouse model of an autism spectrum disorder. A team led by Joseph F. Clark, PhD, professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati, reports that treatment with a creatine analogue called cyclocreatine (commercially known as CincY) … Read more

Summary: Vision appears to play a stronger role than body movements in forming memories of large-scale spaces. These findings help resolve a long-standing debate about whether physical movement enhances learning of physical environments. Source: University of Arizona Virtual reality is increasingly part of daily life—from virtual home tours to immersive game headsets—and its practical uses … Read more

Summary: Loss of the Arid1b gene disrupts inhibitory neurons in the brain, weakening inhibitory signaling. Reduced inhibition has been linked to a range of behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder. Source: Ohio State University Understanding the cellular and circuit-level causes of autism spectrum disorder depends on identifying which neuronal types are affected and when those … Read more

Summary: Adults with autism spectrum disorder show reduced levels of the serotonin transporter, a protein that helps regulate serotonin in the brain. Source: Karolinska Institute New research from Karolinska Institutet, published in Molecular Psychiatry, reports that people on the autism spectrum have lower availability of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) in several brain regions. Using positron … Read more