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The Thalamic Reticular Nucleus (TRN) in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

From biochemical pathways to modulation of brain oscillations

Astrocytes modulate thalamic sensory processing via mGlu2 receptor activation

Dancing with the stars: alternative target for Huntington’s disease treatment

Bioluminescence allows for optogenetics illumination of neurons with no excitatory light

This post comes from our collaborating company at mci-neuroscience.com

Give the gift of memories this Holiday Season

Painful memories play role in chronic pain

Is chronic pain a problem with neural memory? We look at how the brain stores the pain and links it with psychological pain.

Could photobiomodulation prevent the decline of bee populations caused by pesticides?

Bee populations have taken a dramatic hit in the past couple of decades, partially due to use of pesticides that impact nerve cell function. Now there is a glimmer of hope: photobiomodulation (light therapy) in hives could protect bees from pesticides. We discuss the mechanisms and implementations of this.

A look at a novel therapy for preventing drug seeking in addiction

One hurdle in overcoming addiction is ignoring cues in our environment that trigger drug seeking. We look at a new potential therapy for preventing drug seeking in addiction.

Targeting brain power to prevent and treat brain disorders

How disrupting brain energy processing can lead to brain disease- insights into how this can lead to a physiological fingerprint for diagnosis and drug development.

Neurexpert and Newcastle University to collaborate on translational drug discovery services

Brain changes in diabetic mellitus contribute to neuropathy complications

Diabetes Mellitus is a growing global health crisis- number of sufferers is predicted to double by year 2025. Diabetic neuropathy ("painful tingling") is the most common and costly complication of diabetes. We cover research published in European Journal of Neuroscience that uncovers a brain origin for heightened sensation in diabetes that could pave way for new therapies.

The power of touch and neurodevelopmental disorders

Touch is incredibly important for normal brain development- babies who are not touched have poor outcomes. But, what if a baby gets enough love but their skin nerve cells don’t process touch appropriately? Over 75% of patients with autism spectrum disorder suffer from a change in the way they perceive touch. We look at a Cell study that made a major breakthrough in understanding the connection between the skin and social and anxiety symptoms of neurodevelopment disorders.

Unsure if you are depressed? Could your gut makeup tell your doctor and help customize treatment?

Neurexpert and Cellectricon announce collaboration

Neurexpert and Cellectricon will work together to promote combined CNS drug discovery expertise

Don’t make decisions on an empty stomach

How skipping meals can lead to impulsivity and poor decision making - the connection between your stomach and your brain.

New hope for delaying progression of Parkinson’s disease

One in a hundred people over 60 are diagnosed with a neurodegenerative movement disorder called Parkinson's disease. We look at how a genetic mutation gives clues on how to develop drugs to slow progression, or halt, the disease."

Can we harness the power of addiction and motivation to cure chronic pain?

Did you know that chronic pain, lack of motivation and addiction have overlapping brain re-organization? We discuss this and how Parkinson's disease medications may be a future chronic pain reliever.

A single drug could treat your mental pain and chronic pain

Imagine a world where you could take one pill to treat both your mental pain and your physical pain? A pill that simultaneously eases your depression and your arthritis, or, erases anxious thoughts related to a past accident while also relieving the lingering back pain from your injuries? Visualize a world where you don’t have to take a handful of medications to treat fibromyalgia.

Have you been conditioned to overeat? Or, the neuroscience behind why you are failing to stick to your diet

You started the diet with good intentions. Maybe you even shed a few pounds (yay!). And boom. It’s over. Oh well… today is a flop so I’ll start again tomorrow, you say. And the same problem, I’ll start again on Monday. You continue to start-stop diets this way. So infuriating! You were doing so well!

What you need to know about concussion

Over 40 million people worldwide get concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, a year. Concussions can tremendously alter your mental health and quality of life with significant social, relationship and working/ school life challenges.

Sleep soundly to kick those bad habits

Trying to quit smoking or reduce your alcohol intake? One of the biggest hurdles to quitting a habit or overcoming an addiction is managing the cravings.
Craving of anything, from sugar to nicotine or alcohol, or harder drugs like cocaine and heroine, is often triggered by something in the environment. For smoking it may be seeing someone light up, or, for alcohol, entering the local bar.
I’m going to talk about a recent study that looked at the neuroscience behind how improved sleep quality, not just sleep hours, aids your ability to maintain your decision to kick a habit or an addiction by controlling the craving blueprint in the brain after quitting.

A trophy brain: the neuroscience of concussion in sports

The dramatic side of brain injury: Repeated concussions affect long-term mental health and quality of life, with increased risk of dementia and depression. Concussion during sport can be prevented. We describe the play-by-play brain mechanisms leading to long-term mental health problems, recovery and prevention of concussion in sport.

What connects schizophrenia and autism?

It’s not often that you hear of someone with, say, depression being compared to someone with schizophrenia or, indeed, Autism Spectrum Disorder (autism). However, if you dig deeper and break down the symptoms you will find that they share some commonalities: altered social interaction; impaired cognitive function; memory impairment; tendency towards compulsive behavior; attention deficits; and abnormal sensory processing.

Want to rid your brain of toxic build-up and perhaps stave off Alzheimer’s Disease? Don’t sleep sitting up

Planning on taking a power nap at your desk today? You might want to think twice about your sleeping position.

What has birth got to do with autism?

A prominent neuroscientist suggests that the trend towards greater birth interventions could be correlated with greater incidence of autism spectrum disorders. We discuss his reasoning in our latest blog post.

Sleepless with the Enemy: how skipping sleep changes your social life and how dreams become reality

Ever stay up too late and wake up thinking the world is out to get you? We cover a new study that shows that sleeping and dreaming helps you read other people better. Skipping just one night of sleep makes your brain read threat in friendly faces and, in contrast, bigger dreams make for better reality.

Depressed? Suck it up!

Depression sucks and anti-depressants often don't work. Our latest blog sniffs out a new treatment published in Molecular Psychiatry that could be the future for #depression sufferers.

Stressed out of my mind

June 27th is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day and so this blog is dedicated to neuroscience related to chronic stress.

Exciting times ahead at Neurexpert

Neurexpert appoints Dr Carolyn Lacey as Scientific Outreach Manager