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Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·June 30, 2025·6 min read

Mimicking Exercise in the Brain Could Slow Cognitive Decline

While physical activity is known to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease, many patients are unable to exercise due to frailty or advanced symptoms. A new study identifies a specific gene, ATPPIF1, that is reactivated through exercise and supports neuroplasticity in the brain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 28, 2025·4 min read

LLMs Mimic Human Cognitive Dissonance

A new study reveals that GPT-4o, a leading large language model, displays behavior resembling cognitive dissonance—a core human psychological trait. When asked to write essays either supporting or opposing Vladimir Putin, GPT-4o’s subsequent “opinions” shifted to align with its written stance, especially when it “believed” the choice was its own.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 9, 2025·6 min read

How Memories Take Shape at the Synapse Level

A groundbreaking new technique called EPSILON allows researchers to map the proteins involved in memory formation with unprecedented detail, providing a window into the molecular architecture of learning. This approach focuses on tracking AMPARs—key receptors that regulate synaptic strength—over time, illuminating how the brain encodes, strengthens, and stores memories.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 13, 2025·4 min read

Shared Meals Strongly Linked to Greater Happiness, Study Finds

New research in the World Happiness Report reveals that people who regularly share meals with others tend to be happier and more emotionally satisfied, regardless of age, culture, or background.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 5, 2025·4 min read

The Subtle Power of Self-Deprecating Humor

Self-deprecating humor, when used thoughtfully, can help people regulate emotions, build trust, and foster connection—especially in therapeutic settings. Far from being purely negative, this type of humor signals humility, self-awareness, and confidence.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 31, 2025·4 min read

Smell Test at Home May Sniff Out Early Cognitive Decline

A new study highlights that olfactory testing could offer a simple, cost-effective way to detect early cognitive impairment from home. Researchers found that older adults with mild cognitive issues performed worse on odor identification and memory tasks than cognitively normal individuals.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 20, 2025·7 min read

Brain’s Hidden Circuitry for Risk and Reward Uncovered

Researchers have identified two distinct groups of neurons that help the brain evaluate risk and reward in decision-making. These neurons, located in the ventral striatum, separately process better-than-expected and worse-than-expected outcomes.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 17, 2025·6 min read

AI-Enhanced Chip Unravels Brain’s Neural Networks

Researchers have mapped over 70,000 synaptic connections in rat neurons using a silicon chip with 4,096 microhole electrodes, significantly advancing neuronal recording technology. Unlike traditional electron microscopy, which only visualizes synapses, this method also measures connection strength, providing deeper insight into brain network function. The chip mimics patch-clamp electrodes but at a massive scale, enabling highly sensitive intracellular recordings from thousands of neurons simultaneously.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·December 18, 2024·7 min read

The Brain Combines Touch and Sound to Enhance Sensory Experiences

The inferior colliculus, a midbrain region known for sound processing, also plays a role in touch sensation by integrating tactile and auditory signals. Pacinian corpuscles, highly sensitive skin mechanoreceptors, relay high-frequency vibrations to this brain area, amplifying sensory experiences. This mechanism explains phenomena like feeling music vibrations during a concert and highlights the brain's adaptability in processing multisensory information.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 18, 2024·5 min read

Dual-Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Hearing and Vision Loss

Researchers have developed a dual-gene therapy approach to treat Usher syndrome type 1F, a rare condition causing deafness and progressive blindness. By splitting the large PCDH15 gene into two halves, delivering them via adeno-associated viruses, and reassembling them in cells, the therapy restored hearing and balance in mice. Tests in human retinal organoids and primate retinas showed increased levels of protocadherin-15 in light-sensing cells, offering hope for vision preservation.

This shows a diagram of HACE gene editing.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 17, 2024·6 min read

New Gene-Editing Tool Targets Mutations with Unmatched Precision

A breakthrough tool called Helicase-Assisted Continuous Editing (HACE) allows scientists to create precise genetic mutations in specific genes without affecting the rest of the genome. By combining helicase enzymes with CRISPR technology, HACE introduces mutations into targeted DNA sequences, advancing our ability to study gene functions and disease mechanisms. The tool has already identified drug resistance mutations in cancer-related genes and splicing defects in blood cancers, showcasing its potential for therapeutic discovery.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 9, 2024·6 min read

AI Tool Reveals Long COVID May Affect 23% of People

A new AI tool identified long COVID in 22.8% of patients, a much higher rate than previously diagnosed. By analyzing extensive health records from nearly 300,000 patients, the algorithm identifies long COVID by distinguishing symptoms linked specifically to SARS-CoV-2 infection rather than pre-existing conditions. This AI approach, known as "precision phenotyping," helps clinicians differentiate long COVID symptoms from other health issues and may improve diagnostic accuracy by about 3%.