acetylcholine tagged posts

Targeting these circuits could offer a new way to reverse motor dysfunction and depression in Parkinson’s patients. In a study of a small region of the thalamus, MIT neuroscientists have now identified three distinct circuits that influence the development of both motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s. Furthermore, they found that by manipulating these circuits, they could reverse Parkinson’s symptoms in mice.

The findings suggest that those circuits could be good targets for new d...

The immune system’s white blood cells, which are produced in the bone marrow, mostly help to defend against bacteria and injury, but sometimes they can turn against the body—for example, in cardiovascular disease, their inflammatory aggression can harm arteries and the heart. New research in Nature Immunology that was led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) provides insights into the pathways that increase or decrease the bone marrow’s output of these cells. The findings may lead to new treatments for conditions that arise when the balance of white blood cell production goes awry.

Senior author Matthias Nahrendorf, MD, Ph.D...

New research could lead to ways of enhancing cognitive function to counteract the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people. Credit: © Maxim Pavlov / Fotolia

How does heightened attention improve our mental capacity? This is the question tackled by new research published in the journal Cell Reports, which reveals a chemical signal released across the brain in response to attention demanding or arousing situations. The discoveries indicate how current drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, designed to boost this chemical signal, counter symptoms of dementia. The results could also lead to new ways of enhancing cognitive function to counteract Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people.

The team...

Authors of the new study included The Scripps Research Institute’s (left to right) Research Associate Ze Liu, Research Associate Yunchao Gai and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience Ron Davis. Credit: Photo courtesy of The Scripps Research Institute.

While research has identified 100s of genes required for normal memory formation, genes that suppress memory are of special interest because they offer insights into how the brain prioritizes and manages all of the information, including memories, that it takes in every day. These genes also provide clues new treatments for cognitive disorders eg, Alzheimer’s disease. TSRI scientists have identified a unique memory suppressor gene in the brain cells of Drosophila fruit fly, a widely recognized substitute for human memory studies.

Davis et a...