In neuroscience, “mechanism” is a common and powerful concept. Mechanisms are often viewed as causal systems, which helps explain their central role in neuroscience. Causes are factors that can control, predict and explain their effects, giving us an understanding of why things happen and a way to target future outcomes. Identifying causal relationships and systems is necessary to understand the natural world, and the brain is no exception. Uncovering the causal structure of the brain—whether at the molecular, cellular, neural-circuit or brain-region scales—plays a crucial role in our understanding of how the brain works.

]]> https://brain.uci.edu/2024/10/04/uc-irvine-researchers-are-first-to-reveal-role-of-ophthalmic-acid-in-motor-function-control/ Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:02:34 +0000 https://brain.uci.edu/?p=15686 Irvine, Calif., Oct. 4, 2024 — A research team from the University of California, Irvine is the first to reveal that a molecule in the brain – ophthalmic acid – unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar to dopamine in regulating motor function, offering a new therapeutic target for Parkinson’s and other movement diseases.