Neuroscience News Science Magazine - Research Articles

Neuroscience News Home

Neuroscience News is an independent open access science magazine. Since 2001, we have featured neuroscience research news from labs, universities, hospitals and news departments around the world. Topics include brain research, AI, psychology, neuroscience, mental health and neurotech.

Latest Neuroscience News

Science news articles cover neuroscience, neurology, psychology, AI, mental health, robotics, neurotechnology and cognitive sciences.

“Zombie” Aging Cells May Speed Up Brain Decline

Recent research shows that senescent, or "zombie," skin cells may accelerate aging throughout the body. When transplanted into a preclinical model, these cells caused senescence to spread to other organs, impairing muscle function and brain health.

This shows a woman looking at brain scans.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy’s Effects on Brain Health

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has nuanced effects on brain health, influenced by factors like age, treatment duration, and past surgical history. The study found that current MHT users had higher brain age gaps and smaller hippocampal volumes, while past users showed no significant differences compared to non-users.

Gene Discovery Boosts CNS Regeneration for Spinal Injury Repair

A recent study highlights a novel gene, lipin1, that regulates axon regeneration in the central nervous system, offering new hope for treating spinal cord injuries. The research shows that inhibiting lipin1 enhances lipid metabolism in neurons, activating crucial pathways like mTOR and STAT3 that promote nerve regeneration.

Neurology News Articles

Neurology news articles cover neurology, brain cancer, traumatic brain injuries, neurosurgery, neuroanatomy, brain research and neurological disorders.

Bilingualism Boosts Brain Resilience, Delaying Alzheimer’s Onset

Bilingualism has been shown to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by up to five years. A new study reveals that bilingual individuals with Alzheimer’s have larger hippocampi, a critical brain region for memory, compared to monolinguals.

Loneliness Increases Dementia Risk by 31%

A large meta-analysis of over 600,000 people shows that experiencing loneliness significantly raises the risk of developing dementia by 31%. Researchers found that loneliness is a key factor in cognitive decline, contributing to conditions like Alzheimer's disease, regardless of age or sex.

This shows a child standing in the sunshine.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Childhood Linked to Higher Autoimmune Risk

A recent study found that vitamin D deficiency during childhood accelerates the aging of the thymus, a crucial organ in training immune cells. As the thymus ages, it becomes less effective at filtering out cells that could mistakenly attack the body's own tissues, increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.

AI News Articles

AI news articles cover science articles about artificial intelligence including ChatGPT, Bard, Dalle, neural networks, machine learning, LLMs, AGI and other AI related topics.

This shows a brain and a network of images.

How AI is Reshaping Human Thought and Decision-Making

A new study introduces "System 0," a cognitive framework where artificial intelligence (AI) enhances human thinking by processing vast data, complementing our natural intuition (System 1) and analytical thinking (System 2). However, this external thinking system poses risks, such as over-reliance on AI and a potential loss of cognitive autonomy.

This shows robotic hands using a keyboard.

AI-Written Stories Rated Lower Due to Bias, Not Quality

New research shows that stories generated by AI, such as ChatGPT, are almost as good as those written by humans. However, when people are told a story is AI-generated, they rate it more negatively, revealing a bias against AI-created content.

AI Uncovers DNA Variants Linked to Psychiatric Disorders

Researchers developed an AI algorithm, ARC-SV, to detect complex structural variants in the human genome that previous methods missed. Analyzing over 4,000 genomes, researchers discovered thousands of complex variants, many affecting brain-related genes and linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Psychology News Articles

Science research articles cover psychology, depression, mental health, schizophrenia, mental disorders, happiness, stress, PTSD, autism, psychiatry and therapy.

Happy Partners Help Reduce Stress in Older Adults

Having a happy intimate partner can lower stress levels in older adults by reducing the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. Couples with higher relationship satisfaction experience an even stronger effect, suggesting that positive emotions in relationships act as a buffer against stress.

Emotional Blindness Drives Empathy Deficits in Psychopathy

A new study links psychopathy with alexithymia, or emotional blindness, which may explain the emotional deficits seen in people with psychopathic traits. Individuals with strong psychopathic traits struggle to recognize and describe their emotions, which affects their ability to show empathy and regulate emotions.

Mental Fatigue Increases Temptation for Rewards

New research reveals that mental fatigue makes rewards like unhealthy snacks more tempting. Both rats and humans who exerted cognitive effort sought out more rewards, with rats self-administering more cocaine and humans rating snacks as tastier.

Trending Neuroscience News

These are the most viewed Neuroscience News articles of the month.

Key Brain Protein Tied to Motivation and Mood Identified

A new study has identified a brain protein, vesicular nucleotide transporter (Vnut), as essential for regulating mood and motivation in mice. When Vnut was removed from brain cells called astrocytes, the mice displayed higher anxiety, depression-like behavior, and decreased motivation, especially in females.

Gut Microbiome and Aspirin May Reverse Hormonal Issues

Researchers found that mutations in the Sox3 gene cause hypopituitarism, a condition where the pituitary gland produces insufficient hormones, leading to growth issues and infertility. In a study on mice, they discovered that Sox3 mutations affect brain cells called NG2 glia, which are essential for hormone production.

This shows a child thinking about a traumatic event.

Child Trauma Recovery Tied to Thoughts, Not Event Severity

A new study reveals that how children mentally process traumatic events is the most significant factor in predicting their mental health outcomes, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Cognitive factors—like how children remember the event and view themselves afterward—play a more critical role than the event’s objective severity. Researchers found that children with more negative self-perceptions or distorted memories were at higher risk for long-term psychological impacts.

Targeting Glucose May Spark Neurogenesis

Neural stem cells, which create new neurons in the brain, become less active with age due to elevated glucose levels. Researchers found that by knocking out the glucose transporter gene GLUT4 in older mice, they could significantly increase the production of new neurons.

Cannabis Leaves Molecular Marks on DNA Linked to Psychosis

Frequent use of high-potency cannabis leaves unique molecular marks on DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function. Researchers found that DNA methylation—an epigenetic modification—differed between frequent cannabis users who had experienced psychosis and those who had not, suggesting a possible genetic link to psychosis risk.