Neuroscience posts
- March 14, 2016
- 02:19 PM
- 219 views
Decrypting a collagen’s role in schizophrenia
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
What would be worse than having bad joints? How about schizophrenia and bad joints? To be fair that isn’t what is suggested, but they may, in fact, be linked. A small peptide generated from a collagen protein may protect the brain from schizophrenia by promoting the formation of neuronal synapses and study may lead to […]... Read more »
Su, J., Chen, J., Lippold, K., Monavarfeshani, A., Carrillo, G., Jenkins, R., & Fox, M. (2016) Collagen-derived matricryptins promote inhibitory nerve terminal formation in the developing neocortex. The Journal of Cell Biology, 212(6), 721-736. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201509085
- March 14, 2016
- 09:53 AM
- 402 views
When Brain Waves Go Traveling
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover
In July last year I asked, Could Traveling Waves Upset Cognitive Neuroscience? This was a post about a paper from David Alexander et al. arguing that neuroscience was overlooking the importance of how neural activity moves or travels through the brain.
Now Alexander et al. are back with a new PLoS ONE paper in which they describe traveling waves in human brain activity, as measured with magnetoencephalography (MEG). The authors scanned 20 volunteers during a visual and auditory task.
A... Read more »
Alexander DM, Nikolaev AR, Jurica P, Zvyagintsev M, Mathiak K, & van Leeuwen C. (2016) Global Neuromagnetic Cortical Fields Have Non-Zero Velocity. PloS one, 11(3). PMID: 26953886
- March 13, 2016
- 03:40 PM
- 316 views
New learning procedure for neural networks
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Rustling leaves, a creaking branch: To a mouse, these sensory impressions may, at first, seem harmless — but not if a cat suddenly bursts out of the bush. If so, they were clues of impending life-threatening danger. Researcher Robert Gütig has now found how the brain can link sensory perceptions to events occurring after a delay.
... Read more »
Gutig, R. (2016) Spiking neurons can discover predictive features by aggregate-label learning. Science, 351(6277). DOI: 10.1126/science.aab4113
- March 12, 2016
- 03:08 PM
- 328 views
People with anxiety show fundamental differences in perception
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
People suffering from anxiety perceive the world in a fundamentally different way than others, according to a new study. The research may help explain why certain people are more prone to anxiety. The study shows that people diagnosed with anxiety are less able to distinguish between a neutral, “safe” stimulus (in this case, the sound of a tone) and one that had earlier been associated with gaining or losing money.
... Read more »
Laufer, O., Israeli, D., & Paz, R. (2016) Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms of Overgeneralization in Anxiety. Current Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.023
- March 11, 2016
- 02:17 PM
- 300 views
Finding the circuit for experience-informed decision-making
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
How is the brain able to use past experiences to guide decision-making? A few years ago, researchers discovered in rats that awake mental replay of past experiences is critical for learning and making informed choices. Now, the team has discovered key secrets of the underlying brain circuitry — including a unique system that encodes location during inactive periods.
... Read more »
Kay, K., Sosa, M., Chung, J., Karlsson, M., Larkin, M., & Frank, L. (2016) A hippocampal network for spatial coding during immobility and sleep. Nature, 531(7593), 185-190. DOI: 10.1038/nature17144
- March 11, 2016
- 02:04 AM
- 283 views
Science shows part of brain having an important role in violence
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Violence and aggression is found to be related to a component of hypothalamus in the brain.
Published in:
Nature Neuroscience
Study Further:
In a number of experiments performed by researchers at New York University, researchers found that premeditated violence – bullying, stalking, and possibly sexual aggression – in mice model (and probably in human beings) develops in a particular area of the brain known as the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypo........ Read more »
Falkner, A., Grosenick, L., Davidson, T., Deisseroth, K., & Lin, D. (2016) Hypothalamic control of male aggression-seeking behavior. Nature Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1038/nn.4264
- March 10, 2016
- 02:50 PM
- 338 views
Alzheimer’s on and now Alzheimer’s off?
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Alzheimer's disease, is anything more frustrating than seeing someone -- who otherwise looks healthy -- start to forget who you are? Worse than that, we don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease, or how to stop it. Well actually that might be changing. Don't get too excited, because we've had false starts before, but an international group of scientists have succeeded in sorting out the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease development and possibly distinguished its key trigger.
