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Category: neuroscience – Page 5

Oligodendrocyte molecular perturbations associated with tau in Alzheimer’s

The findings suggest that in AD, part of what happens in the brain may involve changes in DNA tagging that affect the function of oligodendrocytes, particularly in relation to the buildup of the toxic protein tau.

Oligodendrocytes are the brain cells that make myelin, the insulation that helps nerve cells communicate. Scientists have theorized that disrupting neuron communication contributes to symptoms for people with AD. Researchers in this study found that nearly all significant methylation changes — small chemical tags added to DNA that help control when genes are turned on or off — were linked to the tau protein. This supports the idea that this protein plays a key role in brain cell changes tied to AD.

“Our team has previously shown that oligodendrocytes are affected in Alzheimer’s and another tau-related disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP),” says the author. “These new results further highlight that problems in oligodendrocytes and myelin are central to AD. They also point to specific molecular pathways, particularly epigenetic changes, that could be targeted in future therapies.”

The study results identified new genes that may play a role in AD, including one called LDB3, and confirmed many findings across multiple independent datasets, showing its reliability. The identification of specific genes provides potential targets for future research — for example, scientists might investigate whether interventions that reverse methylation or support oligodendrocyte health can slow or modify disease progression for patients with AD. ScienceMission sciencenewshighlights.

In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers have identified specific DNA-level changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using advanced biological analysis, the team mapped alterations in the brain’s regulatory landscape that may help explain why Alzheimer’s presents and progresses differently from person to person. The findings could also open new avenues for understanding other neurodegenerative diseases.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Biologically, the disease begins with the formation of protein deposits, known as amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. This causes brain cells to die over time and the brain to shrink. About 6.9 million people in the U.S. age 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease. There is no cure, and in advanced stages, complications can result in a significant decline in quality of life and death.

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A gain-of-function Retsat variant from high-altitude adaptation promotes myelination via a neuronal dihydroretinoic acid-RXR-γ pathway

High-altitude survival gene in mammals may help reverse nerve damage from conditions like multiple sclerosis.

Neuron.

Li et al. report that a gain-of-function Retsat variant, associated with high-altitude adaptation, promotes myelination by boosting neuronal synthesis of the signaling metabolite ATDRA. This molecule activates RXR-γ in oligodendrocyte progenitors. Administration of the prodrug ATDR promotes remyelination in models of myelin disease.

How the brain can selectively focus attention on one voice among others in a noisy environment

MIT neuroscientists have figured out how the brain is able to focus on a single voice among a cacophony of many voices, shedding light on a longstanding neuroscientific phenomenon known as the “cocktail party problem.”

This attentional focus becomes necessary when you’re in any crowded environment, such as a cocktail party, with many conversations going on at once. Somehow, your brain is able to follow the voice of the person you’re talking to, despite all the other voices that you’re hearing in the background.

Using a computational model of the auditory system, the MIT team found that amplifying the activity of the neural processing units that respond to features of a target voice, such as its pitch, allows that voice to be boosted to the forefront of attention.

Stress rewires brain control networks, boosting pain tolerance in ice test

Stress resilience isn’t a flatline. It’s a flex, according to new research from Florida International University. Marcelo Bigliassi, assistant professor of psychophysiology, and Ph.D. student Dayanne Antonio thrive in creating stressful environments.

They set out to explore how the brain’s internal wiring and a person’s subjective experience of stress interact to determine how they respond to stressful situations. The findings were published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Study participants plunged one hand into a bucket of ice-cold water. Frigidly cold water. As the seconds ticked by, the body’s stress systems revved up, and their skin began to sweat.

Inflammation, Limbic White Matter Microstructure, and Clinical Symptoms in Retired American Football Players With Repetitive Head Impacts

Background and ObjectivesThe link between repetitive head impact (RHI) exposure, later-life cognitive decline, and neurobehavioral dysregulation (NBD) is not well understood. Recent work has implicated inflammation and limbic dysfunction as relevant RHI…

Pathway-Specific Ultrastructure of Thalamocortical Synapses in Mouse Somatosensory Area S2

JNeurosci: Martin-Correa et al. combined high-end volumetric electron microscopy and axon labeling methods to measure the synapses established in adult mouse somatosensory area 2 by specific thalamic cell populations.

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The synaptic circuits established by thalamocortical axons from the ventral posteromedial (VPM) and posterior (Po) nuclei in the first somatosensory cortex have been mapped in high detail as they are a prime model in functional and modeling studies of the interactions between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. In addition, VPM and Po neurons innervate the second somatosensory area (S2), but the synaptic organization of their axons in this area remained essentially unknown. On adult male mice, we combined axon labeling with serial section transmission electron microscopy and focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy to measure and compare functionally relevant structural parameters of synaptic boutons (SBs), e.g., bouton and mitochondrial volume, vesicle pool size, as well as postsynaptic density (PSD) distribution and size.

Targeted Multidomain Treatment for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial

RCT: Among adults with mTBI, targeted multidomain interventions and usual care behavioral management resulted in similar improvements in overall symptom severity and patient-perceived recovery over 4 weeks.

Question Is a targeted multidomain (T-MD) intervention more effective than a standardized behavioral management intervention in adults with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)?

Findings In this randomized clinical trial of 162 patients, both the T-MD and behavioral management groups experienced similar improvements in mTBI symptom severity and perceived improvement in primary outcomes over 4 weeks.

Meaning The findings suggest that both T-MD and behavioral management are effective for improving global mTBI symptoms.

‘Tour de force’ mouse study shows a gut microbe can promote memory loss

Scientists have plenty of ideas about why aging impairs memory. Reductions in blood flow in the brain, shrinking brain volume, and malfunctioning neural repair systems have all been blamed. Now, new research in mice points to another possible culprit: microbes in the gut.

In a new study, scientists show how a bacterium that is particularly common in older animals can drive memory loss. This microbe makes compounds that impair signaling along neurons connecting the gut with the brain, dampening activity in brain regions associated with learning and memory, the team found.

Research suggests the microbiome may contribute to cognitive decline—but its relevance in humans is unclear.

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