New research suggests menopause is associated with brain volume loss in key regions tied to memory and emotions, along with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and sleep issues.
Hormone therapy didn’t prevent these changes, though it may slow age-related declines in reaction speed.
Menopause linked to brain changes and mental health challenges.
Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown cluster of brain cells that may help explain differences in social behavior between males and females. The small neural circuit appears to function like an on/off switch, showing a striking pattern of activity that differs sharply by sex, an unusually clear contrast compared with most known brain sex differences, which tend to be more subtle and overlapping. Researchers also found that the circuit’s activity shifts with social and reproductive status, suggesting the brain may use this mechanism to adapt behavior across key life stages.
The new study was led by Dr. Tamar Licht and Dr. Dan Rokni from the Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
At what point do “you” end and the outside world begins?
It might feel like a weird question with an obvious answer, but your brain has to work surprisingly hard to judge that boundary. Now, scientists have linked a specific set of brain waves in a certain part of the brain to a sense of body ownership.
In a series of new experiments, researchers from Sweden and France put 106 participants through what’s called the rubber hand illusion, monitoring and stimulating their brain activity to see what effect it had.
Now online! (Cell 186786–802.e1–e15; February 16, 2023)
Now online! (Cell 186, 786–802.e1–e15; February 16, 2023)
In our original published article, we performed western blots and imaging of induced motor neurons (iMNs) to elucidate the mechanism through which PIKFYVE inhibition causes secretion and clearance of aggregation-prone proteins such as phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43). Since publication, we have become aware of 3 errors in figure legends or images that we are now correcting.
Structure basis for the activation of KCNQ2 by endogenous and exogenous ligands.
Zhao et al. report cryo-EM structures of human KCNQ2 in complex with QO-58 and QO-83 in multiple conformations, with or without PIP2. Together with electrophysiological and computational analyses, these structures provide insight into the channel’s activation mechanism and support the rational design of targeted anti-epileptic therapies.
In #RadiologicallyIsolatedSyndrome, greater paramagnetic rim lesion burden on MRI was associated with increased risk and earlier development of clinical MultipleSclerosis.
Question Are paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) and central vein sign–positive white matter lesions (CVS+L) associated with developing clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in people with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS)?
Findings In this cohort of 36 people with RIS, a higher PRL count was associated with a shorter time to developing clinical symptoms of MS and was an independent predictor of symptom onset; these findings were validated in an independent cohort of 43 people with RIS.
Meaning Results show that PRLs may have prognostic utility for risk stratification and help guide treatment decisions in people with RIS, the earliest detectable stage of MS.
Even with delayed intervention, this neuroprotective agent delivers lasting protection to the hypertensive brain from ischemic injury.
BackgroundIn spite of the advances in understanding the pathophysiology of stroke, successful treatment remains a major challenge. The lack of consideration of preclinical studies with associated comorbidities is a primary factor for the translational failure, as ~94% of patients with stroke have ≥1 preexisting comorbidities. Because hypertension is the most common comorbid condition in patients with stroke and predisposition to hypertension is known to worsen stroke outcome, we evaluated the efficacy of a novel neuroprotective peptide derived from the brain‐enriched and neuron‐specific tyrosine phosphatase striatal enriched phosphatase (STEP) in attenuating ischemic brain damage under hypertensive conditions.
