Neuroscience

A study is suggesting a previously unknown protein may play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s. The study claims this protein facilitates the formation of the amyloid plaques thought to cause the neurodegeneration associated with the disease.

The developing field of connectomics – the attempt to produce a neuron-and-synapse-level wiring diagram of the brain – has taken a major leap forward, as a Janelia team with the help of Google has released a full map of the hemibrain of a fruit fly.

A new study from a team of Brazilian scientists is reporting results from the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial exploring the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on anxiety, and anxiety-induced tremors, in Parkinson’s patients.

Utilizing a recently developed brain imaging technique new research suggests measuring accumulated levels of a protein called tau may predict future neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study has described the successful results in mice of a novel vaccine designed to prevent neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers suggest this "dementia vaccine" could become the “breakthrough of the next decade.”

New Atlas spoke to several leading psychedelic researchers to get their thoughts on three big future-forward questions. Where will psychedelic science be in 2030, what hurdles do researchers face, and what research topic is yet to be answered?

Sparking new dogs versus cats arguments, a study is suggesting exposure to a pet dog over a child’s first years can be linked to a lower risk of developing schizophrenia as an adult. The same correlation was not seen in children raised with cats.

Results have been published from one of the first placebo-controlled clinical trials investigating the effects of microdosing LSD. This Phase 1 trial is exploring whether microdosing could be useful as a therapeutic tool to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

New research, led by scientists from the University of Rochester, has homed in on a mechanism responsible for causing the cognitive impairment seen in patients who receive cranial radiotherapy for brain cancer.

A new study suggests sleeping more than nine hours a night, and/or taking long midday naps, can significantly increase a person’s risk of stroke. The research adds to a growing body of work finding deleterious health effects from excessive sleep.

A study is suggesting a neural circuit implicated in overeating may be more broadly linked to impulse control. The research hypothesizes behavioral disorders, from drug addiction to excessive gambling, could be treated by regulating this pathway.

Scientists are homing in on exactly how two experimental Alzheimer’s drugs may be generating the anti-aging effects seen in animal studies. The discovery of a unique metabolic pathway offers researchers novel directions for future anti-aging studies.