One million people live with Parkinson’s disease in the United States. Symptoms can range from a small tremor to slow movement, balance problems and could include gastrointestinal problems. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that results from the loss of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Although there are many drugs available, none slow or stop the process […]
Insects like the fruit fly have an uncanny ability to put themselves into a coma-like state when they sense low oxygen levels in the body. According to researchers at Florid Atlantic University, they can stay that way for up to 72 hours! You may have even seen this happen at your local pool. Seemingly lifeless […]
Long term space flight could be detrimental to higher processing in the brain. Recently, researchers at the University of California and NASA have raised questions about whether space travel beyond the earth’s reaches could permanently affect how astronauts think. This comes in the midst of conversations about manned trips to Mars. Ionized particles and titanium […]
Did you know that a duck’s bill is highly sensitive to light touch but far less sensitive to other factors, such as temperature? This makes them an ideal research model over rodents in studies for chronic pain and light touch sensitivity disorders like mechanical allodynia, where a light touch feels incredibly painful. Scientists are studying […]
Marijuana use has long been associated with the “munchie” phenomenon and now a mouse study may shed light on why. Hyperphagia, or over eating, after getting high is due to certain cells in the hypothalmus called pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons that activate melanocyte stimulating hormone (a-MSH) that generates feelings of fullness. When POMC neurons are manipulated in […]
Researchers at Johns Hopkins, for the first time, have been able to look at changes in the brain as memories are formed with a receptor called AMPA. AMPA, like many other receptors, lives with proteins on the cell surface. Their job is to talk to each other and act as receivers and senders of information […]
Legos and science: they go together perfectly. Yes, you heard that right. Researchers have created an amazing combination of science and your favorite building blocks… by developing a Lego robot with the brain of a worm! Researchers modeled the robot’s software after a roundworm’s neurons, and the software actually made the robot behave like a […]
A new study helping not only paraplegic dogs, but someday humans as well, is debunking a “one size fits all” approach to treatment even in the case of similar injuries. Â Scientists recruited 19 dogs with similar spinal cord injuries and length of time from injury, so they could rule out spontaneous recovery, and treated all […]