synaptic plasticity – Page 2

New and emerging pharmacologic treatments for MDD

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Major depressive disorder affects millions worldwide and current antidepressants often don’t work well or take weeks to be effective. Researchers have developed exciting new treatments that work through different brain mechanisms and show promise for rapid symptom relief. These include nasal spray ketamine (approved 2019), oral medications like zuranolone (approved 2023), and investigational treatments including psilocybin, which show benefits especially for treatment-resistant cases. While many show great promise, more research is needed on long-term safety and how to make them widely available.

The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Narrative Review

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This review examines how psilocybin, a compound found in certain mushrooms, may help people recover from traumatic brain injuries. The research suggests that psilocybin could reduce harmful inflammation in the brain, help the brain form new connections to compensate for damage, and improve mood and depression commonly experienced after brain injuries. While promising, the authors emphasize that more clinical trials are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness before psilocybin can be used to treat brain injury patients.

Striking long-term beneficial effects of single dose psilocybin and psychedelic mushroom extract in the SAPAP3 rodent model of OCD-like excessive self-grooming

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Researchers tested whether psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) could treat obsessive-compulsive disorder using genetically modified mice that exhibit excessive grooming similar to OCD in humans. A single dose of psilocybin or psychedelic mushroom extract significantly reduced the excessive grooming behavior and anxiety in these mice, with benefits lasting up to six weeks. These findings suggest psilocybin may be a promising new treatment for OCD in humans, offering longer-lasting effects from a single dose compared to current medications.

Postsynaptic plasticity of cholinergic synapses underlies the induction and expression of appetitive and familiarity memories in Drosophila

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Scientists discovered that fruit flies store memories using postsynaptic changes at cholinergic synapses, similar to how humans use postsynaptic mechanisms at glutamate synapses. Specific acetylcholine receptor subunits (α5 and α2) in brain cells called M4/6 neurons are required for different stages of memory formation. The research shows that fundamental memory storage mechanisms are conserved across evolution despite differences in the chemical messengers used.

Selective consolidation of learning and memory via recall-gated plasticity

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Our brains use two memory systems working together: a quick short-term system and a slower long-term system. This study explains how the brain smartly decides which memories are worth storing long-term. The key is that memories get consolidated into long-term storage only when the short-term system can strongly recall them, which filters out unreliable or false memories. This recall-gated mechanism lets the brain remember important information better while ignoring noise and distractions.

Assessment of Lab4P Probiotic Effects on Cognition in 3xTg-AD Alzheimer’s Disease Model Mice and the SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cell Line

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Researchers tested a probiotic supplement called Lab4P on mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and on human brain cells exposed to damaging proteins. The supplement successfully improved memory and cognitive function in the mice while protecting brain cells from damage, with stronger benefits when the mice were also on a high-fat diet. These findings suggest that probiotics might help prevent or slow cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Impaired spatial memory in adult vitamin D deficient BALB/c mice is associated with reductions in spine density, nitric oxide, and neural nitric oxide synthase in the hippocampus

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This study found that adults with vitamin D deficiency have impaired spatial memory and reduced brain structures called dendritic spines in the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning and memory. The researchers identified that low vitamin D decreases nitric oxide production in the brain, which is important for forming and maintaining the synaptic connections needed for memory formation. Importantly, when vitamin D was supplemented back to deficient mice, the brain’s ability to produce nitric oxide was restored, suggesting vitamin D supplementation could potentially improve cognitive function in vitamin D-deficient individuals.

Butyrate ameliorates quinolinic acid–induced cognitive decline in obesity models

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This research shows that overweight and obese individuals have higher levels of a toxic compound called quinolinic acid in their bodies, which is linked to memory problems and brain shrinkage. The good news is that butyrate, a substance naturally produced by gut bacteria when we eat fiber, can protect against these harmful effects. Butyrate works by activating genes that produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for brain health and memory formation. The study suggests that increasing butyrate through diet or supplements could help prevent cognitive decline associated with obesity.

Dopamine activity in projection neurons regulates short-lasting olfactory approach memory in Drosophila

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Fruit flies learn to avoid dangerous smells and approach safe smells during training. Scientists discovered that flies form both types of memories at the same time, but they work differently in the brain. Safe-smell memories are made using special brain areas and chemical signals that are different from danger memories. These findings help us understand how brains separate good and bad experiences.

An artificial visual neuron with multiplexed rate and time-to-first-spike coding

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Scientists created an artificial neuron that mimics how biological eyes process visual information by combining two different encoding methods simultaneously. This device can fire electrical spikes at different frequencies (like how biological neurons respond to brightness) while also measuring precise timing of the first spike (which captures rapid changes). When tested with an autonomous vehicle system, this artificial neuron performed better than using either encoding method alone, suggesting it could lead to more efficient and capable robot vision systems.

Research Keyword: synaptic plasticity