The evolution of the human brain has long been framed in terms of sexual selection, with an emphasis on consistent but small on-average volumetric differences between males and females. In this revie…
Category: neuroscience – Page 6
Scientists find cellular brain changes tied to PTSD
The human brain is made up of billions of interconnected cells that are constantly talking to each other. A new study published in Nature zooms in to the single-cell level to see how this cellular communication may be going wrong in brains affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Until recently, researchers did not have the technology to study genetic variation within individual cells. But now that it’s available, a team led by Matthew Girgenti, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, has been analyzing brain cells to uncover genetic variants that might be associated with psychiatric diseases such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and PTSD.
Their latest study is one of the first to examine a major psychiatric disorder, PTSD, at the single-cell level. For years, doctors have been prescribing antidepressants to treat the condition because there are currently no drugs specifically designed for PTSD. Girgenti hopes that identifying novel molecular signatures associated with the psychiatric disease can help researchers learn how to develop new drugs or repurpose existing ones to treat it more effectively.
Brain organizes visuomotor associations into structured graph-like mental schemes, study finds
Graphs, visual representations outlining the relationships between different entities, concepts or variables, can be very effective in summarizing complex patterns and information. Past psychology studies suggest that the human brain stores memories and experiences following graph-like and structured patterns, specifically as a network of associations, also referred to as cognitive graphs.
These cognitive graphs are hypothesized to represent different concepts as “nodes” and the relationships between these concepts as edges connecting these nodes. By organizing information in a structured way, they can allow people to apply knowledge they have acquired in the past to new situations and draw conclusions about what is happening based on previous experiences.
The role of cognitive graphs has been widely investigated in the past, with most studies focusing on their contribution to the storage and retrieval of facts and knowledge (i.e., declarative memories). In contrast, the extent to which they influence the planning and control of movements remains poorly understood.
Circadian photoreception influences loss aversion
Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 13,051 (2025) Cite this article.
‘Cyborg Tadpoles’ With Super Soft Neural Implants Shine Light on Early Brain Development
Early brain development is a biological black box. While scientists have devised multiple ways to record electrical signals in adult brains, these techniques don’t work for embryos.
A team at Harvard has now managed to peek into the box—at least when it comes to amphibians and rodents. They developed an electrical array using a flexible, tofu-like material that seamlessly embeds into the early developing brain. As the brain grows, the implant stretches and shifts, continuously recording individual neurons without harming the embryo.
“There is just no ability currently to measure neural activity during early neural development. Our technology will really enable an uncharted area,” said study author Jia Liu in a press release.
Apple backs brain-chip tech to control devices using thought
Apple has teamed up with the neurotech firm, developing a brain implant that allows users to operate digital devices by thinking.
FDA-Approved Sleeping Pill Slows Alzheimer’s Tangles in Pre-Clinical Trial
A drug used to treat insomnia has protected mice against the buildup of the tau protein found to clump abnormally in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. This could lead to new ways to help slow the progress of these diseases.
An increasing number of people are facing cognitive decline personally or in their loved ones. There are almost 10 million new cases of dementia globally each year, and despite decades of research, there are still few treatment options that provide clear benefits.
So due to the links between Alzheimer’s and poor sleep, Washington University neurologist Samira Parhizkar and colleagues investigated a central nervous system depressant, lemborexant, that was approved for use as a sleep aid by the FDA in December 2019.