AI SummaryIntermittent fasting can delay cognitive decline and improve conditions like stroke and Alzheimer’s. However, the exact impact of glucose restriction, a part of intermittent fasting, is not fully understood. Researchers used 2-deoxyglucose to investigate how low glucose stimulates brain plasticity and treats stroke and Alzheimer’s.Intermittent fasting (IF) is a nutritional paradigm that forestalls cognitive… Continue reading 2-Deoxyglucose drives plasticity via an adaptive ER stress-ATF4 pathway and elicits stroke recovery and Alzheimer’s resilience
Category: Neuroscience
[Comment] Complexity is the simple truth about Alzheimer’s disease
Few fields of medicine are as polarised as that of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research. The debate has even taken on religious undertones, with supporters of the amyloid cascade hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease being called baptists, and critics of this theory being called tauists (from tau, the other most probable candidate in the pathogenesis of… Continue reading [Comment] Complexity is the simple truth about Alzheimer’s disease
[Personal View] The complex pathway between amyloid β and cognition: implications for therapy
For decades, the hypothesis that brain deposition of the amyloid β protein initiates Alzheimer’s disease has dominated research and clinical trials. Targeting amyloid β is starting to produce therapeutic benefit, although whether amyloid-lowering drugs will be widely and meaningfully effective is still unclear. Despite extensive in-vivo biomarker evidence in humans showing the importance of an… Continue reading [Personal View] The complex pathway between amyloid β and cognition: implications for therapy
Interpreting the retinal neural code for natural scenes: From computations to neurons
Maheswaranathan et al. create a three-layer network model that captures retinal encoding of natural scenes and many ethological phenomena. The model’s structure is interpretable in terms of the actions of real interneurons. A new computational approach automatically generates hypotheses for how interneurons generate ethological computations under natural visual scenes.
Improvement of sensory deficits in fragile X mice by increasing cortical interneuron activity after the critical period
AI SummaryThis study shows that parvalbumin interneurons in fragile X syndrome model mice are underactive and disconnected from excitatory cells in the developing neocortex. Restoring activity of these cells after the second week of postnatal development improves sensory hypersensitivity in the mice.Kourdougli et al. use all-optical in vivo approaches to show that parvalbumin interneurons are hypoactive and… Continue reading Improvement of sensory deficits in fragile X mice by increasing cortical interneuron activity after the critical period
Toggling between food-seeking and self-preservation behaviors via hypothalamic response networks
AI SummaryThe text discusses the study of motivated behaviors in a controlled environment but emphasizes the importance of considering real-life competition and neural networks. The authors examine how animals display flexible behaviors to find food while facing the threat of predation and reveal a neural mechanism that helps maximize survival.Motivated behaviors are often studied in… Continue reading Toggling between food-seeking and self-preservation behaviors via hypothalamic response networks
Customization of the translational complex regulates mRNA-specific translation to control CNS regeneration
AI SummarySelect mRNAs control axon regeneration with help from specific factors like Huntingtin protein.Schaeffer et al. demonstrate that the translational regulation of a specific subset of mRNAs is involved in the control of axon regeneration in the injured CNS. This selective translation process is controlled by the functional association of specific factors with ribosomes, such as… Continue reading Customization of the translational complex regulates mRNA-specific translation to control CNS regeneration
Mapping the neuroethological signatures of pain, analgesia, and recovery in mice
AI SummaryBohic et al. utilize advanced techniques to discover hidden markers of pain using computer vision and machine learning. They identify the emotional and motor responses related to pain relief and injury recovery in animals, offering a novel method for developing painkillers in laboratory rodents.Bohic, Pattison, and colleagues use cutting-edge quantitative approaches to uncover hidden… Continue reading Mapping the neuroethological signatures of pain, analgesia, and recovery in mice
[In Context] Memories on film
AI SummaryScience on Screen is a mini film festival at The Francis Crick Institute that pairs film screenings with panel discussions to enhance scientific and film literacy. Topics discussed have included psychosis and genetic engineering.Science on Screen is mini film festival held regularly, since 2018, at The Francis Crick Institute (London, UK). It aims to… Continue reading [In Context] Memories on film
Thirty-four community members receive 2023 MIT Excellence Awards, Collier Medal, and Staff Award for Distinction in Service
AI SummaryTwenty-four individuals and one team received MIT Excellence Awards, and two community members were awarded the Collier Medal and the Staff Award for Distinction in Service at a ceremony held at MIT. These awards recognize the dedication and positive impact of staff and community members in various areas of the Institute. The Collier Medal… Continue reading Thirty-four community members receive 2023 MIT Excellence Awards, Collier Medal, and Staff Award for Distinction in Service