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Category: neuroscience

New study links blood proteins to Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss

Researchers at Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute and partner institutions have found new clues in the blood that could help explain why Alzheimer’s disease develops and how it affects memory.

The study, published in Nature Aging, examined from more than 2,100 individuals across four large research cohorts. Using advanced tools, scientists measured thousands of proteins in the blood and linked them to changes in the and thinking ability.

Traditionally, doctors have focused on sticky amyloid plaques in the brain as a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

Genetic deletion in cerebellum impedes hemisphere formation, study finds

The cerebellum, a brain region located at the back of the head that has long been known to support the coordination of muscle movements, has recently also been implicated in more sophisticated mental functions. Purkinje cells are the only neurons located in the cerebellum that integrate information in the cerebellar cortex and send it to other parts of the nervous system.

Purkinje cells are large and highly branched that can have different functions. While many past studies have explored the roles of these cells, the neural and genetic processes shaping their diversity have not yet been fully elucidated.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine recently carried out a study aimed at exploring the possible role of the FOXP genes, a family of genes known to contribute to switching other genes “on and off,” in shaping Purkinje cell populations and the formation of circuits in the . Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, hint at the existence of at least 11 different Purkinje cell subtypes, suggesting that the FOXP1 and FOXP2 genes contribute to their diversification.

Soft magnetoelastic sensor measures fatigue from eyeball movements in real-time

Over the past few decades, electronics engineers have developed increasingly sophisticated sensors that can reliably measure a wide range of physiological signals, including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate and oxygen saturation. These sensors were used to create both biomedical and consumer-facing wearable devices, advancing research and the real-time monitoring of health-related metrics, such as sleep quality and physiological stress.

Fatigue, a mental state marked by a decline in performance due to stress, lack of sleep, excessive activity or other factors, has proved to be more difficult to reliably quantify. Most existing methods for measuring fatigue rely on surveys that ask people to report how tired they feel, a method to record the brain’s electrical activity known as electroencephalography (EEG) or camera-based systems.

Most of these approaches are unreliable or only applicable in laboratory settings, as they rely on subjective evaluations, bulky equipment or controlled environments. These limitations prevent their large-scale deployment in everyday settings.

‘Young’ immune cells reverse signs of neurodegenerative brain changes in preclinical study

“Young” immune cells created by Cedars-Sinai investigators reversed signs of aging and Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of laboratory mice, according to a study published in the journal Advanced Science.

The immune cells, which were produced from human stem cells, could be used to develop new treatments for neurological conditions in humans.

“Previous studies have shown that transfusions of blood or plasma from young mice improved cognitive decline in older mice, but that is difficult to translate into a therapy,” said Clive Svendsen, Ph.D., executive director of the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and senior author of the study.

Personalized brain stimulation shows benefit for depression

A more precise and personalized form of electric brain stimulation may be a more effective and faster treatment for people with moderate to major depression compared to other similar treatments, according to a UCLA Health study.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, examined the effectiveness of a noninvasive brain stimulation treatment known as (HD-tDCS) in treating depression. Transcranial direct current stimulation uses electrodes placed on a patient’s scalp to deliver noninvasive, safe levels of electrical currents to targeted areas of the brain.

For depression, the treatment is used to target brain networks that regulate emotional processing and self-referential thoughts. TDCS has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for depression, and into various forms of tDCS is ongoing.

Distinct psilocybin-induced oscillations observed in rat medial prefrontal cortex, with effects lasting days

Psychedelics, a class of psychoactive drugs that typically induce peculiar mental states and hallucinations, are still prohibited for recreational use in most countries worldwide. In recent years, some neuroscientists and medical researchers have been exploring the potential therapeutic effects of these drugs, focusing on the treatment of depression, anxiety and various substance use disorders.

Researchers at the University of Bristol, Compass Pathways plc and other institutes recently carried out a new study involving rats, exploring the effects of the psychedelic compound on the activity of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region that supports decision-making, attention and the regulation of emotions. Their paper, published in Molecular Psychiatry, outlines some of the associated with the intake of this compound, which had not yet been observed in human experiments.

“Psychedelic drugs like have profound effects on our brains and minds,” Matt Jones, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Bristol and senior author of the paper, told Medical Xpress. “These effects are fascinating and—as a long history of psychedelic use and recent clinical trials attest—potentially beneficial. This study was driven by two interrelated questions. Firstly, how does a relatively simple, small molecule alter brain activity to completely change our mental model of the world? Secondly, can those effects be harnessed to help treat mental illness?”

Scientists reveal how the brain uses objects to find direction

We take our understanding of where we are for granted, until we lose it. When we get lost in nature or a new city, our eyes and brains kick into gear, seeking familiar objects that tell us where we are.

How our brains distinguish objects from background when finding direction, however, was largely a mystery. A new study provides valuable insight into this process, with possible implications for disorientation-causing conditions such as Alzheimer’s. The work is published in the journal Science.

The scientists, based at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University and the University Medical Center Göttingen, ran an experiment with mice using ultrasound imaging to measure and record brain activity. The mice were shown , either an object or a scrambled image showing no distinct object.

Clocks created from random events can probe ‘quantumness’ of universe

A newly discovered set of mathematical equations describes how to turn any sequence of random events into a clock, scientists at King’s College London reveal. The paper is published in the journal Physical Review X.

The researchers suggest that these formulas could help to understand how cells in our bodies measure time and to detect the effects of quantum mechanics in the wider world.

Studying these timekeeping processes could have far-reaching implications, helping us to understand proteins with rhythmic movements which malfunction in motor neuron disease or chemical receptors that cells use to detect harmful toxins.

Portable light-based brain monitor shows promise for dementia diagnosis

Early and accurate diagnosis of dementia remains a major challenge. Standard approaches such as MRI and PET scans can provide valuable information about brain structure and function, but they are expensive, not always accessible, and often too expensive for repeated use.

A team of researchers in the UK has now demonstrated that a compact, noninvasive technology—broadband (bNIRS)—may offer a new way to detect brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, even in the early stages.

In this pilot study reported in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, scientists used bNIRS to monitor both blood oxygenation and brain metabolism in response to .

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