# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
from research organizations
Credit: Image courtesy of György Buzsáki, M.D., Ph.D., New York University
Using an innovative "NeuroGrid" technology, scientists showed that sleep boosts communication between two brain regions whose connection is critical for the formation of memories. The work, published in Science, was partially funded by the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, a project of the National Institutes of Health devoted to accelerating the development of new approaches to probing the workings of the brain.

"Using new technologies advanced by the BRAIN Initiative, these researchers made a fundamental discovery about how the brain creates and stores new memories," said Nick Langhals, Ph.D., program director at NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

A brain structure called the hippocampus is widely thought to turn new information into permanent memories while we sleep. Previous work by the new study's senior author, New York University professor György Buzsáki, M.D., Ph.D., revealed high-frequency bursts of neural firing called ripples in the hippocampus during sleep and suggested they play a role in memory storage. The current study confirmed the presence of ripples in the hippocampus during sleep and found them in certain parts of association neocortex, an area on the brain's surface involved in processing complex sensory information.

"When we first observed this, we thought it was incorrect because it had never been observed before," said Dion Khodagholy, Ph.D., the study's co-first author and assistant professor at Columbia University in New York.

Using a cutting-edge NeuroGrid system they invented, along with recording electrodes placed deeper into the brain, the researchers examined activity in several parts of rats' brains during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, the longest stage of sleep. Their NeuroGrid consists of a collection of tiny electrodes linked together like the threads of a blanket, which is then laid across an area of the brain so that each electrode can continuously monitor the activity of a different set of neurons.

"This particular device allows us to look at multiple areas of the brain at the same time," said Jennifer Gelinas, M.D., Ph.D., the study's co-first author and assistant professor at Columbia University.

The team was also surprised to find that the ripples in the association neocortex and hippocampus occurred at the same time, suggesting the two regions were communicating as the rats slept. Because the association neocortex is thought to be a storage location for memories, the researchers theorized that this neural dialogue could help the brain retain information.

To test that idea, they examined brain activity during NREM sleep in rats trained to locate rewards in a maze and in rats that explored the maze in a random fashion. In the latter group of animals, the ripples in the hippocampus and cortex were no more synchronized before exploring the maze than afterwards. In the trained rats, the learning task increased the cross-talk between those areas, and a second training session boosted it even more, further suggesting that such communication is important for the creation and storage of memories.

The group hopes to use the NeuroGrid in people undergoing brain surgery for other reasons to determine if the same ripples occur in the human brain. The researchers also plan to investigate if manipulating that neural firing in animals can boost or suppress memory formation in order to confirm that ripples are important for that process.

"Identifying the specific neural patterns that go along with memory formation provides a way to better understand memory and potentially even address disorders of memory," said Dr. Gelinas.

Journal Reference:

Dion Khodagholy, Jennifer N. Gelinas, György Buzsáki. Learning-enhanced coupling between ripple oscillations in association cortices and hippocampus. Science, 2017; 358 (6361): 369 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan6203

Cite This Page:

Below are relevant articles that may interest you. ScienceDaily shares links and proceeds with scholarly publications in the TrendMD network.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
brain-computer interfaces; neuroscience; intelligence; brain injury; memory; sleep disorders; disorders and syndromes; insomnia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How memories ripple through the brain: Study suggests increased communication between key brain areas during sleep

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Using an innovative "NeuroGrid" technology, scientists showed that sleep boosts communication between two brain regions whose connection is critical for the formation of memories. The work is devoted to accelerating the development of new approaches to probing the workings of the brain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology suggests that daydreaming during meetings isn't necessarily a bad thing. It might be a sign that you're really smart and creative.

"People with efficient brains may have too much brain capacity to stop their minds from wandering," said Eric Schumacher, the Georgia Tech associate psychology professor who co-authored the study.

Schumacher and his students and colleagues, including lead co-author Christine Godwin, measured the brain patterns of more than 100 people while they lay in an MRI machine. Participants were instructed to focus on a stationary fixation point for five minutes. The Georgia Tech team used the data to identify which parts of the brain worked in unison.

"The correlated brain regions gave us insight about which areas of the brain work together during an awake, resting state," said Godwin, a Georgia Tech psychology Ph.D. candidate.

"Interestingly, research has suggested that these same brain patterns measured during these states are related to different cognitive abilities."

