Summary: Supported by a $943,000 NIH grant, neuroscientists at the University of Central Florida are investigating how nicotine alters neuronal mitochondria within the nucleus accumbens. By examining the subcellular mechanisms…
Category: Neuroscience
Cell Membrane Lipid Governs Retinal Light Sensitivity
Summary: Using cryogenic electron microscopy and synthetic model membranes, researchers have mapped how the membrane phospholipid PIP2 binds to cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels in retinal rod cells. Even at…
Can Humor Treat Depression? – Neuroscience News
Summary: A comprehensive review of clinical psychology and neuroimaging research shows that while humor can build resilience and protect against depressive relapse, it often does more harm than good during…
Five Brain Profiles of Depression Identified
Summary: Researchers using magnetoencephalography (MEG) identified five distinct neurophysiological subtypes of major depressive disorder based on functional brain connectivity. The findings show that patients sharing the same clinical diagnosis can…
How the Visual Cortex Maintains Stable Vision Amid Neural Fluctuations
Summary: Using a minimal mathematical rate model of the primary visual cortex, computational neuroscientists found that two intrinsic feedback mechanisms—rapid inhibition and homeostatic regulation—can constrain chaos and slash neural variability…
Inflexible Math Brain: How Neural Circuit Glitches Block Problem Solving
Summary: Stanford University researchers analyzing brain activity and behavioral metrics in 8- to 10-year-olds found that children with developmental dyscalculia struggle to switch between and optimize math problem-solving strategies. Distinct…
The Placenta May Decide Autism Vulnerability
Summary: A new study in mice reveals that maternal immune activation during a precise gestational window triggers autism-like developmental disruptions exclusively in male fetuses. Researchers traced this vulnerability to damaged…
