The urban brain
The brains of city dwellers are more sensitive to social stress than those of country folk, according to a studyContinue Reading
Author: michelesolis
The life and times of the human brain transcriptome
A dynamic view of transcription in the human brain has been revealed in two papers published in Nature. Both studiesContinue Reading
Autism gene tied to neuronal wiring
An autism-linked protein called IL1RAPL1 helps neurons wire together, according to two studies published in September. These add to theContinue Reading
WCPG 2011 — Enter the endophenotype
The last day of the meeting featured endophenotypes — characteristics like impulsivity that lie between genes and full-blown disease —Continue Reading
WCPG 2011 — Deciphering dysbindin
A session devoted to dysbindin, a protein encoded by a gene linked to schizophrenia, showed more than a few biologistsContinue Reading
WCPG 2011 — Scanning sequences in schizophrenia
From the ups and downs of messenger RNA, to the base-by-base reads of DNA sequences, researchers are trying to extractContinue Reading
WCPG 2011 — The coming calamity in research funding
Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, delivered the expected news of a prolonged period of researchContinue Reading
WCPG 2011 — A capital day for CNVs in schizophrenia
The first day of the World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, held in Washington, D.C., bolstered evidence that copy number variationsContinue Reading
Nodes for psychosis?
A new study points to the nodes of Ranvier — gaps in the axon’s myelin sheath that boost the speedContinue Reading
Mindful medicine
Meditation can relieve pain, and a recent study finds that it does so by activating multiple regions of the brain.Continue Reading
Brain scanner, meet gene
Two recent studies try to piece together how genes contribute to schizophrenia by looking for relationships between the brain andContinue Reading
Kynurenine crossroads
An enzyme that degrades kynurenine — a chemical by-product of tryptophan — can promote either neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects inContinue Reading
Michele Solis 