Gonny Smit
As a Marketing Communication Specialist, I get to read, write, and learn a lot about behavioral neuroscience. I spend my days creating anything from videos and blog posts to website and leaflet content. Outside of the office, I love spending time with my horse, working out, and traveling.
Mice in the spotlight: why you should perform your tests in a home cage
Mouse models are essential for neuroscience research. Many tests are susceptible to bias. Home cage testing provides a number of solutions.
Behavioral effects of optogenetically induced myelination in mice
Myelination, the ‘ensheathment’ of neurons, is essential to the functioning of the central and peripheral nervous systems. So it is not surprising that problems with myelination can lead to a number of crippling diseases.
How to study ataxia
Ataxia is a common problem in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and many early onset Alzheimer’s disease patients (AD) also deal with it. Now there is a non-invasive test for mouse models.
Alzheimer's: prevent instead of cure?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a huge public health issue as it affects a large part of the aging population. Neuropathology is studied primarily in the end stages of the disease. What about prevention?
Prof. Berry Spruijt says goodbye (but not really)
Prof. Dr. Berry M. Spruijt recently retired from his position at Utrecht University. I had the honor of attending the symposium that was organized to reflect on and celebrate his career.
Gait research: let your animals walk freely
Researchers use different ways to analyze gait in animals. In what instances would a study benefit from a system that is based on voluntary walking?
10 behavioral studies on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
This blog post features 10 interesting studies that use innovative techniques to study models of AD and PD and important underlying neuronal mechanisms.
How Ginkgo biloba helps treat Alzheimer’s
Xu Liu and colleagues recently investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on a mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Motivation and eating: deep brain imaging in freely moving mice
Craving a snack, the joy of eating it. The part of our brain that regulates this is the lateral hypothalamus. An interesting targer for addiction and eating disorder research.
How autistic fruit flies behave
The number of children diagnosed with developmental disorders has increased exponentially in the past 20 yearschemicals such as BPA have been under investigation lately.