FeaturedNeuroscience·October 20, 2022·2 min readBrain Evolution Is Linked to CompetitionIn a highly competitive environment, Trinidadian killifish grow larger brains. This neuro-evolution allows for greater fitness and survival rates.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·July 10, 2022·6 min readHead Injuries in Children Linked to Reduced Brain Size and Learning DifficultiesIn children, traumatic brain injury can lead to reduced brain size and cognitive impairments that affect learning, researchers report.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 24, 2021·4 min readTermite Brains Can Grow in Anticipation of a Single Moment of Flight and LightStudy reveals why select members of a termite community experience brain changes in anticipation of cognitive demands.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 22, 2021·5 min readWhen and Why Did Human Brains Decrease in Size 3,000 Years Ago?A new study reports human brain size decreased in size approximately 3,000 years ago, and the brain shrinkage parallels the expansion of collective intelligence in human societies.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·April 8, 2021·3 min readModern Human Brain Originated In Africa Around 1.7 Million Years AgoComputer tomography reveals modern human brain structures only originated between 1.5 to 1.7 million years ago in African Homo populations.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·March 1, 2021·5 min readThe Human Brain Grew as a Result of the Extinction of Large AnimalsStudy reveals the extinction of larger animals led to an increase in the volume of the human brain, and ultimately the development of language in early humans.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·February 21, 2021·4 min readCapuchin Monkey Genome Reveals Clues to Its Long Life and Large BrainA new genetic study reveals the evolution of longevity and larger brains in capuchin monkeys.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·February 8, 2021·5 min readSpecific Genes in Placenta May Predict Size of Baby’s Brain and Risk for SchizophreniaGenes found in the placenta can accurately help predict the size of a baby's brain and its cognitive development, which, depending on other factors, could predict risk factors for schizophrenia in later life.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·December 17, 2020·6 min readBig Brains and White Matter: New Clues About Autism SubtypesTwo new studies shed light on brain development and changes in ASD. Researchers found the development of white matter tracts in the brain was linked to the severity of autism symptoms. Additionally, larger brain size at age 3 was linked to a larger brain size later in childhood.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·October 23, 2020·4 min readHappiness and the Evolution of Brain SizeStudy reveals a new role for serotonin in the development of the human neocortex. Serotonin acts cell-extrinsically as a growth factor for basal progenitors in the developing neocortex. Researchers report placenta-driven serotonin likely contributed to the evolutionary expansion of the neocortex in humans.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·September 4, 2020·5 min readThe Length of the Neurogenic Period Is a Key Determinant for Brain SizeDuring pregnancy, the maternal environment has a dominant influence on the length of the neurogenic period and the number of upper-layer neurons produced. The study reveals a link between the maternal environment and embryonic cortical neurogenesis in-vitro.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·August 5, 2020·2 min readYour Amygdala Gets Bigger If You’re Anxious and DepressedDepression and anxiety have a profound effect on brain areas associated with memory and emotional processing. In people with depression and anxiety, researchers noted shrinkage to the hippocampus. By contrast, the amygdala increased in size.Read More