Medicine

Dendritic plasticity as a key mechanism for memory integration

Memory is one of the most fascinating yet complex topics in neuroscience. Recently, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) made an important discovery, demonstrating the crucial role of dendritic plasticity in memory integration. Dendritic plasticity refers to the ability of dendrites—branched extensions of neurons—to structurally and functionally adapt in response to new information and experiences. This plasticity enables dendrites to form new synaptic connections or strengthen and weaken existing ones, allowing the brain to effectively integrate and consolidate memories.

Biological Sex as a Key Factor in Medicine: A Scientific Perspective

For decades, medicine treated the human body as a relatively universal model, with little consideration for sex differences beyond the reproductive system. Recent research has revolutionized this approach, demonstrating that biological sex - determined by sex chromosomes (XX in females and XY in males) and associated hormonal differences - influences almost every aspect of human physiology and health outcomes. This fundamental biological variable affects everything from cellular metabolism to drug responses, making it a crucial consideration in modern medical practice and research.

Mechanisms of addiction development

Addiction is a robust, acquired need to use a psychoactive substance or perform an activity. A person with an addiction uses a substance or engages in behavior whose rewarding effects provide an irresistible incentive to repeat the activity, despite the harmful consequences. Addiction can include the use of substances such as alcohol, inhalants, opioids, cocaine, and nicotine, or behaviors such as gambling, shopping, playing computer games, eating, or having sex.