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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Dopamine Doesn't Work in Our Brains Quite The Way We Thought
Dopamine is one of the most extensively studied chemical messengers in the human brain, and yet scientists are still figuring out how it works to accomplish so much. For years, the classic view has been that, when released, dopamine slowly diffuses through the brain like a chemical megaphone, broadcasting information far and wide to numerous target cells. Recently, however, that perspective has changed. Newer research suggests that dopamine is also capable of short, sharp whispers, precisely directed within milliseconds to neighboring cells. If researchers are right, this localized signal could be a "fundamental building block" that's overlooked in the brain's dopamine system. Related: Dopamine in the brain is different to dopamine in the rest of the body. In the blood, dopamine helps modulate the function of multiple organs as well as our immune responses. In the brain, it's a chemical messenger involved in mediating a diversity of animal behaviors – from movement and mood to sleep and memory to reward and motivation. Neurons that release dopamine are known to do so with different firing patterns, and yet it's not clear what messages these specific signals encode, or why. The ability to send both fast and slow signals could explain how the brain's dopamine system can achieve so much with such specificity. Under a special microscope, which is well-suited to imaging living tissues, scientists at the University of Colorado and Augusta University in the US triggered a release of local dopamine in the brains of live mice. They then watched, using fluorescent staining, as it activated receptors in only a few, tiny areas of nearby neurons. This short-range activation elicited a rapid neural response. Broader dopamine release, meanwhile, is widespread and elicits a slower response. "Our current research found that dopamine signaling and transmission in the brain is much more complex than we thought," says pharmacologist Christopher Ford from the University of Colorado. "We knew that dopamine plays a role in many different behaviors, and our work gives the beginning of a framework for understanding how all those different behaviors could all be regulated by dopamine." The specific neurons studied by Ford and colleagues come from the brain's striatum – a part of the basal ganglia involved in motor and reward systems that is rich in dopamine-releasing neurons. The striatum receives dopamine inputs from various parts of the brain, and it is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders like schizophrenia, addiction, and ADHD. Parkinson's disease, for instance, is marked by a degeneration of dopamine neurons connecting to the striatum. A better understanding of how dopamine sends signals in this part of the brain could be crucial for coming up with new treatments for a variety of conditions. "We are really only at the tip of the iceberg in trying to understand how dysfunctions in dopamine contribute to diseases like Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia or addiction," says Ford. "More work is needed to grasp how these specific changes in dopamine signaling are affected in these different neurological and psychiatric diseases." The study was published in Science. Related News 5 Questions That Could Reveal a Truth About Your Aging Common Sweetener Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier, Risking Stroke Parkinson's Disease Has a Smell That Some Dogs Can Detect Solve the daily Crossword
Medscape
15-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
How To Talk Vaccines With Skeptics: 5 Tips From a Doctor
Vaccines recommended for children and adolescents are safe and effective and have prevented an estimated 146 million deaths in children under the age of 5 years worldwide. However, many clinicians continue to face questions and concerns from parents and may feel uncertain about how to respond. In a recent JAMA Insights , Sean T. O'Leary, MD, MPH, professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, and pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado, outlined five strategies to help physicians build trust and support informed vaccination decisions. Tip 1: Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy Most individuals who question vaccines do not intend to cause harm. Acknowledging this shared concern lays a respectful foundation. For example, 'We both want what is best for your child — keeping them healthy and protected.' This is the most important thing to recognize when communicating with families about vaccination. Tip 2: Effective Communication Strategies For parents who resist an initial presumptive recommendation, clinician responses can shape the outcome of the conversation. A statement such as 'It's time for Maya's vaccines today' normalizes vaccination as routine medical care, whereas a question like 'What do you think about vaccines today?' indicates that vaccination is optional, potentially reinforcing doubt. Tip 3: Values-based messaging Many vaccine-hesitant parents value natural approaches to their health and personal autonomy. Instead of positioning vaccines in opposition to these values, clinicians can frame immunizations to support a child's natural defenses and protect them from serious illnesses. Vaccine conversations should be ongoing and not one-off. Parents who initially decline may change their minds if they consistently hear the same message from a trusted clinician. Gentle persistence, combined with respect for parental decision-making, can lead to higher vaccine uptake. Tip 4: Pre-bunk Misinformation Another effective technique is pre-bunking, which involves addressing false information before parents encounter it. Cautioning parents during well-baby visits about inaccurate sources of information can reduce the influence of false claims on vaccination. For example, a clinician might say, 'There is a lot of inaccurate information about vaccines out there that can make vaccines seem unnecessary or even scary. I have some good sources of information I recommend.' By proactively pre-bunking unreliable information, clinicians can prevent parents from being swayed by misleading narratives. Tip 5: Motivational interviewing Instead of simply stating that vaccines are safe, clinicians can strengthen confidence by using motivational interviewing techniques to explain the rigorous safety testing that vaccines undergo before approval, that vaccines are removed from the market if serious safety concerns arise, and that robust surveillance systems are in place to monitor adverse events. Inserting a simple statement, such as 'I have heard that concern before and I have looked into it. Would you mind if I share with you what I found out?' may make parents more receptive to subsequent shared factual information. Effective communication strategies can help clinicians build trust, navigate difficult vaccine conversations, strengthen parents' intentions to vaccinate, and improve vaccine uptake. Conclusion A presumptive approach presenting vaccination as the norm, combined with listening to parents' concerns, motivational interviewing, and pre-bunking unreliable information, can improve vaccine acceptance. Building trust through clear explanations, aligning messages with parental values, and leveraging social norms further strengthens vaccine confidence. Although some parents may not immediately accept vaccines, ongoing dialogue and consistent messaging can increase the likelihood of their eventual acceptance. Using these communication strategies, clinicians can help ensure that more children receive life-saving vaccines, thereby protecting both individual and public health.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