... Read more »
Istrate, A., Kozin, S., Zhokhov, S., Mantsyzov, A., Kechko, O., Pastore, A., Makarov, A., & Polshakov, V. (2016) Interplay of histidine residues of the Alzheimer’s disease Aβ peptide governs its Zn-induced oligomerization. Scientific Reports, 21734. DOI: 10.1038/srep21734
- March 9, 2016
- 02:36 PM
- 320 views
Want a younger brain? Stay in school — and take the stairs
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Taking the stairs is normally associated with keeping your body strong and healthy. But new research shows that it improves your brain’s health too — and that education also has a positive effect. Researchers found that the more flights of stairs a person climbs, and the more years of school a person completes, the “younger” their brain physically appears.
... Read more »
Steffener, J., Habeck, C., O'Shea, D., Razlighi, Q., Bherer, L., & Stern, Y. (2016) Differences between chronological and brain age are related to education and self-reported physical activity. Neurobiology of Aging, 138-144. DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.01.014
- March 6, 2016
- 11:51 PM
- 322 views
From evolutionary morphology to Godzilla
by adam phillips in It Ain't Magic
I recently spoke with Chief Scientist Shigeru Kuratani about evolutionary morphology, sci-fi monsters, the genius of Alien, and more.... Read more »
Sugahara, F., Pascual-Anaya, J., Oisi, Y., Kuraku, S., Aota, S., Adachi, N., Takagi, W., Hirai, T., Sato, N., Murakami, Y.... (2016) Evidence from cyclostomes for complex regionalization of the ancestral vertebrate brain. Nature, 531(7592), 97-100. DOI: 10.1038/nature16518
- March 6, 2016
- 07:46 AM
- 423 views
No, We Can't "Upload Knowledge To Your Brain"
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover
According to a spectacularly misleading article in the Telegraph: Scientists discover how to 'upload knowledge to your brain'
Feeding knowledge directly into your brain, just like in sci-fi classic The Matrix, could soon take as much effort as falling asleep, scientists believe. Researchers claim to have developed a simulator which can feed information directly into a person’s brain and teach them new skills in a shorter amount of time...
Researchers from HRL Laboratories, based in Cali... Read more »
Choe J, Coffman BA, Bergstedt DT, Ziegler MD, & Phillips ME. (2016) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Modulates Neuronal Activity and Learning in Pilot Training. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 34. PMID: 26903841
- March 5, 2016
- 04:21 PM
- 401 views
Brain connectivity reveals your hidden motivations
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
To understand human behaviors, it is crucial to understand the motives behind them. So far, there was no direct way to identify motives. Simply observing behavior or eliciting explanations from individuals for their actions will not give reliable results as motives are considered to be private and people can be unwilling to unveil - or even be unaware of - their own motives.
... Read more »
Hein G, Morishima Y, Leiberg S, Sul S, & Fehr E. (2016) The brain's functional network architecture reveals human motives. Science, 351(6277), 1074-8. PMID: 26941317
- March 5, 2016
- 11:15 AM
- 289 views
Een aap met maatgevoel? [Dutch]
by Henkjan Honing in Music Matters
Hieronder een videoimpressie van de Diesrede uitgesproken tijdens de 384ste Dies Natalis van de Universiteit van Amsterdam met de titel ‘Een aap met maatgevoel’. In die lezing beschrijf ik wat muzikaliteit is of kan zijn, maar ook in hoeverre we muzikaliteit delen met andere dieren, om er zo achter te komen of muzikaliteit een biologische basis heeft. Lang niet alle wetenschappers zijn het daar over eens.... Read more »
Wilson, M., & Cook, P. (2016) Rhythmic entrainment: Why humans want to, fireflies can’t help it, pet birds try, and sea lions have to be bribed. Psychonomic Bulletin . DOI: 10.3758/s13423-016-1013-x
Merchant, H., & Honing, H. (2014) Are non-human primates capable of rhythmic entrainment? Evidence for the gradual audiomotor evolution hypothesis. Frontiers in Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00274
- March 4, 2016
- 03:00 PM
- 532 views
Zika virus infects human neural stem cells, but…
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
The Zika virus infects a type of neural stem cell that gives rise to the brain’s cerebral cortex, Johns Hopkins and Florida State researchers have found. On laboratory dishes, these stem cells were found to be havens for viral reproduction, resulting in cell death and/or disruption of cell growth. While this study does not prove the direct link between Zika and microcephaly, it does pinpoint where the virus may be doing the most damage.
... Read more »
Tang, Hammack, Ogden, Wen, and Qian et al. (2016) Zika Virus Infects Human Cortical Neural Precursors and Attenuates Their Growth". Cell Stem Cell. info:/dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2016.02.016
- March 3, 2016
- 03:10 PM
- 362 views
Your brain and the ‘neuronal big bang’
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Our brain is home to different types of neurons, each with their own genetic signature that defines their function. These neurons are derived from progenitor cells, which are specialized stem cells that have the ability to divide to give rise to neurons. Neuroscientists have shed light on the mechanisms that allow progenitors to generate neurons.
