Drug addiction is a vicious cycle of reward and withdrawal. Chronic users often relapse because of the unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms they experience when they stop taking the drug. Now, researchers report metabolic changes in the brains of rats during methamphetamine self-administration and withdrawal that could help identify biomarkers and treatments for addiction.
Read moreResearchers are reporting a novel technique for tracing the activity of individual nerve fibers known as axons, and determining how neurons communicate. The team used this technique to uncover details about how the brain responds to light signals received by the retina in mice.
Read moreResearchers decipher assembly of glutamate receptors and its importance for memory formation.
Read moreA new study using a preclinical animal model suggests that prenatal exposure to THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, makes the brain's dopamine neurons (an integral component of the reward system) hyperactive and increases sensitivity to the behavioral effects of THC during pre-adolescence.
Read moreUsing advanced imaging, researchers have uncovered new information regarding traumatic microbleeds, which appear as small, dark lesions on MRI scans after head injury but are typically too small to be detected on CT scans. The findings published in Brain suggest that traumatic microbleeds are a form of injury to brain blood vessels and may predict worse outcomes. The study was conducted in part by scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Read moreFor the first time, scientists have identified a simple way that can effectively transport medication into the brain – which could lead to improved treatments for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
Read moreMany heart attack patients in China fail to receive beta-blockers which could prevent another event and save their life.
Read moreIndividuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) face the burdens of chronic illness and often racial disparities, both of which may increase vulnerability to adverse social determinants of health (SDoH). For children with SCD, living in poverty is associated with lower quality of life, higher healthcare utilization and higher complication rates.
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