Tag

Hippocampus

All articles tagged with #hippocampus

science-and-health16 hours ago•25 min saved

Brain circuit links social memory to fear, triggering aversion in mice

University of Tokyo researchers identify a hippocampus–amygdala circuit that binds the memory of a familiar mouse to fear, causing avoidance after aggressive encounters; using optogenetics they could strengthen or erase this aversion, with the nucleus accumbens helping translate memory and fear into avoidance. While demonstrated in mice, the findings offer clues about how social memory and negative emotions interact, with potential relevance for anxiety and depression in humans.

via The Japan Times|

#amygdala #hippocampus #neuroscience

science3 days ago•7 min saved

Inflammation Reprograms Brain Stem Cells to Halt Neurogenesis

A King’s College London study shows chronic TNF-α–driven inflammation stops neurogenesis in the hippocampus by reprogramming neural stem cells into an immune-alert state that recruits inflammatory T cells; blocking Type I interferon signaling with an antibody reverses the effect, restoring neuron production and suggesting therapy avenues for brain fog and cognitive decline.

via Neuroscience News|

#hippocampus #inflammation #neurogenesis

neuroscience6 days ago•29 min saved

Timing of Childhood Trauma Shapes Distinct Brain Signatures in Adulthood

A study of 635 adults using fMRI found that the age at which abuse occurs matters for later emotion processing: abuse before age 13 is linked to heightened hippocampal activity during rapid, non-conscious emotion processing, while abuse in adolescence (13–18) is linked to heightened amygdala activity during conscious emotion processing. These patterns persisted across various mental health diagnoses and healthy controls, suggesting the timing of adversity leaves lasting neural marks and could guide targeted interventions, though retrospective reporting and cross-sectional design limit conclusions.

via PsyPost|

#amygdala #childhood-abuse #emotion-processing

science11 days ago•6 min saved

Anesthetized Brain Reads Ahead: Language Processing Without Consciousness

Researchers recorded neurons in the hippocampus of patients under general anesthesia and found that the unconscious brain can process language—distinguishing nouns, verbs, and adjectives—and even predict upcoming words while listening to stories. This suggests core cognitive tasks can occur without conscious awareness and prompts a rethink of consciousness, with implications for brain–computer interfaces and speech prosthetics. The findings stem from a single anesthesia type and a limited brain region, so more work is needed before broader generalization.

via ScienceDaily|

#anesthesia #brain #consciousness

science12 days ago•10 min saved

Adult Brains Form New Neurons Even at 78, Rewriting Neurogenesis Rules

A 2025 study from Karolinska Institutet provides direct evidence that the adult human hippocampus can generate new neurons, identifying dividing progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus of individuals up to age 78 using single-nucleus RNA sequencing. This supports ongoing adult neurogenesis in at least one brain region, though there is wide individual variation and it does not imply broad brain rejuvenation or immediate therapies; replication is needed to confirm findings and understand drivers of variability.

via Space Daily|

#adult-brain #aging #hippocampus

neuroscience21 days ago•117 min saved

Brain estrogen in both sexes shapes memory's resilience to stress

Researchers in mice show that estrogen produced in the hippocampus alters memory after acute stress in a sex- and cycle-dependent way: high hippocampal estrogen in males and proestrus females worsened memory, while estrus females with lower estrogen were more resilient. The findings suggest estrogen receptors regulate chromatin and memory-related genes, with potential implications for PTSD risk and aging in humans—especially during perimenopause—though further study is needed.

via Live Science|

#estrogen #hippocampus #memory

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Anesthetized Brain Still Listens: Hidden Language Processing in the Hippocampus

Researchers recorded hippocampal neurons in seven epilepsy patients under propofol anesthesia and found real-time processing of sounds and language, including predicting upcoming words. The findings suggest certain cognitive tasks can occur without conscious wakefulness and raise questions about consciousness as well as potential future brain-computer interfaces or speech prosthetics.

via ScienceAlert|

#anesthesia #consciousness #hippocampus

health1 month ago•7 min saved

Long COVID Not Driven by Widespread Brain Inflammation; Emotions Centers Linked to Symptom Severity

