Alzheimer disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impairs memory and mental function. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60–70% of cases, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide, a trend that is expected to continue for the next few decades. Memory loss in Alzheimer disease is driven by the loss ofContinueContinue reading “Refining HDAC inhibition to restore memory”
Tag Archives: cognition
Protecting neurons from misfolded prion proteins
Prion disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis all share a common etiology: neurodegeneration linked to the misfolding and aggregation of a specific protein. But the causes of neuronal death in these diseases are still poorly understood, impeding the development of strategies to prevent neurodegeneration. To fill this knowledgeContinueContinue reading “Protecting neurons from misfolded prion proteins”
Chicks go left for less, right for more
Most humans think of numbers as being ranged along a horizontal line, called the mental number line (MNL), with smaller values located to the left and larger values to the right. Relativity is a fundamental characteristic of the MNL: for example, in the numerical range of 1–9, 9 is located on the right, whereas inContinueContinue reading “Chicks go left for less, right for more”
Has domestication made dogs dumber?
Results of a new study evaluating animals’ ability to create and compare mental representations of quantities of food suggest that domesticated dogs might have limited information-processing skills compared with wolves, their closest wild cousins. The findings are consistent with a hypothesis that domestication has altered information processing in dogs by attenuating the selective pressures thatContinueContinue reading “Has domestication made dogs dumber?”
Beer boosts brainpower—but only in the young
Flavonoids are compounds found in many plants whose nutritional benefits and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have been widely studied. The hops used to make beer contain a flavonoid called xanthohumol, which can help to control body weight and blood sugar in a rat model of obesity. New findings from researchers at Oregon State University (Corvallis)ContinueContinue reading “Beer boosts brainpower—but only in the young”
A new way to measure canine welfare
Animal welfare science focuses on assessing and maximizing animals’ quality of life. In the research context, improving the welfare of laboratory animals is a high priority. To this end, objective measures of animal welfare are greatly needed. One way to evaluate welfare is to consider an animal’s affective state, which can be assessed indirectly byContinueContinue reading “A new way to measure canine welfare”
Xenon gas helps rats forget fear
Reconsolidation occurs when memories are recalled and re-encoded in the brain; during this process, the memories become temporarily susceptible to modification. Therefore, the reconsolidation process may provide a therapeutic window for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other emotional memory disorders. Xenon gas can inhibit receptors that are involved in fear memory reconsolidation. Edward Meloni andContinueContinue reading “Xenon gas helps rats forget fear”
Dopamine pathway induces emergence from anesthesia
Surgical procedures typically require patients to be placed under general anesthesia, which is usually well-managed and very safe. Emergence from anesthesia can have clinical complications, however, including delayed emergence, intraoperative decreases in oxygenation and emergence delirium, which can be associated with cognitive dysfunction and morbidity. There are no approved strategies for reversing the effects ofContinueContinue reading “Dopamine pathway induces emergence from anesthesia”
Locating ‘working memory’ in crows
Intelligence relies in part on ‘working memory,’ which temporarily stores information needed for ongoing cognitive processes. In mammals, working memory is housed in the prefrontal cortex. Corvids (birds including crows and ravens) are known for their intelligence and also have a working memory. But their brain structure is different from that of mammals and lacksContinueContinue reading “Locating ‘working memory’ in crows”
Eternal sunshine of the rodent mind
Throughout life, new neurons are generated in the hippocampus, where they form a structure that supports memory creation. When new neurons are integrated into the hippocampus, they compete with existing cells, forging new synaptic connections that may weaken or replace older ones. As a result, high rates of hippocampal neurogenesis may drive the loss ofContinueContinue reading “Eternal sunshine of the rodent mind”
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