Once they figured out how the brain works together at rest, the team compared the data with tests the participants that measured their intellectual and creative ability. Participants also filled out a questionnaire about how much their mind wandered in daily life.

Those who reported more frequent daydreaming scored higher on intellectual and creative ability and had more efficient brain systems measured in the MRI machine.

"People tend to think of mind wandering as something that is bad. You try to pay attention and you can't," said Schumacher. "Our data are consistent with the idea that this isn't always true. Some people have more efficient brains."

Schumacher says higher efficiency means more capacity to think, and the brain may mind wander when performing easy tasks.

How can you tell if your brain is efficient? One clue is that you can zone in and out of conversations or tasks when appropriate, then naturally tune back in without missing important points or steps.

"Our findings remind me of the absent-minded professor -- someone who's brilliant, but off in his or her own world, sometimes oblivious to their own surroundings," said Schumacher. "Or school children who are too intellectually advanced for their classes. While it may take five minutes for their friends to learn something new, they figure it out in a minute, then check out and start daydreaming."

Godwin and Schumacher think the findings open the door for follow-up research to further understand when mind wandering is harmful, and when it may actually be helpful.

"There are important individual differences to consider as well, such as a person's motivation or intent to stay focused on a particular task," said Godwin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
intelligence; brain-computer interfaces; psychology; neuroscience; brain injury; learning disorders; perception; disorders and syndromes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Daydreaming is good: It means you're smart: Brain study suggests mind wandering at work and home may not be as bad as you might think

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A new study suggests that daydreaming during meetings isn't necessarily a bad thing. It might be a sign that you're really smart and creative. People with efficient brains may have too much brain capacity to stop their minds from wandering.

# data[].attributes.body
AS: 7181
A2 7182

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Source: UNC Health Care.
UNC researchers led the most powerful genomic study of anorexia nervosa conducted to date to identify the common roots anorexia shares with psychiatric and metabolic traits
A landmark study led by UNC School of Medicine researchers has identified the first genetic locus for anorexia nervosa and has revealed that there may also be metabolic underpinnings to this potentially deadly illness.

The study, which is the most powerful genetic study of anorexia nervosa conducted to date, included genome-wide analysis of DNA from 3,495 individuals with anorexia nervosa and 10,982 unaffected individuals.

If particular genetic variations are significantly more frequent in people with a disorder compared to unaffected people, the variations are said to be "associated" with the disorder. Associated genetic variations can serve as powerful pointers to regions of the human genome where disorder-causing problems reside, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute.

"We identified one genome-wide significant locus for anorexia nervosa on chromosome 12, in a region previously shown to be associated with type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disorders," said lead investigator, Cynthia Bulik, PhD, FAED, founding director of the UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and a professor at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.

"We also calculated genetic correlations - the extent to which various traits and disorders are caused by the same genes," said Bulik.

"Anorexia nervosa was significantly genetically correlated with neuroticism and schizophrenia, supporting the idea that anorexia is indeed a psychiatric illness."

"But, unexpectedly, we also found strong genetic correlations with various metabolic features including body composition (BMI) and insulin-glucose metabolism. This finding encourages us to look more deeply at how metabolic factors increase the risk for anorexia nervosa," Bulik said.

This study was conducted by the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium Eating Disorders Working Group - an international collaboration of researchers at multiple institutions worldwide.

"In the era of team science, we brought over 220 scientists and clinicians together to achieve this large sample size. Without this collaboration we would never have been able to discover that anorexia has both psychiatric and metabolic roots," said Gerome Breen, PhD, of King's College London.

"Working with large data sets allows us to make discoveries that would never be possible in smaller studies," said Laramie Duncan, PhD, of Stanford University, who served as lead analyst on the project.

The researchers are continuing to increase sample sizes and see this as the beginning of genomic discovery in anorexia nervosa. Viewing anorexia nervosa as both a psychiatric and metabolic condition could ignite interest in developing or repurposing medications for its treatment where currently none exist.

About this neuroscience research article

Institutions that participated in this research include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Karolinska Institutet; King's College London; Stanford University; the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University; Massachusetts General Hospital; Charité-Universtätmedizin Berlin; the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Duisberg, Essen; and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

Funding: Genome wide analysis of anorexia identifies the common roots the disease shares with metabolic and psychiatric traits.

