Publications by authors named "M F Bear"
Binocular vision requires that the brain integrate information coming from each eye. These images are combined (fused) to generate a meaningful composite image. Differences between images, within a range, provide useful information about depth (stereopsis).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is well known that activation of NMDA receptors can trigger long-term synaptic depression (LTD) and that a morphological correlate of this functional plasticity is spine retraction and elimination. Recent studies have led to the surprising conclusion that NMDA-induced spine shrinkage proceeds independently of ion flux and requires the initiation of protein synthesis, highlighting an unappreciated contribution of mRNA translation to non-ionotropic NMDAR signaling. Here we used NMDA-induced spine shrinkage in slices of mouse hippocampus as a readout to investigate this novel modality of synaptic transmission.
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- Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by hypermethylation of CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene, resulting in loss of FMRP, which is crucial for normal neuronal function.
- Research has shown that FMRP loss leads to abnormal synaptic activity and hyperexcitability in neurons, but effective treatments have yet to be found due to translation issues from animal models to humans.
- A new high-resolution all-optical electrophysiology platform has been developed to create a sensitive assay that measures FMRP re-expression and healthy neuron restoration, which can be used to identify potential new therapies for FXS.
Article Synopsis
- Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental visual disorder linked to poor depth perception, typically studied in animals using monocular deprivation during critical visual development stages.
- This study assessed two behavioral tests, the Visual Cliff Assay (VCA) and the Pole Descent Cliff Task (PDCT), to evaluate their effectiveness in detecting binocular issues in mice, especially after manipulating vision.
- Results showed that while both tests were useful, the PDCT was more effective in identifying stereoscopic deficits with fewer mice needed, establishing it as a valuable tool for future studies on binocular vision and amblyopia treatment.
Background: Cancer-related financial hardship is an increasingly recognized concern for patients, families, and caregivers. Many Native American (NA) patients are at increased risk for cancer-related financial hardship due to high prevalence of low income, medical comorbidity, and lack of private health insurance. However, financial hardship screening (FHS) implementation for NA patients with cancer has not been reported.
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