synapse

In an unexpected twist in neuroscience dogma, the cells on the receiving end of neurotransmission appear to be able to release glutamate to regulate the transmitting cell’s activity.

The hormone, which is well known for regulating appetite, appears to influence neuronal development—a finding that could shed light on disorders such as autism that involve dysfunctional synapse formation.

A controversial idea from the mid-20th century is attracting renewed attention from researchers developing theories for how cognition arises with or without a brain.

Neural connections in the mouse neocortex can release multiple packages of neurotransmitters per electrical impulse, a study finds.

Synapses in the mouse neocortex can release multiple packages of neurotransmitters, suggesting that connection strength is more flexible than previously thought.

Microglia ingest nerve cell connections, leading to the loss of information stored in neuronal circuits.

Three studies show that tumor cells can behave like neurons.

The method combines two approaches to reveal a high-resolution map of all 40 million synapses.

The brain’s immune cells gobble up synapses in the hippocampi of rodents fed high-fat or high-sugar diets.

The device could one day help enable prosthetics deliver richer touch information to users.

Injecting molecules from a sea slug that received tail shocks into one that didn’t made the recipient animal behave more cautiously. 

The flow of calcium and potassium ions keeps muscles contracting in the diaphragms of neonatal mice, but if a key protein receptor is missing, fatigue sets in more quickly.

A new study reveals more about the role of specialized Schwann cells at junctions between neurons and muscle cells.

In mice and flies, the Arc protein forms capsids and carries genetic information.

Mice lacking the RNA had deregulated microRNAs in the brain, disrupted synaptic communication, and behavioral abnormalities associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Scientists block particular enzymes to remove the cellular signatures associated with specific memory types.  

Results from experiments in mice revise a long-held hypothesis that certain protein scaffolds are needed for synaptic activity.

In the 1990s, the development of this gentler and more precise microscopy method improved scientists’ ability to probe neurons’ activity and anatomy.

Three UK neuroscientists jointly win the €1 million European Brain Prize for their work on memory.