by Susann-C. Ruprecht, Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbrücke Brain slices of the mouse are placed onto a glass slide, for further imaging. Credit: David AusserhoferThere is growing evidence that peptide hormones from the gut have far-reaching effects on the whole organism. By binding to corresponding receptors in the brain, they can modulate food intake and...
by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A study led by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has implicated several genes involved in a variety of bodily functions associated with the hypothalamus, a notoriously difficult-to-study region of the brain. The findings could help clinicians identify potential causes of dysfunction for many important traits...
by University of Bern Using a technique called optogenetics, the activity of cells in the brain can be specifically suppressed with light pulses. Credit: Pascal Gugler / Insel Gruppe Despite our broad understanding of the different brain regions activated during rapid-eye-movement sleep, little is known about what this activity serves for. Researchers at the University...
by University of New Mexico A deadly coronavirus pandemic, economic instability and civil unrest menace the mental well-being of millions. Understanding how, in vulnerable people, fear from such frightening events evolves into lifelong anxiety, is critical for healing. A University of New Mexico research team led by Elaine L. Bearer, MD, Ph.D., the Harvey Family...
New research by academics at the University of Bristol has found evidence that prolonged treatment of synthetic corticosteroid drugs increases adrenal gland inflammation in response to bacterial infection, an effect that in the long-term can damage adrenal function. Synthetic corticosteroid drugs are widely prescribed to treat many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases but taking a high...
by Deutsches Zentrum fuer Diabetesforschung DZD Just where fat is deposited in the body and to what degree a person may benefit from a lifestyle intervention depends, among other things, on how sensitive the brain is to insulin. If the person’s brain responds sensitively to the hormone, a significant amount of weight can be lost,...
by Li Yuan, Chinese Academy of Sciences Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is emerging as a non-invasive brain stimulation method that can achieve a highly focused stimulation of deeper brain areas. The hypothalamus is the link between the endocrine and nervous systems. Previous studies showed that ultrasound could induce brain activityand the sensory discrimination ability of...