Source: Caroline Curran - UNC Health Care
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Abstract for "Significant Locus and Metabolic Genetic Correlations Revealed in Genome-Wide Association Study of Anorexia Nervosa" by Laramie Duncan, Ph.D., Zeynep Yilmaz, Ph.D., Helena Gaspar, Ph.D., Raymond Walters, Ph.D., Jackie Goldstein, Ph.D., Verneri Anttila, Ph.D., Brendan Bulik-Sullivan, Ph.D., Stephan Ripke, M.D., Ph.D., Eating Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Laura Thornton, Ph.D., Anke Hinney, Ph.D., Mark Daly, Ph.D., Patrick F. Sullivan, M.D., F.R.A.N.Z.C.P., Eleftheria Zeggini, Ph.D., Gerome Breen, Ph.D., and Cynthia M. Bulik, Ph.D. in American Journal of Psychiatry. Published online April 4 2017 doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16121402

Cite This NeuroscienceNews.com Article

Abstract Significant Locus and Metabolic Genetic Correlations Revealed in Genome-Wide Association Study of Anorexia Nervosa
Objective:
The authors conducted a genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa and calculated genetic correlations with a series of psychiatric, educational, and metabolic phenotypes.

Method:
Following uniform quality control and imputation procedures using the 1000 Genomes Project (phase 3) in 12 case-control cohorts comprising 3,495 anorexia nervosa cases and 10,982 controls, the authors performed standard association analysis followed by a meta-analysis across cohorts. Linkage disequilibrium score regression was used to calculate genome-wide common variant heritability (single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP]-based heritability [h2SNP]), partitioned heritability, and genetic correlations (rg) between anorexia nervosa and 159 other phenotypes.

Results:
Results were obtained for 10,641,224 SNPs and insertion-deletion variants with minor allele frequencies >1% and imputation quality scores >0.6. The h2SNP of anorexia nervosa was 0.20 (SE=0.02), suggesting that a substantial fraction of the twin-based heritability arises from common genetic variation. The authors identified one genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 12 (rs4622308) in a region harboring a previously reported type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disorder locus. Significant positive genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and schizophrenia, neuroticism, educational attainment, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and significant negative genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and body mass index, insulin, glucose, and lipid phenotypes.

Conclusions:
Anorexia nervosa is a complex heritable phenotype for which this study has uncovered the first genome-wide significant locus. Anorexia nervosa also has large and significant genetic correlations with both psychiatric phenotypes and metabolic traits. The study results encourage a reconceptualization of this frequently lethal disorder as one with both psychiatric and metabolic etiology.

"Significant Locus and Metabolic Genetic Correlations Revealed in Genome-Wide Association Study of Anorexia Nervosa" by Laramie Duncan, Ph.D., Zeynep Yilmaz, Ph.D., Helena Gaspar, Ph.D., Raymond Walters, Ph.D., Jackie Goldstein, Ph.D., Verneri Anttila, Ph.D., Brendan Bulik-Sullivan, Ph.D., Stephan Ripke, M.D., Ph.D., Eating Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Laura Thornton, Ph.D., Anke Hinney, Ph.D., Mark Daly, Ph.D., Patrick F. Sullivan, M.D., F.R.A.N.Z.C.P., Eleftheria Zeggini, Ph.D., Gerome Breen, Ph.D., and Cynthia M. Bulik, Ph.D. in American Journal of Psychiatry. Published online April 4 2017 doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16121402

Feel free to share this Neuroscience News.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Genetic Locus on Chromosome 12 Implicated in Anorexia Nervosa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Source: UNC Health Care. UNC researchers led the most powerful genomic study of anorexia nervosa conducted to date to identify the common roots anorexia shares with psychiatric and metabolic traits A landmark study led by UNC School of Medicine researchers has identified the first genetic locus for anorexia nervosa and has revealed that there may also be metabolic underpinnings to this potentially deadly illness.

