Monthly Archives: July 2016

“Tau protein can transfer between neurons transneuronally and trans-synaptically, which is thought to explain the progressive spread of tauopathy observed in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Here [Wu and colleagues] show that physiological tau released from donor cells … Continue reading

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“The dopamine system has been implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders, including depression and schizophrenia. Here, Grace describes evidence for disrupted afferent regulation of dopamine neuron firing in these disorders and considers the role of stress in driving this … Continue reading

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Peripheral processes that mediate beneficial effects of exercise on the brain remain sparsely explored. Here, researchers find that cathepsin B, a muscle secretory factor, is important for the cognitive and neurogenic benefits of running. Specifically, cathepsin B enhanced expression of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Running induces Cathepsin B Secretion: Role in Memory Function

“In the last decade a vast number of animal studies have produced overwhelming evidence that exercise not only compensates for memory loss by increasing brain plasticity and cognitive reserve but also directly counteracts Alzheimer-like pathology when provided before disease onset … Continue reading

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“Positive expectations contribute to the clinical benefits of the placebo effect. Such positive expectations are mediated by the brain’s reward system; however, it remains unknown whether and how reward system activation affects the body’s physiology and, specifically, immunity.” Here the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Activation of the dopamine reward system boosts immune response to bacterial infection

“Memory deterioration is a characteristic clinical symptom in patients with Alzheimer’s disease; however, the mechanisms underlying the memory loss are poorly understood. Here, [the authors] found that intraneuronal tau accumulation, the hallmark pathology seen in Alzheimer brains, induced a remarkable … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tau induces synaptic and memory impairments by calcineurin-mediated mechanism