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MIT researchers have uncovered two additional pathways in the brain’s striatum that modulate traditional movement control pathways by influencing dopamine production.

These pathways, connected to the brain’s striosomes, may play a crucial role in decisions with strong emotional components, potentially altering our understanding of how motivation and movement are interconnected.

In the human brain, movement is coordinated by a region called the striatum, which sends signals to motor neurons. These signals travel along two main pathways: one initiates movement (“go”), and the other inhibits it (“no-go”).

This finding, published in Science, was demonstrated by researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, the Cluster of Excellence Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz, Germany, Tel Aviv University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Would you be able to instantly recognize your location and find your way home from any random point within a three-kilometer radius, in complete darkness, with only a flashlight to guide you?

Continue reading “Study shows bats have acoustic cognitive maps” »

Changes to actin dynamics during brain aging are not well understood. Here, the authors report that there is an age-related increase in F-actin in Drosophila brain which disables autophagy within the tissue and limits the fly lifespan.

White holes, the theoretical opposites of black holes, could expel matter instead of absorbing it. Unlike black holes, whose event horizon traps everything, white holes would prevent anything from entering. While no white holes have been observed, they remain an intriguing mathematical possibility. Some astrophysicists have speculated that gamma ray bursts could be linked to white holes, and even the Big Bang might be explained by a massive white hole. Although the second law of thermodynamics presents a challenge, studying these singularities could revolutionize our understanding of space-time and cosmic evolution.

After reading the article, Harry gained more than 724 upvotes with this comment: “It amazes me how Einstein’s theory and equations branched off into so many other theoretical phenomena. Legend legacy.”

Black holes may well be the most intriguing enigmas in the Universe. Believed to be the collapsed remnants of dead stars, these objects are renowned for one characteristic in particular – anything that goes in never comes out.

UC Davis researchers have identified new cell clusters in the amygdala that could hold keys to treating anxiety and depression.

Effective treatment for anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders may rely on the amygdala—a part of the brain that regulates strong emotional responses, particularly fear. Until recently, understanding of this structure was limited. Now, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have identified distinct clusters of cells in the amygdala of humans and non-human primates, each with unique patterns of gene expression. This discovery could pave the way for more targeted treatments for conditions like anxiety, which impact tens of millions worldwide.

The findings were published on October 30 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

To better treat and prevent depression, we need to understand more about the brains and bodies in which it occurs.

Curiously, a handful of studies have identified links between depressive symptoms and body temperature, yet their small sample sizes have left too much room for doubt.

In a more recent study published in February, researchers led by a team from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) analyzed data from 20,880 individuals collected over seven months, confirming that those with depression tend to have higher body temperatures.

See The Human Brain Like Never Before https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/see-human-brain-never.

21 mayo 2024 Unseen details of human brain structure revealed https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-r…-structure.

15 mayo 2024 A Cubic Millimeter of a…

Continue reading “A Cubic Millimeter of a Human Brain Has Been Mapped in Spectacular Detail” »

It’s common knowledge that our brains—and, specifically, our brain cells—store memories. But a team of scientists has discovered that cells from other parts of the body also perform a memory function, opening new pathways for understanding how memory works and creating the potential to enhance learning and to treat memory-related afflictions.

“Learning and memory are generally associated with brains and brain cells alone, but our study shows that other cells in the body can learn and form memories, too,” explains New York University’s Nikolay V. Kukushkin, the lead author of the study, which appears in the journal Nature Communications.

The research sought to better understand if non-brain cells help with memory by borrowing from a long-established neurological property—the massed-spaced effect—which shows that we tend to retain information better when studied in spaced intervals rather than in a single, intensive session—better known as cramming for a test.

If you ever tried cramming all your learning in one night before the exam, you know it doesn’t usually work. Surprisingly, this has little to do with the brain.