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Biologists identify neural circuits associated with aging

Biologists have identified neural circuits associated with aging in fruit flies. Some circuits remain the same no matter the fly’s age, while others weaken over the fly’s life span.

Remembering faces and names can be improved during sleep

New research has documented the effect reactivating memory during sleep has on face-name learning. The researchers found that people’s name recall improved significantly when memories of newly learned face-name associations were reactivated while they …

Decoding inner language to treat speech disorders

What if it were possible to decode the internal language of individuals deprived of the ability to express themselves? Researchers have now managed to identify promising neural signals to capture our internal monologues. They were also able to identify…

New knowledge about the ‘happiness hormone’ dopamine

New findings provide a better understanding of how the synthesis of dopamine is regulated in the brain. It may shed new light on the mechanism behind diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Brain-based method to determine impairment from cannabis intoxication

A new study shows that imaging of brain activity with functional near-infrared spectroscopy might offer a more accurate and reliable way to distinguish impairment from cannabis intoxication.

Sleep deprivation increases serotonin 2a receptor response in brain

Researchers have identified the effects of an environmental stressor, sleep deprivation, that could alter the balance controlled by antipsychotic drugs and impact individuals with schizophrenia.

New neural circuits discovered that regulate spatial learning and memory in the brain’s hippocampal formation

A research team has discovered new neural circuits that regulate spatial learning and memory in the brain’s hippocampal formation. The team identified novel functional roles of new circuit connections between the venal CA1 region and dorsal CA3 regions…

Novel brainstem circuit gives rise to the rhythms of vocalization

The vocal sounds of humans — laughing, crying, and the babbling of babies — have the same rhythmic quality as the sounds made by many mammals, songbirds, and even some species of fish. Researchers have discovered that a small cluster of neurons in th…

How the brain’s blue spot helps us focus our attention

How can we shift from a state of inattentiveness to one of highest attention? The locus coeruleus, literally the ‘blue spot,’ is a tiny cluster of cells at the base of the brain. As the main source of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, it helps us con…

Exercise alters brain chemistry to protect aging synapses

When elderly people stay active, their brains have more of a class of proteins that enhances the connections between neurons to maintain healthy cognition, a new study has found.