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TL;DR: A 2026 study in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy engineered a modified inhibitory DREADD receptor called GRANPA so the over-the-counter antihistamine diphenhydramine could switch off targeted brain circuits and reduce seizure activity in mouse m…
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TL;DR: A 2026 study in Nature Communications found that PLTi, an evolutionarily old group of inhibitory brainstem neurons, was required for mice to choose a goal-relevant visual target over lower-priority distractors. Key Findings PLTi defined: Parabigemino-la…
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TL;DR: A 2026 mouse study in Communications Biology found that activating parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, inhibitory nerve cells in the orbitofrontal cortex, reduced default mode network connectivity and decreased normal social approach and sniffing behavior. K…
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TL;DR: A 2026 rat study in Neuropsychopharmacology found that chemogenetically inhibiting a prelimbic cortex to nucleus accumbens core pathway blocked cue-triggered cocaine seeking after cocaine alone, but did not block relapse-like behavior after sequential c…
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How Gene Therapy Mimicked Morphine for Chronic Pain TL;DR: A Nature study identified opioid-sensitive neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex and used a synthetic mu-opioid receptor promoter to silence them, producing morphine-like relief of chronic pain unpl…
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