Tag: Brain

Scientists have “faked” sleep in mice by artificially creating the on/off neuronal firing pattern similar to that seen in non-REM sleep. This produced sleep-like effects, including improved learning memory [1]. Can sleep be emulated? Getting proper amounts and quality of sleep is one of the best things for health and longevity [2], but in modern...

Scientists have uncovered an unexpected function of the tau protein, which is mostly known for its role in Alzheimer’s and related disorders: helping encode long-term memory. This can inform novel approaches that target tau [1]. In sickness and in health Tau is a protein found mainly in neurons, where its textbook job is to bind...

A new study calls for caution in using the well-known senolytic treatment of dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q), showing that it causes damage in certain regions of the brain, similar to what is observed in multiple sclerosis [1]. Stem cell senescence prevents brain repair Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a brain disorder in which the patient’s own...

The pro-Alzheimer's allele APOE4 makes hippocampal neurons in mice smaller and hyperexcitable. This effect, which resembles epilepsy and accelerated aging, can be mitigated by manipulating a neuronal protein [1]. Before symptoms arise Alzheimer's disease begins long before symptoms appear, building silently for decades. The single strongest genetic risk factor for the common, late-onset form of...

Researchers have discovered a potential treatment for post-operative delirium, which accelerates cognitive decline in older people. A common problem with long-term effects Roughly a quarter of older people suffer from delirium after surgery [1], which rises to around half if the surgery is particularly invasive or high-risk [2]. This increases the length of hospital stays...

A new study suggests that microbiome remodeling is a mechanism behind age-related cognitive decline, with one particular bacterial species identified as the likely culprit. In mice, antibiotics seem to reverse this effect [1]. The gut-brain axis and the microbiome Memory decline is a common and debilitating feature of aging, but its mechanisms remain poorly understood....