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Category: neuroscience – Page 5

Senescent astrocytes discovered in Alzheimer’s brains point to new treatment targets

Researchers from the NeuroAD group (Neuropathology of Alzheimer’s Disease) within the Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology at the University of Málaga, also affiliated with IBIMA–BIONAND Platform and CIBERNED, have made a pioneering breakthrough in the fight against this disease by identifying astrocytes as a promising cellular target for the development of future therapies.

The study demonstrates, for the first time, the presence of senescent astrocytes—cells that remain alive but have lost their functional capacity—in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, positioning this cellular aging process as a key mechanism in neurodegeneration.

The research, published in the journal Journal of Neuroinflammation, was led by Dr. Antonia Gutiérrez, Professor of Cell Biology and Principal Investigator of the NeuroAD group, together with Dr. Juan Antonio García León, Associate Professor of Cell Biology. Other contributors to the study include Laura Cáceres, Laura Trujillo, Elba López, Elisabeth Sánchez, and Inés Moreno.

Standard mental health tests may be inaccurate for highly intelligent people

The researchers found that as intelligence scores rise, the questions on common mental health surveys lose their ability to consistently measure the underlying psychological condition. These results were published in the journal Intelligence.

The concept of the “tortured genius” is a cultural staple. It suggests that high intelligence is accompanied by social isolation, existential anxiety, or other psychological difficulties. Previous research on this topic has produced conflicting results. Many large-scale studies indicate that intelligence generally correlates with better health and happiness.

However, other researchers argue that this relationship might not be a simple straight line. They propose a “nonlinear” relationship. This means intelligence could be protective up to a certain point, but extremely high levels might eventually lead to negative outcomes. This phenomenon is sometimes called the “too-much-of-a-good-thing” effect.

The Deflationary Singularity: Why Everything is Going to ZERO w/ Salim Ismail

The rapid advancement of technologies, particularly AI, is driving the world towards an economic singularity where the marginal cost of essentials approaches zero, leading to a deflationary future and a potential transformation of traditional systems and societies ##

## Questions to inspire discussion.

Education Transformation.

🎓 Q: How will AI reduce education time while improving effectiveness?

A: AI will customize education to each child’s learning style, reducing daily learning time to 1 hour per day while delivering 5 times more effective learning compared to traditional methods, with costs falling to zero within 3–5 years and breaking the university industry that currently creates massive student debt.

Healthcare Revolution.

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Peripheral Neural Plasticity in Cochlear Implant Users Across the Lifespan

Model-based analysis of ECAPs in CochlearImplant users showed stronger auditory nerve responses and plasticity in younger recipients, highlighting the value of early implantation.

Question Can neural responses measured in cochlear implant users be standardized to monitor auditory nerve health and plasticity over time?

Findings In this cohort study analyzing more than 169 000 recordings from more than 10 000 cochlear implants in 7,416 patients, auditory nerve activity varied by cochlear location and age at implantation. Children implanted at younger ages showed stronger responses and clear evidence of plasticity, particularly in the first 5 years after activation; these changes were not observed in older users.

Meaning Model-based analysis of neural recordings provide a scalable method for tracking auditory nerve health across the lifespan and highlight the importance of early implantation for long-term outcomes.

Disseminated Brain Infarcts Associated With Uterine Myoma

This Stroke Images case highlights the co-occurrence of ischemic strokes and uterine myoma. Go Red for Women.

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A drug to cure jet lag?

Adapting to eastward travel, such as west-to-east transmeridian flights, or to night-shift work requires advancing the internal clock, a process that normally takes longer and is physiologically harder than delaying it.

Existing methods, such as light therapy or melatonin, are heavily constrained by timing and often yield inconsistent results.

Mic-628’s consistent phase-advance effect, regardless of when it is administered, represents a new pharmacological strategy for resetting the circadian clock.

The researchers discovered that Mic-628 selectively induces the mammalian clock gene Per1.

Mic-628 works by binding to the repressor protein CRY1, promoting the formation of a CLOCK–BMAL1–CRY1–Mic-628 complex that activates Per1 transcription through a “dual E-box” DNA element.

As a result, both the central clock in the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peripheral clocks in tissues such as the lungs were advanced—in tandem and independent of dosing time.

In a simulated jet lag mouse model (6-hour light-dark phase advance), a single oral dose of Mic-628 shortened re-entrainment time from seven days to four.

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