# data[].attributes.body
Fish reduces MS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Summary: A new study reveals eating fish regularly and taking daily fish oil supplements may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Researchers report high fish intake is associated with a 45% reduced risk of developing MS.
Source: AAN.
Eating fish at least once a week or eating fish one to three times per month in addition to taking daily fish oil supplements may be associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 70th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 21 to 27, 2018. These findings suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may be associated with lowering the risk of developing MS.
Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that affects communication between the brain and other parts of the body. With MS, the body's immune system attacks myelin, the fatty white substance that insulates and protects the nerves. This disrupts the signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Symptoms of MS may include fatigue, numbness, tingling or difficulty walking. The first episode of MS symptoms, lasting at least 24 hours, is known as clinically isolated syndrome. There is no cure for MS.

"Consuming fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to have a variety of health benefits, so we wanted to see if this simple lifestyle modification, regularly eating fish and taking fish oil supplements, could reduce the risk of MS," said study author Annette Langer-Gould, MD, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena, Calif., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

For this study, researchers examined the diets of 1,153 people with an average age of 36 from a variety of backgrounds, about half of whom had been diagnosed with MS or clinically isolated syndrome.

Participants were asked about how much fish they regularly ate. High fish intake was defined as either eating one serving of fish per week or eating one to three servings per month in addition to taking daily fish oil supplements. Low intake was defined as less than one serving of fish per month and no fish oil supplements. Examples of fish consumed by study participants include shrimp, salmon and tuna.

The study found that high fish intake was associated with a 45 percent reduced risk of MS or clinically isolated syndrome when compared with those who ate fish less than once a month and did not take fish oil supplements. A total of 180 of those with MS had high fish intake compared to 251 of the healthy controls.

The study also looked at 13 genetic variations in a human gene cluster that regulates fatty acid levels. Researchers found two of the 13 genetic variations examined were associated with a lower risk of MS, even after accounting for the higher fish intake. This may mean that some people may have a genetic advantage when it comes to regulating fatty acid levels.

While the study suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, and how they are processed by the body, may play an important role in reducing MS risk, Langer-Gould emphasizes that it simply shows an association and not cause and effect. More research is needed to confirm the findings and to examine how omega-3 fatty acids may affect inflammation, metabolism and nerve function.

Fish such as salmon, sardines, lake trout and albacore tuna are generally recommended as good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

About this neuroscience research article

Funding: The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Source: Renee Tessman - AAN
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: The study will be presented at American Academy of Neurology's 70th Annual Meeting.

Cite This NeuroscienceNews.com Article

Feel free to share this Neuroscience News.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Eating Fish May Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Risk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Summary: A new study reveals eating fish regularly and taking daily fish oil supplements may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Researchers report high fish intake is associated with a 45% reduced risk of developing MS. Source: AAN.

# data[].attributes.headline
Think about what you eat - the brain is busy doing something.

# data[].attributes.subject
Think about what you eat - the brain is busy doing something.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dieting could be revolutionised, thanks to the ground-breaking discovery by the University of Warwick of the key brain cells which control our appetite.

Professor Nicholas Dale in the School of Life Sciences has identified for the first time that tanycytes -- cells found in part of the brain that controls energy levels -- detect nutrients in food and tell the brain directly about the food we have eaten.

According to the new research, tanycytes in the brain respond to amino acids found in foods, via the same receptors that sense the flavour of amino acids ("umami" taste), which are found in the taste buds of the tongue.

Two amino acids that react most with tanycytes -- and therefore are likely to make you feel fuller -- are arginine and lysine.

These amino acids are found in high concentration in foods such as pork shoulder, beef sirloin steak, chicken, mackerel, plums, apricots, avocadoes, lentils and almonds -- so eating those foods will activate the tanycytes and make you feel less hungry quicker.

The researchers made their discovery by adding concentrated amounts of arginine and lysine into brain cells, which were made fluorescent so that any microscopic reactions would be visible. They observed that within thirty seconds, the tanycytes detected and responded to the amino acids, releasing information to the part of the brain that controls appetite and body weight.

They found that signals from amino acids are directly detected by the umami taste receptors by removing or blocking these receptors and observing that the amino acids no longer reacted with tanycytes.

Nicholas Dale, who is Ted Pridgeon Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Warwick, commented:

"Amino acid levels in blood and brain following a meal are a very important signal that imparts the sensation of feeling full. Finding that tanycytes, located at the centre of the brain region that controls body weight, directly sense amino acids has very significant implications for coming up with new ways to help people to control their body weight within healthy bounds."