... Read more »
Ludovic Telley, Subashika Govindan, Julien Prados, Isabelle Stevant, Serge Nef, Emmanouil Dermitzakis, Alexandre Dayer, & Denis Jabaudon. (2016) Sequential transcriptional waves direct the differentiation of newborn neurons in the mouse neocortex. Science. info:/10.1126/science.aad8361
- March 2, 2016
- 03:36 AM
- 280 views
Uploading new skills to the brain just as in “The Matrix”
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
One of the first studies to find that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can help in faster learning of new skills.
Published in:
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Study Further:
“The Matrix” is one of most popular science fiction movies of our time. It has many interesting concepts ranging from stopping bullets with the help of hands to transportation through telephones and learning new skills without going anywhere. This last thing has gotten at........ Read more »
Choe, J., Coffman, B., Bergstedt, D., Ziegler, M., & Phillips, M. (2016) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Modulates Neuronal Activity and Learning in Pilot Training. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00034
- March 1, 2016
- 03:53 PM
- 298 views
Brain connectivity disruptions may explain cognitive deficits in people with brain injury
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Cognitive impairment following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common, often adversely affecting quality of life for those 1.7 million Americans who experience a TBI each year. Researchers have identified complex brain connectivity patterns in individuals with chronic phases of traumatic brain injury which may explain long term higher order cognitive function deficits.
... Read more »
Han, K., Chapman, S., & Krawczyk, D. (2016) Disrupted Intrinsic Connectivity among Default, Dorsal Attention, and Frontoparietal Control Networks in Individuals with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 22(02), 263-279. DOI: 10.1017/S1355617715001393
- March 1, 2016
- 11:10 AM
- 498 views
Shame on You, Shame on Me: Shame as an Evolutionary Adaptation
by Jalees Rehman in The Next Regeneration
Can shame be good for you? We often think of shame as a shackling emotion which thwarts our individuality and creativity. A sense of shame could prevent us from choosing a partner we truly love, speaking out against societal traditions which propagate injustice or pursuing a profession that is deemed unworthy by our peers. But if shame is so detrimental, why did we evolve with this emotion? A team of researchers led by Daniel Sznycer from the Center for Evolutionary Psychology at the University ........ Read more »
Sznycer D, Tooby J, Cosmides L, Porat R, Shalvi S, & Halperin E. (2016) Shame closely tracks the threat of devaluation by others, even across cultures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. PMID: 26903649
- February 29, 2016
- 01:55 PM
- 291 views
New targets for reducing nerve pain identified
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
There’s no pain like nerve pain. Whether it is because of a chronic illness or related to an injury, it may be obvious, but nerve pain hurts. That may change soon though, as a specific molecule involved in maintaining pain after a nerve injury has been identified and blocked in mice by researchers. These results reveal a promising therapeutic strategy for treating neuropathic pain.
... Read more »
Zhang, F., Morioka, N., Harano, S., Nakamura, Y., Liu, K., Nishibori, M., Hisaoka-Nakashima, K., & Nakata, Y. (2016) Perineural expression of high-mobility group box-1 contributes to long-lasting mechanical hypersensitivity via matrix metalloprotease-9 up-regulation in mice with painful peripheral neuropathy. Journal of Neurochemistry, 136(4), 837-850. DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13434
- February 28, 2016
- 05:00 PM
- 348 views
Matrix Unloaded: How you can fly a plane using expert-pilot brainwave patterns
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
“I know kung fu,” movie buffs might remember the remember the quote from “The Matrix.” We can all probably agree that being able to download knowledge “on tap” would be a boon to humanity. It is a shame it is just a movie… right? While that may be the case, it is just for now. That is because researchers have discovered that low-current electrical brain stimulation can modulate the learning of complex real-world skills.
... Read more »
Choe, J., Coffman, B., Bergstedt, D., Ziegler, M., & Phillips, M. (2016) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Modulates Neuronal Activity and Learning in Pilot Training. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00034
- February 28, 2016
- 06:51 AM
- 390 views
"Joke Addiction" As A Neurological Symptom
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover
In a new paper, neurologists Elias D. Granadillo and Mario F. Mendez describe two patients in whom brain disorders led to an unusual symptom: "intractable joking."
Patient #1 was
A 69-year-old right-handed man presented for a neuropsychiatric evaluation because of a 5-year history of compulsive joking... On interview, the patient reported feeling generally joyful, but his compulsive need to make jokes and create humor had become an issue of contention with his wife. He would wake her u... Read more »
Granadillo ED, & Mendez MF. (2016) Pathological Joking or Witzelsucht Revisited. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. PMID: 26900737
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