Monthly Archives: June 2013

Brain plasticity as a neurobiological reflection of individuality is difficult to capture in animal models. Inspired by behavioral-genetic investigations of human monozygotic twins reared together, the authors of this study obtained dense longitudinal activity data on 40 inbred mice living … Continue reading

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Many genes in humans are associated with behavior, including educational attainment. In a genome-wide association study involving 101,069 subjects and a replication sample of 25,490, Rietveld and colleagues looked for genes related to educational attainment in Caucasians. Small genetic effects … Continue reading

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Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons are present in the hypothalamus and have been implicated in various behaviors. To study the role of these neurons in sleep, MCH neurons were selectively stimulated via the gene for the light-sensitive cation channel, channelrhodopsin-2, … Continue reading

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Using a mouse model of premature, rapid aging (Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome), Ibrahim and colleagues show that methylated prelamin A, an intermediate form in the protein’s maturation pathway, is associated with premature aging symptoms. In this disorder, patients fail to thrive, … Continue reading

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Emotional changes are common in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. Default mode network degradation in Alzheimer’s disease appears to be accompanied by the release of an emotion-relevant salience network. The authors of this study investigated whether emotional contagion, … Continue reading

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Hospitalization for major surgery or critical illness is often associated with cognitive decline. Inflammation is considered to participate in the mechanisms underlying memory impairment after surgery, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using a mouse model of surgery-induced cognitive decline, … Continue reading

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People over the age of 90 years are a very fast growing segment of the population. A substantial proportion of these individuals are affected by dementia, with major implications for the individual as well as society. The absence of dementia … Continue reading

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Thrombolysis with alteplase (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator) administered within a narrow therapeutic window provides an effective therapy for acute ischaemic stroke. However, mainly because of prehospital delay, patients often arrive too late for treatment, and no more than 1—8% of … Continue reading

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  Impaired GABA-mediated neurotransmission has been implicated in many neurologic diseases, including epilepsy, dementia and psychiatric disorders. In this study, transplantation of GABA progenitor cells into the hippocampus of adult epileptic mice reduced the occurrence of seizures and restored behavioral … Continue reading

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