Giving Mice Artificial Memories to Discover Clues to Depression

depression

Changes in how the brain processes memories of pleasurable or rewarding experiences contribute to addiction and depression. A study in mice by LeGates and colleagues provides clues to how the brain processes and remembers rewards, which is key to understanding and treating these mental health disorders. They used light-activated proteins (optogenetics) to alter the strength … Read more

Zapping Chronic Pain with Red Light

red_laser_light

Neuropathic pain can be caused by an excessive nerve response to non-harmful (innocuous) touch.  Dhandapani and colleagues combined a molecule that binds to the neurons and a light-activated phototoxic chemical to create a treatment that uses light (specifically near infrared light) to alleviate neuropathic pain in a mouse model. To develop this treatment, the authors … Read more