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1 Painting a Nuanced Picture of Brain System Regulation Moods and Movements Summary: A new study reports the serotonin system is made up of multiple parallel pathways that affect the brain in different, and sometimes opposing, ways. Source: Stanford. As Liqun Luo was writing his introductory textbook on neuroscience in 2012, he found himself in a quandary. He needed to include a section about a vital system in the brain controlled by the chemical messenger serotonin, which has been implicated in everything from mood to movement regulation. But the research was still far from clear on what effect serotonin has on the mammalian brain. A 3D rendering of the serotonin system in the left hemisphere of the mouse brain reveals two groups of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe that project to either cortical regions (blue) or subcortical regions (green) while rarely crossing into the other’s domain. NeuroscienceNews.com image is credited to Jing Ren. https:///serotonin-systems-9745/2 A Safe and Non-Invasive Way to Open the Blood-Brain Barrier in Alzheimer’s Patients Summary: Researchers use focused ultrasound to safely and non-invasively open the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer’s patients. Source: University of Ontario. In the first peer-reviewed published report of its kind, University of Toronto researchers have demonstrated that focused ultrasound can be used to safely open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This recent study is the first peer-reviewed, published report showing the safety and feasibility of breaching the BBB in patients with Alzheimer’s. NeuroscienceNews.com image is adapted from the University of Ontario news release. https:///bbb-alzheimers-9744/ 3 How Sleep May Contribute to Adverse Weight Gain Summary: Researchers report just one night of sleep loss can have a tissue specific impact on metabolism and the regulation of gene expression. The study could explain why those who suffer chronic sleep loss or work shifts are at greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Source: Uppsala University. In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University now demonstrate that one night of sleep loss has a tissue-specific impact on the regulation of gene expression and metabolism in humans. This may explain how shift work and chronic sleep loss impairs our metabolism and adversely affects our body composition. The study is published in the scientific journal Science Advances. The tissue samples were used for multiple molecular analyses, which first of all revealed that the sleep loss condition resulted in a tissue-specific change in DNA methylation, one form of mechanism that regulates gene expression. NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain. https:///sleep-weight-gain-9743/ 4 Lifestyle Factors Linked to Brain Health of Young Adults Summary: A new study reports lifestyle choices, such as smoking or drinking alcohol during early adulthood, can increase the risk of developing dementia or having a stroke later in life. Source: University of Oxford. Researchers from the University of Oxford, in collaboration with researchers from Canada and the Universities of Bristol and London, have used advanced magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether factors such as blood pressure, fitness, smoking and alcohol intake during young adult life are associated with changes in the blood vessels inside the brain. ‘Young adult cardiovascular health is often a neglected area. This study is a first step towards personalized risk assessment so we can better inform people about steps to improve their future brain health.’NeuroscienceNews.com image is adapted from the University of Oxford news release. https:///lifestyle-youth-brain-health-9742/ 5 Key Brain Circuits for Reward Seeking and Avoidance Behavior Identified Summary: Researchers have identified two subpopulations of neurons in the BNST that connect to separate populations of neurons in the lateral hypothalamus which appear to drive two opposing emotional states; avoidance and reward seeking Source: NIH/NIAAA. Researchers have identified connections between neurons in brain systems associated with reward, stress, and emotion. Conducted in mice, the new study may help untangle multiple psychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorder, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and depression in humans. Researchers mapped new connections in the extended amygdala related to reward-seeking and aversion. Here neurons in that pathway are labeled in fluorescent green in a cross-section of a rodent brain. NeuroscienceNews.com image is credited to Stanford University – de Lecea lab. https:///avoidance-reward-circuit-9741/ 图书推荐：
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