Learn about brain health and nootropics to boost brain function
Research suggests neurons protect and preserve certain information through a dedicated zone of stable synapses
A layer 5 pyramidal neuron imaged in vivo with two-photon microscopy. The oblique dendritic domain (pink) contains stable synapses, and the basal dendritic domain (blue) contains plastic synapses. The cell body and part of the dendritic trunk are white. Credit: Courtney Yaeger and Mark…
Upgrading brain storage: Quantifying how much information our synapses can hold
Two neurons, one in full (left, light purple) and one partially out of frame (right, light blue) on top of a background of zeros and ones to symbolize the unit of bits used to quantify information storage in synapses. The neuron on the left…
Sleep resets brain connections for a few hours, but then what happens?
In a study involving zebrafish, a team of scientists led by the University College London (UCL) has explored how the brain manages synaptic connections during sleep . The experts found that the brain weakens new neural connections that were forged during waking hours, but…
Neuroscience Breakthrough Unveils How We Learn and Remember
New findings in memory research reveal the role of dendritic translation in learning, identifying thousands of micropeptides and key regulatory proteins, offering insights into intellectual disabilities and broader neurological functions. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Activity taking place within the dendrites that branch off of neuron cell…
Memory Block: How Saturated Fats May Hinder Memory Formation in the Aging Brain
A new study suggests that a high-fat diet may impair memory by causing inflammatory effects and issues in cell-signaling management in the brain cells, especially as people age, but the omega-3 fatty acid DHA may help mitigate these effects. The research, focusing on microglia…
Three new projects launched to map neuronal connections in the mouse and macaque brains
A complete map of all the connections in an entire mammalian brain may be in sight. Allen Institute researchers have just launched three new projects to construct large, detailed maps of neuronal connections in sections of the mouse and macaque brains, with an eye…
Living model of brain reveals how human neurons work together to process information
“Dishbrain’ under the microscope. A microscopy image of neural cells where fluorescent markers show different types of cells. Green marks neurons and axons, purple marks neurons, red marks dendrites, and blue marks all cells. Where multiple markers are present, colors are merged and typically…
Battle of the Dendrites: How Neurons Compete To Cut Connections
Researchers at Kyushu University discovered the chemical pathways that regulate synaptic pruning, a crucial phase in brain development where excessive and incorrect neuronal connections are eliminated. The team found that in the presence of neurotransmitter signaling, the receiving dendrite is protected while other dendrites…