DNA advances identify Oklahoma man in Pueblo County cold case from 2000
The remains of an Oklahoma man found in a field have been identified after 25 years, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. Marvin Majors of Oklahoma was 34 years old at the time of his death. Majors was homeless and was believed to have been sleeping in a field just north of the Walking Stick development, where his body was found in 2000 by a woman who was walking her dog. The area is just north of the Pueblo city limits. The body, which was mostly skeletal remains, did not have any identification, the sheriff's office said in a Thursday, June 26 news release. The Pueblo County Coroner's office conducted an autopsy, and while the cause of death was undetermined, foul play was not suspected. An anthropologist was contacted to analyze the remains and estimated that the man was of mixed race, between 35 and 50 years old, and had a height of 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3. The man also had thick black hair that was in dreadlocks. For months after the body was found, sheriff's detectives worked unsuccessfully to identify the man, PCSO November 2001, a sculptor from the University of Colorado made a facial reconstruction using the man's skull to create a clay bust. Photos of the bust were sent to the media and the public. They were also posted on websites for missing persons seeking help in identifying the man. The sheriff's office said detectives only received a few leads, including from a rancher who identified the man as someone who had camped on his property in August 2000. The property was near the field where the remains were found. The rancher told detectives the man told him he was traveling from New Mexico to Denver, according to the sheriff's office. However, while detectives continued to work the case, it would stay unsolved for over two decades. In June 2021, detectives revisited the case and learned that the FBI had completed a DNA profile of the man, and that information was now in a combined national DNA database. Sheriff's detectives obtained a new DNA sample from an item in evidence that was taken from the campsite when the body was found. With assistance from CBI, the new DNA sample was submitted to a genetic genealogy database in 2023. A genealogy match was made with a distant family member of Majors in November 2024. Detectives then obtained a DNA sample from a suspected sibling. On the week June 22, the DNA comparison was verified by a forensic investigative genetic genealogist as a match for Majors. Family members said that Majors, who was from Oklahoma and grew up in Los Angeles, lived atransient lifestyle, according to PCSO. The family said they had not seen or heard from him since around 1998-99 and wondered what had happened to him. They expressed appreciation for the work the detectives put forth to identify Majors, according to PCSO. 'Through modern science and teamwork, our detectives were able to get the breakthrough theyneeded to identify this person,' said Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero in the release. 'The years of dedication, diligence, and perseverance by our detectives demonstrate that no matter how old a case is, they are committed to solving it. This was somebody's family member, and our team went above and beyond to identify him and to bringsome closure to his family.' Lucero also thanked CBI for working with the sheriff's office on this case. 'This shows that through our partnerships, we can solve decades-old cases," he said. More: Texas man who drowned at Lake Pueblo identified by coroner Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado cold case remains from 2000 identified as Oklahoma man
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sundance's potential impact on students is 'impossible to summarize,' CU Boulder chancellor says
Though it is still two years away, the University of Colorado Boulder is excited for all of the opportunities the Sundance Film Festival will bring.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
If Your Baby Seems Kinda Dumb at Seven Months, Scientists Have Terrible News About What'll Happen When It Grows Into an Adult
Next time you see your baby trying to play or talk, pay close attention — because it may give you a strong clue about how intelligent the kiddo will turn out as an adult, according to a new paper in the journal PNAS. A team of scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder have found that cognitive tests on babies as young as seven months can anticipate their future performance as 30-year-old adults on intelligence tests. "We certainly do not want to imply that cognition is somehow fixed by seven months old," said first author Daniel Gustavson, an assistant research professor at the university's Institute for Behavioral Genetics, in a statement. "But the idea that a very simple test in infancy can help predict the results of a very complicated cognitive test taken 30 years later is exciting." But all isn't lost if your baby seems slow on the uptake right now: the scientists also determined that environmental factors have an impact on childhood development. The researchers examined data from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study, which was started in 1985 and involved more than 1,000 twins who were followed since they were babies in order to study the impact of genes and environment. Previous research has already found that general cognitive ability doesn't shift much after a kid is eight years old or so, but this team wanted to investigate if this was also true starting from when children are very young. The researchers looked at several metrics to assess cognitive ability in babies, such as the focus and vocalization found in baby babbles. From these yardsticks, they determined that two metrics — object novelty and task orientation — strongly predicted the cognitive abilities of the tykes once they hit adulthood. They also compared identical and fraternal twins, from which they determined that 22 percent of the variance in adult cognitive ability was connected with genetic influences present in children three years of age or younger. However, they also found out that environmental influences when a child was one or two years old could explain 10 percent of variability in adult cognitive tests. Perhaps this finding will dispel the notion that genes have a total monopoly on intelligence, especially in light of right wing activists recently glomming onto race science and IQ. After all, the human brain is complex; if you feel dumb, maybe you just haven't found the right type of task yet. More on babies: The World Birth Rate Is Now Dropping Precipitously
