- Poor vascular health accelerates brain aging
Using an AI tool, researchers have analyzed brain images from 70-year-olds and estimated their brains' biological age. They found that factors detrimental to vascular health, such as inflammation and high glucose levels, are associated with an older-looking brain, while healthy lifestyles were linked to brains with a younger appearance.
- Integrating GABA and dopamine signals to regulate meal initiation
When you are feeling hungry, the brain takes the necessary steps toward consuming a meal. Many of these steps are not well known, but a new study reveals brain circuits and chemical messengers that contribute to the regulation of meal initiation and food intake. The findings have implications for the development of improved therapies to manage obesity, a worldwide epidemic.
- Getting rehab earlier improves concussion outcomes
People who suffer from continued symptoms of concussion should seek a referral to physical therapy as soon as possible, new research suggests.
- Brain inflammation alters behavior according to sex, mouse study finds
Inflammation in the hippocampus -- the brain's memory center -- significantly alters motivation and behavior in mice, according to new research.
- Effect of somatosensory electrical stimulation on hand choice
Hand choice, an unconscious decision, is influenced by target-related information, but if these are non-informative, the choice will be approximately 50-50. In this equilibrium situation, non-target information may also aid in decision-making, but no research has demonstrated this. Now, researchers have investigated the effect of somatosensory stimulation on motor decisions in healthy participants. The results revealed that wrist stimulation significantly increased the likelihood of choosing the stimulated hand, highlighting its application in stroke rehabilitation.
- Developmental disorder discovery could lead to better treatments for Rett syndrome
New discoveries about the severe developmental disorder known as Rett syndrome could open the door to better treatments for the devastating, life-shortening condition.
- New study reveals how brain stimulation improves cognition, decision-making in mental health disorders
Researchers have uncovered important insights that could improve how mental health conditions are treated with brain stimulation therapy -- a treatment where electrical signals are used to stimulate specific parts of the brain.
- Dyslexia genetics linked to brain structure
Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty in which genes often play a role. How do genes associated with dyslexia relate to brain structure in the general population? In a large-scale study, a team of scientists found that genetic variants that increase the chance of dyslexia were associated with differences in brain areas involved in motor coordination, vision, and language.
- Sleep apnea linked to changes in the brain
People with breathing problems during sleep may have a larger hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and thinking, according to a new study. The study, which included mostly Latino people, also found that those with lower oxygen levels during sleep had changes in the deep parts of the brain, the white matter, a common finding of decreased brain health that develops with age.
- Bias in AI amplifies our own biases, researchers show
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems tend to take on human biases and amplify them, causing people who use that AI to become more biased themselves, a new study finds.
- Study supports new blood-based biomarker to detect early brain changes leading to cognitive impairment and dementia
To identify and follow blood vessel-related changes in the brain that contribute to cognitive impairment and dementia, researchers and clinicians typically rely on MRI to evaluate 'downstream' biological markers -- those at the end of a cascade of events. But a new multicenter study could lead to a cost-effective blood test to identify changes occurring near the top of the chain, potentially identifying at-risk patients at an earlier stage.
- More calories -- more consumption: Individuals with and without obesity both prefer high-calories food, study finds
Higher calorie foods were preferred among individuals with and without obesity despite similar taste and texture, according to a new study.
- Study sheds light on what causes long-term disability after a stroke and offers new path toward possible treatment
Researchers have revealed how an overlooked type of indirect brain damage contributes to ongoing disability after a stroke. The paper shows how the thalamus -- a sort of central networking hub that regulates functions such as language, memory, attention and movement -- is affected months or years after a person has experienced a stroke, even though it was not directly damaged itself. The findings may lead to new therapies that could reduce the burden of chronic stroke, which remains one of the leading causes of disability in the world.
- Teens with a reduced response to rewards are more susceptible to depression
Novel research shows that a reduced neural response to receiving rewards in teens predicts the first onset of depression, but not anxiety or suicidality. This is independent of pre-existing depressive or anxiety symptoms, as well as age or sex, which are already strong risk factors for depression. The study is a step toward using brain science to understand and assess mental health risks.
- Staying sharp: Study explores how brain changes may affect financial skills
A new article sheds light on how age-related changes may affect the way we handle finances -- and how we can stay sharp as we age.
- Breathing coordinates brain rhythms for memory consolidation during sleep
Just as a conductor coordinates different instruments in an orchestra to produce a symphony, breathing coordinates hippocampal brain waves to strengthen memory while we sleep, reports a new study. This is the first time breathing rhythms during sleep have been linked to these hippocampal brain waves -- called slow waves, spindles and ripples -- in humans. Scientists knew these waves were linked to memory but their underlying driver was unknown.
- Targeting a brain enzyme to curb obesity
Endocannabinoids in the brain play a key role in food intake and energy use. Modulating the action of these molecules could help fight obesity, say researchers.
- Every cell has a story: Tumor and immune cell interactions within craniopharyngiomas
Craniopharyngiomas are brain tumors that negatively impact the hormonal function of the nearby pituitary. The tumor location often prevents necessary surgical intervention. Alternative pharmacological therapy requires an in-depth understanding of the tumor molecular characteristics. To address this gap, researchers analyzed gene expression within individual tumor cells. This study reports the molecular features and interactions of tumor and immune cells associated with two craniopharyngioma subtypes that will help identify future targeted therapeutics.
- Ditch TV and read a book: Research delivers best moves to reduce dementia risk
It's that time of the year when most of us get the chance to sit back and enjoy some well-deserved down time. But whether you reach for the TV controller, or a favorite book, your choice could have implications for your long-term brain health, say researchers.
- Common brain network links brain atrophy patterns seen in schizophrenia
A new study has identified a unique brain network that links varied patterns of brain atrophy, or shrinkage, associated with schizophrenia.
- Why deep sleep is helpful for memory
It has been known for nearly 20 years that slow, synchronous electrical waves in the brain during deep sleep support the formation of memories. Why that is was previously unknown. Now, a team of researchers posits an explanation. According to the study, the slow waves make the neocortex, the location of long-term memory, especially receptive to information. The findings could help to optimize the treatment approaches that are intended to support memory formation from outside.
- Antidepressants may act in gut to reduce depression and anxiety
In animal studies, boosting serotonin in the cells that line the gut reduced anxious and depressive-like behaviors without causing cognitive or gastrointestinal side effects.
- Intelligence requires the whole brain
A team of neuroscientists investigates communication pathways in the brain and predicts intelligence. A new study approach uses machine learning to improve our conceptual understanding of intelligence.
- The distinct nerve wiring of human memory
The black box of the human brain is starting to open. Although animal models are instrumental in shaping our understanding of the mammalian brain, scarce human data is uncovering important specificities. Neurosurgeons nowshed light on the human hippocampal CA3 region, central for memory storage.
- Resolving ambiguity: How the brain uses context in decision-making and learning
Life can be tricky. We have so many decisions to make. It's a good thing we have an orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus to help us. These areas of the brain work together to help us sort through tasks that require resolving ambiguity, that is, situations in which the meaning of stimuli changes depending on context.