Finnish researchers used TSPO-PET and MRI to scan 14 long COVID patients, 11 healthy controls, and 13 MS patients, finding no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in long COVID and suggesting inflammatory activity may be higher earlier after infection and fade over time. Notably, more severe symptoms correlated with increased activity in emotion-regulation regions like the amygdala and hippocampus, pointing to emotional processing rather than ongoing neuroinflammation as a potential driver and hinting that treatments could focus on stress management and emotional regulation rather than solely anti-inflammatory approaches. The study is published in the Journal of Neurology (2026).

via SciTechDaily|

#amygdala #brain-inflammation #health

health-and-medicine1 month ago•6 min saved

Long COVID Symptoms Linked to Mood-Processing Brain Activity, Not Widespread Inflammation

A University of Turku study using PET and MRI found no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in long COVID patients compared with healthy controls. Inflammation may be higher earlier after infection and fade over time. More severe symptoms correlated with increased activity in emotion-related regions (hippocampus and amygdala), suggesting treatments focusing on stress management and emotional regulation rather than solely anti-inflammatory approaches.

via ScienceDaily|

#amygdala #brain-inflammation #health-and-medicine

science1 month ago•9 min saved

Estrogen Loss May Erode the Brain's ECM, Elevating Women's Alzheimer's Risk

A preclinical Northwestern study shows that postmenopausal estrogen loss, aging, and female sex drive degradation of the hippocampal extracellular matrix (ECM), weakening the brain's supportive scaffold and potentially increasing Alzheimer's risk in women; findings suggest therapies focused on ECM repair or brain estrogen signaling rather than solely clearing amyloid plaques.

via Neuroscience News|

#alzheimers-disease #estrogen #extracellular-matrix

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Sugar's Cognitive Cost May Partially Fade After Diet Change, Rodent Review Finds

A systematic review of 27 rodent studies finds that switching from unhealthy high-fat, high-sugar diets to healthier foods can improve hippocampus-dependent memory, but recovery is incomplete and sugar may limit full restoration compared with never-exposed controls.

via ScienceAlert|

#diet #hippocampus #memory

neuroscience1 month ago•30 min saved

Memory hub starts dense, then prunes for sharper learning

A new study shows the hippocampal CA3 memory circuit begins with an excess, randomly connected network after birth and prunes itself into a sparse, structured network by adulthood. This pruning shortens some axons while dendrites grow more receptor sites, shifting memory signaling from single strong connections to distributed, multi-neighbor integration. Computer simulations suggest the sparse network enhances memory storage and retrieval. While informative about brain maturation and infantile amnesia, the work was done in mice on brain slices, and the exact biological triggers remain to be identified.

via PsyPost|

#ca3 #development #hippocampus

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Acute stress disrupts memory linking, dulling insight

Acute stress impairs the brain’s ability to link memories from separate days, reducing inference skills; brain imaging points to disruption in hippocampal memory integration after a mock job interview.

via Nature|

#hippocampus #inference #memory

science1 month ago•12 min saved

Brain coding on the move: neurons drift and stable behavior endures

Researchers document representational drift: over days to weeks, individual neurons change how they respond to stimuli, even as behavior remains stable; this challenges the idea of fixed neuronal roles and suggests that memory and perception may rely on population dynamics rather than single-cell codes. Drift rates vary by brain region and may help timestamp memories or integrate new information, with implications for memory disorders and brain–computer interfaces. The exact function is still debated and likely involves multiple mechanisms, including synaptic turnover and plasticity.

via Nature|

#hippocampus #memory #neural-coding

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Brain Still Processes Language Under Anesthesia, New Study Finds

Researchers report that the hippocampus continues to process language and even predict upcoming words during general anesthesia, suggesting learning and predictive coding can occur without conscious awareness. Using Neuropixels probes during epilepsy surgeries, they observed language processing and differentiation of parts of speech in real time, though the findings apply to a single anesthesia type and brain region. The work challenges traditional views of consciousness and could inform AI comparisons and future speech prosthetics, while highlighting the need for broader studies.

via SciTechDaily|

#anesthesia #consciousness #hippocampus