The hottest Neurobiology Substack posts right now

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An undergrad, twitching rodent heads, DOI, and the DEA: 5 Questions for researcher Alyssa Gillies

The Microdose • 511 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Psychedelics Research Regulation Neurobiology
  1. Researchers use DOI in the lab to study the head twitch response in rodents as an indicator of 5-HT2 receptor activation.
  2. Scheduling DOI as a Schedule I drug would create barriers for labs studying the 5-HT2 receptor due to accessibility and legal requirements.
  3. There is minimal recreational use of DOI and DOC, with the DEA's proposal affecting the progress of psychedelic research and impacting researchers.

Action Potentials for November

Neurobiology Notes • 117 implied HN points • 28 Nov 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Research Studies Brain preservation Cryonics
  1. Study on extrasynaptic neural signaling in C. elegans challenges the idea that synapses are the sole key to brain information content.
  2. Neuropeptide signaling plays a crucial role in behaviors like aggression in mice, emphasizing its significance beyond nematodes.
  3. Mouse amygdala study highlights differences in brain cell activity during memory formation and recall, shedding light on the complex processes of memory.
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What should we be measuring in brain preservation?

Neurobiology Notes • 137 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Brain preservation
  1. The goal of brain preservation is to protect and store information from a person's brain for potential future revival.
  2. Structural metrics, like intact cell membrane morphology, are crucial for evaluating brain preservation methods.
  3. Connectome traceability by contemporary electron microscopy sets a high standard for brain preservation, but intact cell morphology on light microscopy can be a reasonable proxy.

Can we freeze time?

Neurobiology Notes • 157 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Brain preservation
  1. Brain rhythms are natural patterns of neural activity measured using EEG or other neuroimaging techniques.
  2. Preserving brain structure could potentially help recapitulate brain rhythms, but uncertainties remain about the link between structure and function.
  3. Research on cryopreserving brain cells responsible for brain rhythms is valuable, but demonstrating memory retention post-preservation requires more than just measuring electrophysiological signals.

Action Potentials for June

Neurobiology Notes • 117 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Psychology AI
  1. A new strategy using SUM-PAINT for protein labeling shows promise in profiling multiple proteins at high resolution.
  2. Microscopy images alone can predict neural responses to visual stimuli in Drosophila optic pathways.
  3. Combining EM and fluorescence microscopy allows for cost-effective connectomics studies in the mouse cerebellum.

Action Potentials for July

Neurobiology Notes • 98 implied HN points • 22 Jul 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Cryonics Astronomy Psychiatry
  1. Analysis of the Drosophila connectome reveals insights about neurotransmitters and information flow in the fly brain.
  2. Cell type annotations in the Drosophila connectome highlight the complexity and comparisons with previous mapping efforts.
  3. Developing a computational model of the Drosophila connectome provides insights into neural activity dynamics and behavioral predictions.

Action Potentials for August

Neurobiology Notes • 58 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Psychiatry Biochemistry Genetics
  1. New microscopy method combines electron microscopy with fluorescence imaging for detailed mapping of cell types, proteins, and synaptic connections in neuroscience.
  2. Memory ensembles in the brain are formed by neurons with high excitability, helping link memories and facilitating memory recall.
  3. Memory engrams exist across multiple brain areas, and bioelectric fields may coordinate memory ensembles distributed in the brain.

Action Potentials for April

Neurobiology Notes • 98 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Brain preservation AI safety
  1. New study in neurobiology identifies different types of inhibitory neurons based on connectivity data
  2. Research on the C. elegans nervous system during unique developmental stages highlights connectomic differences
  3. Study on Drosophila visual system shows synaptic partner selection influenced by cell adhesion molecule expression patterns

A review of Principia Qualia

Unstabler Ontology • 19 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
🔬 Science Consciousness Quantum Neurobiology Philosophy Artificial Intelligence
  1. The paper discusses the motivation behind bottom-up physicalist consciousness theories and the importance of studying valence for determining the goodness or badness of an experience.
  2. A review of Integrated Information Theory (IIT) along with its variants and criticisms is presented, highlighting the complexities surrounding defining consciousness.
  3. The proposal of symmetry as a theory of valence is critiqued for potentially oversimplifying the complexities of consciousness and valence, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive understanding.

That time when a bunch of people all agreed to preserve each other's brains

Neurobiology Notes • 1 HN point • 13 Feb 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Cryonics Brain preservation Medical Research
  1. Mutual autopsy societies in the late 1800s preserved and studied members' brains to advance science.
  2. Brain preservation methods involved using different fixatives like alcohol and formaldehyde as the science evolved.
  3. Members of these societies faced challenges like family resistance and scandal, which offer lessons for today.