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Astrocyte networks in the mouse brain control spatial learning and memory

Astrocytes form large networks of interconnected cells in the central nervous system. When these cell-to-cell couplings are disrupted in the brain of adult mice, the animals are no longer able to store spatial information. The astrocytes network is thu…

Single protein prompts mature brain cells to regenerate multiple cell types

A single protein can reverse the developmental clock on adult brain cells called astrocytes, morphing them into stem-like cells that produce neurons and other cell types, UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study. The findings might someday lea…

Stress damages the movement centers in the brain

Stress seems to have a negative effect on the learning of movements – at least in mice. This is the conclusion of a recent study. According to the study, the neurons of rodents lose some of their contacts with other neurons after stress. The animals al…

Lead exposure in last century shrank IQ scores of half of Americans, study finds

Researchers calculate that exposure to car exhaust from leaded gas during childhood stole a collective 824 million IQ points from over 170 million Americans alive today, more than half of the population of the United States.

Neurobiology: Our minds distinguish between various social influences

Researchers show what happens in the human brain when we try to influence other people or when we ourselves are influenced by others.

More alcohol, less brain: Association begins with an average of just one drink a day

Even light-to-moderate drinking is associated with harm to the brain, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data from more than 36,000 adults that found a link between drinking and reduced brain volume that begins at an average consumption lev…

Brain stimulation shows promise as treatment for cannabis use disorder in people with schizophrenia

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was associated with a reduction in self-reported cannabis use by up to 60 per cent among people with schizophrenia who have cannabis use disorder (CUD), according to a new study.

Communication defect in psychotic disorders

Communication between brain areas is crucial for the brain to correctly process sensory signals and adopt an appropriate behavioural response. Yet, dysfunctions in these communication pathways could be strongly correlated with the onset of schizophreni…

Changing your mind based on information, or simply to conform? Brain activity differentiates between types of social influence

Researchers have characterized brain activity that occurs when we are socially influenced to change our minds. The study shows how the brain distinguishes between different types of social conformity when revising one’s opinions.

Attention! Brain scans can tell if you are paying it

Using a model of fMRI data collected from 92 individuals performing several types of attention-related tasks, researchers successfully predicted how well those individuals would perform on the tasks based on their brain scans alone. This generalized mo…