MeCP2 loss ups signal strength
Neurons lacking MeCP2, the protein deficient in Rett syndrome, have stronger signals than controls do when measured amid the electricalContinue Reading
Author: michelesolis
Tipping the brain toward social impairment
Upsetting the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the cortex with new optogenetic tricks can induce cognitive and social impairmentsContinue Reading
Ketamine as antidepressant
A single dose of ketamine can relieve depression in as little as two hours, but finding out how it worksContinue Reading
A first glimpse of the exome in schizophrenia
Sequencing the protein-coding parts of the genome, or exome, turns up rare, protein-altering mutations in individuals with schizophrenia not foundContinue Reading
The long arm of dopamine signaling
Altering dopamine signaling in one part of the brain can have substantial repercussions elsewhere, according to a new study inContinue Reading
Mirror-touch synesthesia
Rare people who literally feel what they see offer clues to how empathy works in the brain. Read this articleContinue Reading
The shifting diagnostic sands of psychosis
A new study finds that the diagnosis initially given to 50% of study participants who had been admitted to theContinue Reading
Dark horses of anxiety
Two recent studies turn up new clues about anxiety in obscure places. In the space between neurons, an enzyme calledContinue Reading
Perturbed molecular pathways in autism
The brain displays consistent but abnormal patterns of gene expression in autism, according to a new study in Nature. TheContinue Reading
Thinking person’s diet
Dieters take note: thinking in detail about eating can reduce actual food consumption, according to a study in Science. MerelyContinue Reading
The DISC1 switch
Disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), a major susceptibility factor for schizophrenia and other mental disorders, acts as a switch betweenContinue Reading
Petri dish insights into schizophrenia
Neurons have been successfully grown from stem cells derived from people with schizophrenia, according to a new study in Nature.Continue Reading
Michele Solis 