All articles tagged with #brain regions
A large-scale genetic study identified 220 loci linked to substance use disorders across European, African, and American populations, revealing shared genes active in brain regions involved in emotion, memory, and reward, and suggesting potential for personalized risk assessment and drug repurposing for treatment.
Scientists at Scripps Research identified a brain region in the thalamus that becomes more active during alcohol dependence, especially in relieving withdrawal symptoms, highlighting a biological basis for addiction and potential targets for new treatments.
Recent research suggests that the ancient regions of the brain, such as the subcortex and cerebellum, may play a more significant role in consciousness than previously thought, challenging the traditional focus on the neocortex.
Recent research suggests that the oldest parts of the brain, such as the subcortex and even the cerebellum, may be sufficient for basic consciousness, challenging the traditional view that the neocortex is essential for conscious experience. Evidence from brain stimulation, injury, and rare cases of individuals without a neocortex indicates that consciousness might be more widespread and rooted in ancient brain structures than previously thought.
Recent research suggests that traditional theories emphasizing the neocortex's role in consciousness may be incomplete, as evidence indicates that ancient brain regions like the subcortex and cerebellum can support basic conscious experiences, prompting a reevaluation of our understanding of consciousness and its neural basis.
A study published in Nature Human Behavior reveals that fear extinction involves stable, context-specific neural representations in brain regions like the amygdala and hippocampus, with implications for understanding and treating anxiety disorders and phobias.
A study using fMRI reveals that the right insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex become more active during mental fatigue, influencing decisions to continue or quit effortful tasks, with external incentives like money encouraging continued effort. These findings could inform treatments for fatigue-related conditions such as depression and PTSD.
A recent study has shown that a ceramic blanket, developed by Gladiator Therapeutics to improve blood flow and wound healing, improved motor performance in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The blanket not only improved balance and movement but also increased the number of cells in the brain regions affected by Parkinson's. The emitted far-infrared radiation from the blanket can promote healing, prevent tissue damage, boost cell energy, enhance blood flow and oxygenation, and reduce inflammation. This research suggests that the ceramic blanket may be a viable treatment option for Parkinson's patients.
Recent advances in neuroscience have revealed that imagination is a complex process that engages multiple brain regions and networks, including the hippocampus, frontoparietal control network, and default mode network. These regions work in tandem, dynamically coupling and decoupling, to support the complex operations underlying imagination. The neural underpinnings of imagination are distributed across the brain, and the sensorimotor systems also play a role in imagination. Future research should focus on how these networks interact over time and across different imaginative tasks.
A new study led by the universities of Bristol and Heidelberg has found that if neural assemblies between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex fail to sync together at the correct time, memories are lost. The study also wanted to understand why memory sometimes fails. Using brain recordings in rats, the research team has shown that memory encoding, storage, and recall are supported by dynamic interactions incorporating multiple neural assemblies formed within and between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.