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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
50 articles
Newest firstBackground Navigation and memory are hippocampal functions that are essential for survival. One of the key modulators of hippocampal activity is the endocannabinoid system through the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). CB1 is widely expressed in various types of hippocampal cells. While it is known that CB1 participates in memory processes, its specific roles in different cell types and differences between sexes r…
Open article record in new tab ↗The rising legal acceptance of cannabis and the high comorbidity between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) highlight the importance of understanding how stress and cannabis influence the brain. We recently discovered that cannabinoid use promotes two PTSD-like symptoms: avoidance coping behaviors and the generalization of stress-coping responses to a neutral stimulus. Here, we u…
Open article record in new tab ↗BackgroundSynaptic dysfunction underlies early sensorimotor and cognitive deficits in Huntington's disease (HD) and precedes the degeneration of striatal spiny projection neurons and cortical pyramidal neurons. Movement selection and motor learning, which are impaired early in HD, are regulated by connections between the motor cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus. In particular, plasticity at corticostriatal synapse…
Synaptic plasticity is the key mechanism underlying learning and memory. Neurexins are pre-synaptic molecules that play a pivotal role in synaptic plasticity, interacting with many different post-synaptic molecules in the formation of neural circuits. Neurexins are alternatively spliced at different splice sites, yielding thousands of isoforms with different properties of interaction with post-synaptic molecules f…
Adolescent binge drinking has lasting behavioral consequences by disrupting the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and depleting brain omega-3. The natural accumulation of omega-3 fatty acids in cell membranes is crucial for maintaining the membrane structure, supporting interactions with the ECS, and restoring synaptic plasticity and cognition impaired by prenatal ethanol (EtOH) exposure. However, it remains unclear wh…
As high-potency cannabis (with high Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol content) becomes easily accessible and widespread, it is of extreme importance for public health that a scientific platform is used to implement practical guidelines, particularly for at-risk populations. Many reviews have been written in the past decade summarizing the impact of cannabis in the developing brain. One critical concept frequently mentioned…
Open article record in new tab ↗Deficits in learning and memory are some of the most commonly reported symptoms following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). We will examine whether the neural basis of these deficits stems from alterations to bidirectional synaptic plasticity within the hippocampus. Although the CA1 subregion of the hippocampus has been a focus of TBI research, the dentate gyrus should also be given attention as it exhibits a unique…
The dietary ligands, omega-3 fatty acid endocannabinoids (eCBs) eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamide (EPEA) and docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide (DHEA), and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate, have anti-inflammatory and antidepressant properties. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their action in the human brain remain elusive. Here, we treated human hippocampal neurons (HPC0A07/03 C)…
Cannabis sativa is a remarkable source of bioactive compounds, with over 150 distinct phytocannabinoids identified to date. Among these, cannabinoids are gaining attention as potential therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases. Previous research showed that cannabinol (CBN), a minor cannabinoid derived from Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-bacterial effe…
Open article record in new tab ↗The Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) is a critical brain region for the effects of psychostimulant drugs. Type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1), the main elements of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the brain, participate in these effects and modulate synaptic functions in the NAc. Besides their neuronal expression, CB1 receptors are also present in astrocytes, where they contribute to the regulation of synaptic plasticity…
Evidence supporting the clinical use of neuroprotective drugs for cerebral ischemia remains limited. Spatial and temporal disorientation, along with cognitive dysfunction, are among the most prominent long-term consequences of hippocampal neurodegeneration following cerebral ischemia. Cannabigerol (CBG), a non-psychotomimetic constituent of Cannabis sativa, has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in experimental…
In the mammalian brain, new neurons continue to be generated throughout life in a process known as adult neurogenesis. The role of adult-generated neurons has been broadly studied across laboratories, and mounting evidence suggests a strong link to the HPA axis and concomitant dysregulations in patients diagnosed with mood disorders. Psychedelic compounds, such as phenethylamines, tryptamines, cannabinoids, and a…
Open article record in new tab ↗Introduction Blast injury has been implicated as the major cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ocular system injury, in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers exposed to traumatic stress also have undiagnosed, chronic vision problems. Here we hypothesize that excessive intake of ω-6 fatty acid linoleic acid (LA) and insufficiency of dietary long chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, e.…
Astrocytes play a key role in the regulation of synaptic strength and are thought to orchestrate synaptic plasticity and memory. Yet, how specifically astrocytes and their neuroactive transmitters control learning and memory is currently an open question. Recent experiments have uncovered an astrocyte-mediated feedback loop in CA1 pyramidal neurons which is started by the release of endocannabinoids by active neur…
Background/Objectives: Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) support brain cell membrane integrity and help mitigate synaptic plasticity deficits. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is integral to synaptic plasticity and regulates various brain functions. While PUFAs influence the ECS, the effects of omega-3 on the ECS, cognition, and behavior in a healthy brain remain unclear. Methods and Results:…
The scaffolding A-kinase anchoring protein 150 (AKAP150) is critically involved in kinase and phosphatase regulation of synaptic transmission/plasticity, and neuronal excitability. Emerging evidence also suggests that AKAP150 signaling may play a key role in brain's processing of rewarding/aversive experiences, however its role in the lateral habenula (LHb, as an important brain reward circuitry) is completely unk…
The brain and peripheral nervous system provide oversight to muscle physiology and metabolism. Muscle is the largest organ in the body and critical for glucose sensitivity, prevention of diabetes, and control of obesity. The central nervous system produces endocannabinoids (eCBs) that play a role in brain neurobiology, such as inflammation and pain. Interestingly, studies in humans and rodents show that a moderate…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is the major neuromodulator orchestrating the stress response, and is secreted by neurons in various regions of the brain. Cerebellar CRF is released by afferents from inferior olivary neurons and other brainstem nuclei in response to stressful challenges, and contributes to modulation of synaptic plasticity and motor learning behavior via its receptors. We recently…
Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) signaling plays a key role in learning and memory. IGF-I increases the spiking and induces synaptic plasticity in the mice barrel cortex (Noriega-Prieto et al., 2021), favoring the induction of the long-term potentiation (LTP) by Spike Timing-Dependent Protocols (STDP) (Noriega-Prieto et al., 2021). Here, we studied whether these IGF-I effects depend on endocannabinoids (eCBs)…
Approach and avoidance (A/A) tendencies are stable behavioral traits in responding to rewarding and fearful stimuli. They represent the superordinate division of emotion, and individual differences in such traits are associated with disease susceptibility. The neural circuitry underlying A/A traits is retained to be the cortico-limbic pathway including the amygdala, the central hub for the emotional processing. Fu…