This major discovery opens up new possibilities for creating more effective diets -- and even future treatments to suppress one's appetite by directly activating the brain's tanycytes, bypassing food and the digestive system.

Nearly two thirds of the UK population is overweight or obese. This excess weight elevates the risk of premature death and a range of illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke, which greatly reduce quality of life. A new understanding of how appetite functions could curb the growing obesity crisis.

The research, 'Amino Acid Sensing in Hypothalamic Tanycytes via Umami Taste Receptors', will be published in Molecular Metabolism.

It is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
dietary supplements and minerals; obesity; brain tumor; diet and weight loss; dieting and weight control; nutrition research; brain-computer interfaces; brain injury

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Brain cells that control appetite identified for first time: Dieting could be revolutionized, thanks to the groundbreaking discovery by the University of Warwick of the key brain cells which control our appetite

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dieting could be revolutionised, thanks to the ground-breaking discovery by the University of Warwick of the key brain cells which control our appetite. Professor Nicholas Dale in the School of Life Sciences has identified for the first time that tanycytes -- cells found in part of the brain that controls energy levels -- detect nutrients in food and tell the brain directly about the food we have eaten.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The human brain is a mysterious supercomputer. Billions of neurons buzz within an intricate network that controls our every thought, feeling, and movement. And we've only just begun to understand how it all works.

To conquer the puzzle of the human mind, researchers at Northeastern's Center for Complex Network Research start with simpler models. The brain of a nematode worm, for example, has about 300 neurons and 2,200 synapses.

Using the nematode as one test system, scientists at CCNR have spent the past several years understanding how a network controls itself -- for instance, which individual neurons in the worm's brain are in charge of a backward wiggle. And in research published online in Nature, they describe for the first time their ability to predict, test, and confirm with unprecedented detail how a nematode's brain controls the way it moves.

"I am delighted to have the first direct experimental confirmation of the control principles," said Albert-László Barabási, Robert Gray Dodge Professor of Network Science and University Distinguished Professor of Physics, and director of the Center for Complex Network Research. "And I'm equally excited that it offered us a way to systematically predict, with exceptional accuracy, the neurons that are involved in specific processes."

Researchers in Barabási's lab studied the nematode brain, which has been mapped neuron by neuron, synapse by synapse. They developed a theory to predict precisely what neurons would control specific types of locomotion -- the worm's ability to squirm and scoot around. Then, colleagues from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, tested the predictions by killing individual neurons from the nematode brain with a laser. They then measured the effects of these "microsurgeries" on behavior.

"Remarkably, the predictions were confirmed, supporting the theory and providing new insight into how individual neurons control body movements," said William Schafer, a scientist at the MRC lab who led the laser experiments.

This is an important first step toward what Emma Towlson, a postdoctoral researcher at CCNR and one of the study's lead authors, calls "the dream." One day, researchers may be able to translate a version of the nematode control model to the human brain. This would be life-changing for patients with cerebral palsy, Lou Gehrig's disease, and other ailments that lead to loss of muscle function.

"We could, in theory, turn something that is uncontrollable into something that is controllable. This is the ultimate ambition, but there is a huge leap in the middle," Towlson said.

To make sense of the nematode brain, Towlson created a map of the connections between neurons and muscles. She was surprised by the relative simplicity of the model, composed of ones and zeros that indicated whether or not there was a connection. Researchers also made a number of assumptions with regard to the biological parameters.

"And it still comes out with this level of prediction," Towlson said. "That amazes me. In my mind, that says we're really getting at something fundamental."

Moving forward, Towlson would like to examine the nematode brain network in more detail. She knows which neurons control which muscles and their corresponding movements. But how much energy and time does one wiggle take compared to another, and does that explain why the worms move in the ways they do?

Towlson also wants to apply the control principles to other models.

"I think the next sensible steps for us are zebra fish, maybe mouse, and then human," Towlson said. "The human brain is always the ultimate dream."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
nervous system; brain tumor; psychology research; birth defects; brain-computer interfaces; brain injury; neuroscience; disorders and syndromes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fundamental rules for how the brain controls movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The human brain is a mysterious supercomputer. Billions of neurons buzz within an intricate network that controls our every thought, feeling, and movement. And we've only just begun to understand how it all works. To conquer the puzzle of the human mind, researchers at Northeastern's Center for Complex Network Research start with simpler models.