[PODCAST] Michael Arbib on Mirror Neurons

You can listen the Episode 39 of the Brain Science Podcast from Brain Science Podcast, developed by Ginger Campbell
This podcast is an interview with Dr. Michael Arbib from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Arbib’s work with functional brain imaging has established the presence of mirror neurons in the human brain. In our interview [...]

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A Role for Hypocretin (Orexin) in Male Sexual Behavior

The Journal of Neuroscience, March 14, 2007, 27(11):2837-2845; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4121-06.2007
John W. Muschamp, Juan M. Dominguez, Satoru M. Sato, Roh-Yu Shen, and Elaine M. Hull
The role of hypocretin (orexin; hcrt/orx) neurons in regulation of arousal is well established. Recently, hcrt/orx has been implicated in food reward and drug-seeking behavior. We report here that in [...]

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A thermosensory pathway that controls body temperature

Nature Neuroscience 11, 62 – 71 (2008)
Published online: 16 December 2007 | doi:10.1038/nn2027
Kazuhiro Nakamura & Shaun F Morrison
Defending body temperature against environmental thermal challenges is one of the most fundamental homeostatic functions that are governed by the nervous system. Here we describe a somatosensory pathway that essentially constitutes the afferent arm of the thermoregulatory [...]

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Remember: Memory Record and Replay Handled by Same Cells

New research shows that the same neurons maintain memory-forming firing patterns for later recall
By Tabitha M. Powledge
…humans and rats employ the same brain mechanisms for memory, but use them somewhat differently. “We suggest that the mechanisms in the hippocampus which evolved first to allow ’simple’ animals to navigate in space,” Buzsáki wrote, “are the same [...]

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[VIDEO] Interview with Eric R. Kandel: From Memory, Free Will, and the Problem with Freud to Fortunate Decisions

See the interview.
Eric R. Kandel shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Arvid Carlsson and Paul Greengard in 2000 for their discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous system. Eric Kandel was rewarded for his discoveries of molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. He is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Senior Investigator at [...]

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General anaesthesia: from molecular targets to neuronal pathways of sleep and arousal

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9, 370-386. May 2008 | doi:10.1038/nrn2372
Nicholas P. Franks
The mechanisms through which general anaesthetics, an extremely diverse group of drugs, cause reversible loss of consciousness have been a long-standing mystery. Gradually, a relatively small number of important molecular targets have emerged, and how these drugs act at the molecular level is becoming clearer. [...]

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[METHODS] Micro-dissection of rat brain for RNA or protein extraction from specific brain region

Techniques in neuroscience in jove.com
Micro-dissection of rat brain into various regions is extremely important for the study of different neurodegenerative diseases. This video demonstrates micro-dissection of four major brain regions include olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus in fresh rat brain tissue. Useful tips for quick removal of respective regions to avoid RNA and [...]

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[METHODS] Thin Sectioning of Slice Preparations for Immunohistochemistry

Techniques in neuroscience in jove.com
The present method allows reproducible cryostat sectioning of small, difficult-to-manage, tissue pieces, such as biopsies and brain slices. We utilize a simple aluminum freezing stage to facilitate handling of tissue and a standard cryostat to routinely produce 5-10 micron serial sections from 400 micron thick brain slices.
In www.jove.com

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[VIDEO] Perspectives on neuroscience

Interview to Wolf Singer
Department of Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute
Why is the neuroscience expanding? What is the result of your research? Large amount of data: effect on neuroscience. Self-organization, emergence and complexity. Brain repair: possibilities and limitations. Theory in the contemporary neuroscience
In www.jove.com

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Neurodudes

A interesting blog about neuroscience questions, technical or experimental suggestions, and perhaps a good site to discusse ideas of our work as neuroscientists. Visit Neurodudes.

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