Vienna, Austria: The loss of social memories caused by sleep deprivation could potentially be reversed using currently available drugs, according to a study in mice presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024. Lack of sleep is known to affect the brain, including memory, in mice and in humans, but research is […]
Category: Neuroscience
Researchers discover how nerve cells in bat brains respond to their environment and social interactions with other bats
First study of social groups of wild bats in a laboratory ‘bat cave’ Vienna, Austria: Researchers have found that nerve cells in the hippocampus region of the brain encode complex information on numerous characteristics of other individuals in the same social group. The work, which is being carried out in bats, is the first to […]
Specific bacteria in your gut are involved in compulsive eating and obesity
New research shows how your brain and gut talk to each other Vienna, Austria: An international team of researchers has identified specific bacteria in the gut that are associated with both mice and humans developing an addiction to food that can lead to obesity. They have also identified bacteria that play a beneficial role in […]
Mouse studies reveal possible benefits of CBD and metformin for treating behavioural difficulties
Vienna, Austria: Studies of mouse models of Fragile X syndrome and Phelan-McDermid syndrome show that treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) and the diabetes drug metformin can alleviate behavioural difficulties, according to research presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024. Fragile X syndrome and Phelan-McDermid syndrome are two genetic conditions that cause a […]
New research questions safety of cannabidiol for pregnant women
Mouse studies show alterations in brains and behaviour in offspring exposed to CBD during gestation Vienna, Austria: Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the active ingredients in cannabis, is thought to be safe as it does not cause a “high”. Increasing numbers of pregnant women take CBD, believing that it can help alleviate symptoms such as morning […]
Our brains respond differently to human and AI-generated speech, but we still struggle to tell them apart
— happy voices assumed to be real whereas ‘neutral’ voices assumed to be AI – Vienna, Austria: People are not very good at distinguishing between human voices and voices generated by artificial intelligence (AI), but our brains do respond differently to human and AI voices, according to research presented today (Tuesday) at the Federation of […]
Discovery of shared genetic links between sleep, neurodevelopmental, and neuropsychiatric conditions may lead to the development of new treatments
Berlin, Germany: Disturbed sleep is very common in almost all neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions (NDPCs), such as autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. While it is understandable that the symptoms of such conditions would lead to sleep disruption and also that sleep disruption would worsen symptoms in these conditions, Irish researchers […]
Research brings hope for early treatment of brain degeneration in ‘children of the night’
Glasgow, UK: Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare and devastating genetic disorder characterised by an inability to repair skin damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) light. As a result, patients with XP develop skin cancers, usually in childhood. Once diagnosed, they can be protected by avoiding sunlight (hence sometimes being called ‘children of the night’), wearing […]
Blood biomarkers plus genomics predict common disease risk more accurately than genomic information alone
Glasgow, UK: Being to identify people at high risk of chronic disease means that they can be targeted with prevention measures before they become sick. Polygenic risk scores, where genomic information alone is used to assess the risk of developing diseases, have been receiving a lot of attention recently, but research presented at the annual […]
World first: Researchers identify specific regions of the brain that are damaged by high blood pressure and are involved in a decline in mental processes and dementia
For the first time, researchers have identified specific regions of the brain that are damaged by high blood pressure and may contribute to a decline in mental processes and the development of dementia. High blood pressure is known to be involved in causing dementia and damage to brain function. The study, which is published in […]