neuron

Toxic strands of RNA known to cause cells to self-destruct have been found in both Alzheimer's and aging brains, suggesting a new approach to treating neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.In a study based on mice and human brains led by Northwestern University in the US, researchers identified short lengths of RNA (ribonucleic acid) associated with DNA damage and cell death in relation to the disease and associated factors.They also found protective short RNA strands in the brain diminish with age, which could…

A groundbreaking study reveals that imbalances in toxic and protective RNA strands play a critical role in Alzheimer’s disease, offering new avenues for treatment focused on RNA interference. Credit: SciTechDaily.comShort, toxic RNAs kill brain cells and may allow Alzheimer’s to develop.New finding to understand brain cell loss in neurodegenerative diseaseIncreasing protective short RNAs may be new approach to halt or delay Alzheimer’sSuperAgers with superior memories have more protective short RNAs in their…

We all know that stress can rob you of a good night’s sleep, but it’s more than just racing thoughts behind it. For the first time, scientists have identified how stress fires up brain cells at the wrong time during sleep stages, causing interrupted slumber and poor quality of rest.Investigating the physiological impact of stress on sleep in a mouse model, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) scientists monitored activity in the preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus during natural sleep. They found that glutamatergic…

Researchers have used human tracheal cells to create tiny biological robots that can move on their own and work together to encourage healing in damaged neurons without requiring genetic modifications. The tiny bots have the potential to transform regenerative medicine and the treatment of disease.Micro-sized robots created with living cells – biobots – are being developed to carry out various tasks inside the human body, from drug delivery to recognizing cancer cells. Now, researchers at Tufts University and Harvard’s…

Our mouths might help keep our hunger in check. A recent study found evidence in mice that our brains rely on two separate pathways to regulate our sense of fullness and satiety—one originating from the gut and the other from cells in the mouth that let us perceive taste. The findings could help scientists better understand and develop anti-obesity drugs, the study authors say.Inspiration Behind the Reality-TV Style for The Hunger GamesThe experiment was conducted by researchers at the University of California San…

The reconstruction of the larval fly’s brain includes 3,016 neurons and 548,000 connections, or synapses, between neurons. Scientists say it’s the most complex, complete map ever published of an animal’s brain. Gif: Johns Hopkins University/University of CambridgeTo most humans, a fruit fly larva doesn’t look like much: a pale, wriggling, rice grain-shaped maggot, just a few millimeters in length. Yet, in their own way, fly larvae lead rich and interesting lives full of sensory inputs, social behaviors, and learning. If…

Simplicial threshold model cascades on a C. elegans neuronal complex. a 2D visualization of experimentally measured locations and synapse connections between neurons in nematode C. elegans. We model higher-order nonlinear dynamical dependencies among sets of (k + 1) neurons using k-simplices in the associated clique complex for which we ignore edge directions. b Histograms depict the distribution of lengths for 1- and 2-simplices, where we define the…

Researchers have discovered that boosting neuron formation restores memory in mice with Alzheimer’s disease.Scientists have discovered that increasing the production of new neurons in mice with <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Alzheimer’s</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Alzheimer's disease is a disease that attacks the brain, causing a decline in mental ability that worsens over time. It is the most common form…

Karen Hopkin: This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I’m Karen Hopkin. They say you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But what if you had access to a remote-controlled carnivorous plant? Because researchers have engineered a bio-inspired system…an artificial neuron, if you will…that can trigger the snap of a Venus fly trap.   Simone Fabiano: Hi, my name is Simone Fabiano. I'm associate professor at Linköping University in Sweden. Hopkin: Fabiano designed the trap-springing device using nerve…

Scientists taking a very close look at the architecture of neuron cells in the brain have found a key structural difference between primates and non-primates in the cortical neurons – cells that are part of the cerebrum.  The findings give us a greater insight into this most complex of organs, and how the form and function of neurons might differ between species. We may also learn more about human and animal evolution through the research.Key to this difference in neurons is the axon fiber: a slender part of the neuron…