Tag

Endocannabinoids

All articles tagged with #endocannabinoids

science1 month ago•36 min saved

Brain Chemicals Tune Reward Motivation via Retrograde Signaling

New research in Nature reveals that endocannabinoids act as a retrograde gain control mechanism to facilitate reward-seeking behavior. By inhibiting glutamate release from the paraventricular thalamus to the nucleus accumbens, these signaling molecules help animals engage with rewards. The study identifies a specific circuit involving penk-expressing neurons, demonstrating that dynamic endocannabinoid release is crucial for motivated behavior in freely moving mammals.

via Nature|

#behavioral-control #endocannabinoids #neuroscience

mental-health3 months ago•28 min saved

Moderate cycling boosts endocannabinoids and mood more than yoga or stretching

In a randomized 88-participant study, moderate-intensity cycling raised the endocannabinoid AEA in the blood, while low-intensity cycling, yoga, and stretching did not change AEA or 2-AG and did not elevate BDNF in any condition. Psychologically, all four activities reduced negative emotion and state anxiety, with moderate cycling, yoga, and stretching also increasing positive mood (low-intensity cycling showed no significant positive affect). Increases in AEA correlated with larger positive mood boosts, but none of the biomarkers predicted memory performance; researchers suggest the brief testing window may have limited detection of memory consolidation and call for further research across different populations and more strenuous yoga.

via PsyPost|

#bdnf #endocannabinoids #exercise

health9 months ago•5 min saved

Gender Differences in the Biological Roots of PTSD

A study reveals that PTSD has different biological roots in men and women, with men showing deficits in stress-regulating lipids and women exhibiting heightened systemic inflammation, suggesting the need for sex-specific treatments.

via PsyPost|

#biological-mechanisms #endocannabinoids #health

health1 year ago•5 min saved

Innovative Solutions Emerge for Safer Pain Management Beyond Opioids

A study by Weill Cornell Medicine suggests that boosting the endocannabinoid 2-AG in the brain can reduce opioid addiction without compromising pain relief. This approach, tested in mice using the chemical JZL184, may lead to safer pain management therapies by mitigating the addictive properties of opioids like morphine and oxycodone. The research highlights a potential new therapeutic strategy to address the opioid crisis, which has resulted in over 80,000 deaths in 2023 alone.

via SciTechDaily|

#drugresearch #endocannabinoids #health

neuroscience1 year ago•4 min saved

How Stress Distorts and Disrupts Memory

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children have found that stress disrupts memory specificity by enlarging memory engrams in the brain, leading to generalized aversive memories, a key feature of PTSD. This occurs due to increased endocannabinoid release, which affects interneurons that normally constrain engram size. By blocking endocannabinoid receptors on these interneurons, memory precision was restored in preclinical models, offering potential therapeutic avenues for PTSD treatment.

via Neuroscience News|

#endocannabinoids #memory #neuroscience

health2 years ago•4 min saved

"New Drug Offers Hope for Chronic Pain Relief, Study Reveals"

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Virginia have developed a promising drug candidate, KT109, that targets the enzyme DAGLβ to reduce inflammation and alleviate chronic pain without the risk of addiction. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the drug effectively tricks immune cells into shutting off inflammatory responses, offering a potential new treatment for chronic pain sufferers.

via Medical Xpress|

#chronic-pain #drug-development #endocannabinoids

neuroscience2 years ago•5 min saved

"Endocannabinoids and Spatial Navigation: A Key Connection"

Researchers have discovered that place cells in the hippocampus release endocannabinoids to communicate position information, challenging previous beliefs about the spread and speed of these signals. This finding not only advances our understanding of spatial navigation but also opens new possibilities for addressing cognitive aspects of neurological disorders like epilepsy. Understanding endocannabinoid signaling in spatial orientation could lead to new strategies for managing cognitive issues in conditions such as epilepsy.

via Neuroscience News|

#endocannabinoids #hippocampus #neurological-disorders

neuroscience3 years ago•3 min saved

Postsynaptic synucleins mediate endocannabinoid release, study finds.

A recent study by researchers at Stanford University suggests that the release of endocannabinoids, neurotransmitters that support several vital physiological processes, is supported by postsynaptic synucleins, proteins that have been linked to the development of Parkinson's disease. The study conducted on mice using a series of genetic and imaging techniques found that synuclein deletion blocks endocannabinoid-dependent synaptic plasticity, which could be connected to Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative illnesses. The findings could pave the way for further research investigating this connection further, potentially leading to important discoveries.

via Medical Xpress|

#brain #endocannabinoids #neuroscience

health3 years ago•2 min saved

"The Surprising Link Between Cannabis Use and Weight Loss"

Despite getting "the munchies," frequent cannabis users are leaner and less prone to diabetes than non-users. A new study shows that adolescent exposure to low-dose THC disrupts energy balance and adipose organ homeostasis in adulthood, making the body leaner and less susceptible to obesity but also less capable of mobilizing stored nutrients needed for brain and muscle activity. These alterations are rooted in striking molecular changes that occur within the body's fat depots, which start making proteins that are normally found only in muscle and the heart.

via Medical Xpress|

#adipose-organ #cannabis #diabetes

biology3 years ago•3 min saved

Worms get the munchies from cannabis, study shows.

A study has found that Caenorhabditis elegans worms exposed to cannabis chemicals exhibit a persistent hunger for tasty food, similar to humans. The worms choose to feed for longer than normal and show a stronger preference for their favourite high-quality foods over less nutritious options. The research suggests that the mechanism by which cannabis affects appetite evolved more than 500 million years ago, when the evolutionary paths of C. elegans and humans diverged. The study indicates that C. elegans could be used to study how cannabis affects the human nervous system.

via Nature.com|

#appetite #biology #c-elegans

health3 years ago•4 min saved

Endocannabinoid function and emotion regulation linked to resilience against addiction after childhood maltreatment.

High levels of endocannabinoids, the body's own cannabis-like substances, protect against addiction in individuals previously exposed to childhood maltreatment, according to a study from Linköping University. The study found that individuals who had not developed an addiction following childhood maltreatment seem to process emotion-related social signals better. The resilient group, who had experienced childhood maltreatment but had not later developed an addiction, showed increased function of the endocannabinoid system as well as different brain activity, indicating better emotional regulation.

via Medical Xpress|

#addiction #brain-function #childhood-maltreatment