Tiny molecule has big effect on brain's ability to learn
In a study involving researchers from the Queensland Brain Institute, scientists have shed light on the role that small molecules called microRNAs play in early brain development. The research found a close link between early brain developmental events and changes in cognitive function in adulthood. In animal models, the researchers found that using microRNA to disrupt cells in the brain's prefrontal cortex -- a region associated with complex planning and decision-making -- affected learning and memory later in life. Disruptions to the ability of developing brain cells to form branching connections with other cells, using a specific microRNA -- miR-9, was associated with an increase in the strength of fear-related memories in adulthood. QBI's Dr Timothy Bredy, a co-author of the study, said the study deepened understanding of microRNAs and their important roles in brain development. "If you think of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, as the blueprint of biological...