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Continue reading “Telomere Length Is Associated With Dementia Risk” »
In a recent study published in the journal Maturitas, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the risk of cardiovascular events in women with and without endometriosis.
Study: Endometriosis and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Image Credit: Bangkok Click Studio / Shutterstock.
Apart from autoimmune disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, depression, and premature menopause, there are pregnancy-associated risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders, placental abruption, preterm delivery, and pregnancy loss. Women experience a higher mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases, and while the treatment methods are the same for men and women, the presentation, symptoms, diagnosis, risk factors, and response to treatment differ for women.
The goal? To convert the energy of your mind and body into a kind of laser beam that can transcend spacetime.
How can flesh and blood brains give rise to pains and pleasures, dreams and desires, sights and sounds? Some believe this ‘hard problem’ of consciousness can never be solved. Can we expect any breakthroughs as the science of the mind progresses?
Our annual debate this year considers whether the problem of consciousness really is intractable. Our illustrious panel is neuroscientist Anil Seth and philosophers Louise Antony, Maja Spener and Philip Goff, with the BBC’s Ritula Shah chairing.
Synaptic plasticity is a critical process that regulates neuronal activity by allowing neurons to adjust their synaptic strength in response to changes in activity. Despite the high proximity of excitatory glutamatergic and inhibitory GABAergic postsynaptic zones and their functional integration within dendritic regions, concurrent plasticity has historically been underassessed. Growing evidence for pathological disruptions in the excitation and inhibition (E/I) balance in neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders indicates the need for an improved, more “holistic” understanding of synaptic interplay. There continues to be a long-standing focus on the persistent strengthening of excitation (excitatory long-term potentiation; eLTP) and its role in learning and memory, although the importance of inhibitory long-term potentiation (iLTP) and depression (iLTD) has become increasingly apparent. Emerging evidence further points to a dynamic dialogue between excitatory and inhibitory synapses, but much remains to be understood regarding the mechanisms and extent of this exchange. In this mini-review, we explore the role calcium signaling and synaptic crosstalk play in regulating postsynaptic plasticity and neuronal excitability. We examine current knowledge on GABAergic and glutamatergic synapse responses to perturbances in activity, with a focus on postsynaptic plasticity induced by short-term pharmacological treatments which act to either enhance or reduce neuronal excitability via ionotropic receptor regulation in neuronal culture. To delve deeper into potential mechanisms of synaptic crosstalk, we discuss the influence of synaptic activity on key regulatory proteins, including kinases, phosphatases, and synaptic structural/scaffolding proteins. Finally, we briefly suggest avenues for future research to better understand the crosstalk between glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses.
Ligand-gated ion channel GABA type A receptors (GABAARs) mediate the majority of fast inhibition in the central nervous system, while glutamatergic AMPA receptors (AMPARs) and NMDA receptors (NMDARs) collectively mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission. NMDARs particularly play a unique role in synaptic plasticity due to high calcium permeability and voltage-dependent Mg2+ block typically relieved by AMPAR-mediated depolarization. Slow inhibition and excitation are generated by G protein-coupled, GABA type B (GABABRs) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), respectively. The concerted action of these receptors balances neuronal excitability. A close and coordinated spatial relationship between glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses on dendrites (Megías et al., 2001; Bleckert et al., 2013; Iascone et al., 2020), sometimes as near as on the same spine (Chen et al., 2012), facilitates synaptic input integration, dynamic calcium regulation, synaptic crosstalk, and coregulation.
Synaptic plasticity describes the ability of synapses to adapt their relative strength based on the overall level of activity or specific activity patterns, often by dynamic regulation of receptor-synaptic scaffold interactions or through trafficking. During development, it is heavily involved in dendritic growth, synaptogenesis, and the formation of neural circuits (reviewed in Akgül and McBain, 2016; Ismail et al., 2017; Jenks et al., 2021). In mature neurons, synaptic plasticity is responsible for synapse remodeling during experience. Genetic mutations or pathology leading to altered excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmission or impaired synaptogenesis typically result in deficits in synaptic plasticity, a common feature in neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders (Rudolph and Möhler, 2014; Mele et al., 2019), including autism (Hansel, 2019; Sohal and Rubenstein, 2019), down syndrome (Galdzicki et al., 2001; Schulz et al.
To understand helpless human babies, our big brains and oddly involved dads, look to the evolution of birds not mammals by Antone Martinho-Truswell + BIO.
The human brain, with its intricate networks of neurons, has long been a subject of fascination and mystery. Concurrently, the cosmos, with its vastness and complexity, has intrigued scientists and philosophers for centuries.
Recent research has begun to explore the possibility that the brain and the cosmos might be connected on a quantum scale. This article will delve into the research paper titled “Quantum transport in fractal networks” and discuss its implications for our understanding of the relationship between the brain and the cosmos.
My latest Opinion piece:
I possibly cheated on my wife once. Alone in a room, a young woman reached out her hands and seductively groped mine, inviting me to engage and embrace her. I went with it.
Twenty seconds later, I pulled back and ripped off my virtual reality gear. Around me, dozens of tech conference goers were waiting in line to try the same computer program an exhibitor was hosting. I warned colleagues in line this was no game. It created real emotions and challenged norms of partnership and sexuality. But does it really? And who benefits from this?
Continue reading “Don’t Bash Digisexuality. For Some, It Brings Hope” »
Can we connect human brains together? What are the limits of what we can do with our brain? Is BrainNet our future?
In science fiction movies, scientists’ brains are downloaded into computers and criminal brains are connected to the Internet. Interesting, but how does it work in real life?
Original title: The greedy brain.
Scientific journalist Rob van Hattum wondered what information we can truly get from our brain and came across an extraordinary scientific experience.
An experiment where the brains of two rats were directly connected: one rat was in the United States and the other rat was in Brazil. They could influence the brain of the other directly. Miguel Nicolelis is the Brazilian neurologist who conducted this experiment. In his book ‘Beyond Boundaries’ he describes his special experiences in detail and predicts that it should be possible to create a kind of BrainNet.
For Backlight, Rob van Hattum went to Sao Paulo and also visited all Dutch neuroscientists, looking for what the future holds for our brain. He connected his own brain to computers and let it completely be scanned, searching for the limits of reading out the brain.
Originally broadcasted by VPRO in 2014.
© VPRO Backlight July 2014
On VPRO broadcast you will find nonfiction videos with English subtitles, French subtitles and Spanish subtitles, such as documentaries, short interviews and documentary series.
VPRO Documentary publishes one new subtitled documentary about current affairs, finance, sustainability, climate change or politics every week. We research subjects like politics, world economy, society and science with experts and try to grasp the essence of prominent trends and developments.
Continue reading “Connecting Brains: The BrainNet — VPRO documentary” »
