In the split second as you accidentally touch the hot handle of a cast iron skillet, pain and a sense of danger rush in. Sensory signals travel from the pain receptors in your finger, up through your ...

Neuropeptides are known to play an important role in brain communication. However, the details have not been fully understood. Now, Salk scientists have created methods to study neuropeptides and ...

Neuropeptides, which are broadly considered to modulate synaptic communication, can have unique and life-long effects on brain development, particularly the wiring of neuronal circuits. Data show that ...

Neuropeptides play fundamental roles in modulating cellular and circuit functions within the brain. One such signaling molecule -- orexin -- regulates arousal and wakefulness, and its failure can lead ...

Our human brains can seem like a crowning achievement of evolution, but the roots of that achievement run deep: The modern brain arose from hundreds of millions of years of incremental advances in ...

Sleep is a crucial behavior for a properly functioning mind and body—just ask anyone who has experienced a sleepless night. But the complex neural mechanisms underlying sleep are only just beginning ...

Some ants within the colony patrol the neighborhood to protect the nest from intruders, while others stay inside to care for the young. Various molecular mechanisms, from hormone and neuropeptide ...

Salk scientists create methods to study messenger proteins in the brain called neuropeptides, finding they control the brain’s fear response in mice—a finding that may help develop more effective ...