Scanning fruit fly brains reveals how neural signals shape circadian behaviors Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered how different groups of timekeeping neurons in the brain become active at distinct times of day, even though they share the same molecular clock. Their results illuminate how daily rhythms are translated … Read more

Summary: A new study reports that when pairs of monkeys interact during a social task, their brains display episodes of strong synchronization. Source: Duke University. Mirror neurons—cellular circuits thought to link perception and action—are widely believed to play a central role in social behavior. Although their precise functions remain under investigation, abnormalities in mirror-neuron systems … Read more

Summary: Disrupting memories that link environmental cues to drug use sharply reduces cocaine-seeking behavior in a rat model of addiction, according to new research. Source: University of Pittsburgh. Forty to 60 percent of people treated for substance use disorders experience relapse, posing a major barrier to long-term recovery. New findings from the University of Pittsburgh … Read more

Summary: Blood levels of two protein biomarkers—GFAP and UCH-L1—measured within 24 hours of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can help predict which patients are at highest risk of death or severe disability six months later. Source: UCSF Blood tests taken within 24 hours of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can indicate which patients are likely … Read more

Summary: Findings could lead to new treatments for asthma. Source: RUB. Researchers identified two types of olfactory receptors in human bronchial smooth muscle cells. Activating these receptors with specific odorants causes the bronchi to either dilate or contract, revealing a potential new approach for asthma and other airway disease therapies. A research team led by … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that older adults who begin dialysis for advanced kidney disease face a substantially higher risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Source: Johns Hopkins University. Older adults with end-stage kidney disease who start dialysis face a markedly increased risk of being diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, according to research led … Read more

Summary: Texas A&M researchers report that fentanyl increases activity of direct-pathway medium spiny neurons (dMSNs) in the striatum. During early withdrawal, these dMSNs send stronger inhibitory signals to downstream dopamine-producing neurons, creating a hypodopaminergic state that contributes to the negative emotions and anxiety seen in withdrawal. Suppressing dMSN activity reduced withdrawal symptoms and anxiety-like behaviors … Read more

When they’re not the stars of animated films, penguins play a vital role in studies of evolution. Penguins are unique among modern birds because, although they cannot fly in air, they ‘fly’ through water. Their wing-propelled swimming depends on a suite of anatomical adaptations—some of which are found in unexpected places, including the brain. Recent … Read more

Summary: Researchers have demonstrated that non-invasive transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) can alter human reward learning by targeting the nucleus accumbens, a deep brain region central to motivation. After brief, focused stimulation, participants learned more quickly from positive feedback and showed a greater tendency to repeat choices that had previously been rewarded. These changes resemble important … Read more

Summary: Transcranial pulsed stimulation (TPS) and other focused ultrasound techniques can non-invasively target and modulate deep brain regions, opening new treatment possibilities for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Source: University of Vienna Targeted ultrasound is emerging as more than an imaging tool: focused acoustic pulses can now be used to treat brain … Read more