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Category: neuroscience – Page 143

A high-resolution ‘map’ reveals the structural and functional complexity of endogenous NMDA receptors in the brain

In a study published in Cell, a research team led by Zhu Shujia from the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), along with Li Yang from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of CAS, has dissected the assembly and architecture of endogenous N-methyl-ᴅ-aspartate receptors (eNMDARs) in the adult mammalian cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

Learning and memory are fundamental brain functions that underlie and perception of the world, which rely on development-and activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. NMDA receptors, members of the excitatory ionotropic glutamate receptor family, are essential to these processes.

They regulate the strength of synaptic connections, playing a critical role in advanced brain functions. In higher brain structures involved in cognition, such as the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, they are especially vital for cognitive function.

Mediterranean Diet Linked to Improved Memory via Gut Bacteria Changes

A new Tulane University study suggests the Mediterranean diet’s brain-boosting benefits may work by changing the balance of bacteria in the gut.

In a study published in Gut Microbes Reports, researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine found that subjects following a Mediterranean diet developed distinctly different gut bacteria patterns compared to those eating a typical Western diet. These bacterial changes correlated with better memory and cognitive performance.

“We’ve known that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how that could be happening,” said lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, Ph.D., neurology research instructor at Tulane’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Center. “Our findings suggest that dietary choices can influence cognitive performance by reshaping the gut microbiome.”

REM Sleep Delays May Indicate Early Alzheimer’s

Summary: Delayed rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that participants with delayed REM sleep had higher levels of toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports memory.

Delayed REM sleep disrupts memory consolidation and increases stress hormone levels, which can impair the hippocampus, a critical brain region for learning and memory. The findings emphasize the importance of healthy sleep habits and suggest that treatments targeting sleep patterns may influence Alzheimer’s progression.

How the Brain Processes Space and Time

Summary: New research highlights a functional hierarchy in the brain’s processing of space and time. In posterior areas, like the occipital cortex, space and time are tightly linked and processed by the same neurons.

In anterior regions, such as the frontal cortex, space and time are processed independently, with distinct neural populations forming “time maps” for specific durations. Intermediate regions, like the parietal cortex, display mixed processing mechanisms, bridging spatial and temporal integration.

This study offers fresh insights into how the brain integrates two fundamental dimensions of human experience and reveals the unique coding strategies across cortical regions.

Experimental drug speeds up myelin repair, restoring vision in mice

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found a promising drug candidate that could help restore vision in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions that damage neurons.

The study was published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

The drug, LL-341070, enhances the brain’s ability to repair damaged — the protective sheath around nerve fibers. Damage to myelin is a hallmark of diseases like MS, as well as a natural consequence of aging, often resulting in , loss of motor skills, and cognitive decline.

People Today Carry DNA from Neandertals. Here’s How It May Affect Our Brain and Behavior

The divide between their lineage and ours narrowed even further in 2010, when researchers published the first Neandertal genome sequence. Comparison of that ancient DNA with modern human DNA showed that the two species had interbred and that people today still carry the genetic fingerprint of that intermixing. Since then, numerous studies have explored the ways in which Neandertal DNA affects our modern physiology, revolutionizing our understanding not only of our extinct cousins but of ourselves as a hybrid species.

This area of research, clinical paleogenomics, is still in its infancy, and there are many complexities to unravel as we explore this new frontier. We therefore must take the findings from these studies with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, the research conducted to date raises the fascinating possibility that Neandertal DNA has wide-­reach­ing effects on our species—not only on general health but on brain development, including our propensity for conditions such as autism. In other words, DNA from our extinct relatives may, to some extent, shape the cognition of people today.

Daniel Dennett on why phenomenal consciousness is access consciousness

This old talk by Daniel Dennett touches on a lot of topics we’ve discussed recently. Dennett explains why it’s wrong to regard phenomenal consciousness (the “what it’s likeness” or “raw experience” version) as separate from access consciousness (the cognitive access of information for decision making, memory, report, etc).

Note that Dennett doesn’t deny the existence of phenomenal consciousness here, just the idea that it’s something separate and apart from access. He even passes up opportunities to dismiss qualia, although he does provide a reduction of them.

This video is about 66 minutes long. Unfortunately the video and sound quality aren’t great, and the camera operation is annoying, but the talk is worth powering through.

Global workspace theory: consciousness as brain wide information sharing

Attention schema theory has some plausibility.

Lately I’ve been reading up on global workspace theory (GWT). In a survey published last year, among general consciousness enthusiasts, integrated information theory (IIT) was the most popular theory, followed closely by GWT. However, among active consciousness researchers, GWT was seen as the most promising by far (although no theory garnered a majority). Since seeing those results, I’ve been curious about why.

One reason might be that GWT has been around a long time, having first been proposed by Bernard Baars in 1988, with periodic updates all recently republished in his new book. It’s received a lot of development and has spawned numerous variants. Daniel Dennett’s multiple drafts model is one. But perhaps the one with the most current support is Stanislas Dehaene’s global neuronal workspace, which I read and wrote about earlier this year.

All of the variants posit that for an item to make it into consciousness, it has to enter a global workspace in the brain. This is most commonly described using a theater metaphor.

Octopus Ink Extends Lifespan & Improves Cognition in Mice

New research from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing has uncovered a rather intriguing finding: natural melanin nanozymes (NMNs) derived from octopus ink may potentially slow ageing, protect against neurodegenerative diseases, and extend lifespan. Published in ACS Omega, the study reveals how these nanozymes work at the cellular level to mitigate oxidative stress, improve gut health, and enhance brain function, offering a new frontier in anti-ageing and neurological research.

What are Melanin Nanozymes?

Melanin, best known as the pigment responsible for skin and hair colour, has also been recognized for its potent antioxidant properties. Nanozymes created from natural melanin, like those extracted from octopus ink, mimic the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). These nanozymes neutralize free radicals, reduce oxidative stress, and improve cellular health—processes that are critical in mitigating ageing and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.