Scientists studying mice have uncovered a delicate protein rivalry in the brain that, when thrown off balance, may cause autism-like behaviors.
This discovery opens up a potentially powerful new path for autism treatment by targeting how nerve signals are regulated at the molecular level.
Protein imbalance tied to autism symptoms.
Posted in biotech/medical, education, neuroscience | Leave a Comment on Nebulized vasopressin penetrates CSF and improves social cognition without inducing aggression in a rhesus monkey model of autism
I very much enjoyed reading this nicely done preclinical study on using nebulized vasopressin to improve social cognition in low-sociality rhesus monkeys. Reading about their study design in particular was highly informative/educational! #preclinical #medicine #biomedicine
Low cerebrospinal (CSF) arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentration is a biomarker of social impairment in low-social monkeys and children with autism, suggesting that AVP administration may improve primate social functioning. However, AVP administration also increases aggression, at least in “neurotypical” animals with intact AVP signaling. Here, we tested the effects of a voluntary drug administration method in low-social male rhesus monkeys with high autistic-like trait burden. Monkeys received nebulized AVP or placebo, using a within-subjects design. Study 1 (N = 8) investigated the effects of AVP administration on social cognition in two tests comparing responses to social versus nonsocial stimuli. Test 1: Placebo-administered monkeys lacked face recognition memory, whereas face recognition memory was “rescued” following AVP administration.
New research shows that moral conviction speeds up political decision-making and activates emotional and cognitive brain regions—especially in people with lower self-awareness about their own judgment accuracy.
In a study in aging mice, the first author has uncovered striking age-related changes in the sugary coating – called the glycocalyx – on cells that form the blood-brain barrier, a structure that protects the brain by filtering out harmful substances while allowing in essential nutrients.
“The glycocalyx is like a forest,” the author explains. “In young, healthy brains, this forest is lush and thriving. But in older brains, it becomes sparse, patchy, and degraded.”
These age-related changes to the glycocalyx weaken the blood-brain barrier, the author found. As the barrier becomes leaky with age, harmful molecules can infiltrate the brain, potentially fueling inflammation, cognitive decline, and neurodegenerative diseases.
The results were striking: In older mice, bottlebrush-shaped, sugar-coated proteins called mucins, a key component of the glycocalyx, were significantly reduced. This thinning of the glycocalyx correlated with increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier and heightened neuroinflammation.
When the team reintroduced those critical mucins in aged mice, restoring a more “youthful” glycocalyx, they improved the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, reduced neuroinflammation, and measurably improved cognitive function.
“Modulating glycans has a major effect on the brain – both negatively in aging, when these sugars are lost, and positively, when they are restored,” the lead says. “This opens an entirely new avenue for treating brain aging and related diseases.”
Immune mechanisms play a fundamental role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis, suggesting that approaches which target immune cells and immunologically relevant molecules can offer therapeutic opportunities beyond the recently approved amyloid beta monoclonal therapies. In this review, we provide an overview of immunomodulatory therapeutics in development, including their preclinical evidence and clinical trial results. Along with detailing immune processes involved in AD pathogenesis and highlighting how these mechanisms can be therapeutically targeted to modify disease progression, we summarize knowledge gained from previous trials of immune-based interventions, and provide a series of recommendations for the development of future immunomodulatory therapeutics to treat AD.
1999/ 2000 documentary 56 minutes. Primal Eye/ Median Vision Theory of the early evolution of self referential consciousness and dreaming. Dir…
The blood test for eMTBR-tau243 shows strong correlation with tau pathology, enhancing Alzheimer’s diagnosis and monitoring cognitive decline effectively.
Past neuroscience and psychology studies have shown that people’s expectations of the world can influence their perceptions, either by directing their attention to expected stimuli or by reducing their sensitivity (i.e., perceptual acuity) to variations within the categories of stimuli we expect to be exposed to.
While the effects of expectations on perceptions are now well-documented, their neural underpinnings remain poorly understood.
Researchers at University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) carried out a study involving songbirds aimed at better understanding how expectation-fueled biases in perception shape brain activity and behavior.
People breathing contaminated air over the course of years are at greater risk of developing numerous diseases. This is thought to be due to highly reactive components in particulate matter, which affect biological processes in the body. However, researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland, have now shown that precisely these components disappear within hours and that previous measurements therefore completely underestimate the quantities in which they are present.
From chronic respiratory problems to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and dementia, health damage caused by particulate matter air pollution is wide-ranging and serious. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over six million deaths a year are caused by increased exposure to particulate matter.
The chemical composition of these tiny particles in the air, which come from a wide range of both anthropogenic and natural sources, is highly complex. Which particles trigger which reactions and long-term diseases in the body is the subject of intensive research.
