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brain research

Research articles and news stories tagged with brain research

·July 2, 2026·10 min read

Stress Accelerates Immune Aging by Altering the Microbiome

Chronic psychological stress suppresses activity in the prefrontal cortex and periaqueductal gray, triggering a downstream depletion of gut Lactobacillus reuteri and its anti-aging metabolite spermidine. This biochemical crash directly accelerates the aging of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, mapping a novel brain-gut-bone axis for stress-induced immune decay.

This shows a hand holding a book and a robotic hand.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 2, 2026·9 min read

AI Writing Strips Mystery and Complexity From Stories

A new study introducing the CASPER framework reveals that AI writing models consistently strip away narrative mystery, relying on safe archetypes and tidy resolutions, proving that scaling up model sizes fails to improve character depth or capture genuine human contradiction.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 1, 2026·10 min read

Study Supports and Expands the Primate Brain Lag Hypothesis

A new study utilizes molecular genetic timelines to validate the "brain lag" hypothesis, proving that primate body growth preceded brain expansion. The analysis expands the theory by demonstrating that hominin brains eventually overshot their expected biological baseline, driven by the intense cognitive demands of forming large social groups to survive predators.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 1, 2026·10 min read

Slow Maternal Response Time Linked to ADHD in Kids

Slower maternal vocal response times to 12-month-old infants predict an increased risk of ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders by age 7. For every 10% increase in the probability of a maternal response within one second, the child's odds of receiving a psychiatric diagnosis dropped by 17%, highlighting real-time communication tracking as a powerful, non-invasive indicator for early intervention screening.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·July 1, 2026·12 min read

The Neural Circuit Behind Flexible Thinking

A new study demonstrates that top-down cognitive context actively reshapes early visual processing through a specific inhibition-on-inhibition (disinhibition) circuit motif, mapping a precise mechanism for cognitive flexibility that can optimize energy efficiency in artificial intelligence.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·July 1, 2026·11 min read

Acetaminophen Cleared of Autism and ADHD Pregnancy Risks

A new study utilizes a rigorous sibling-matched design to conclusively prove that prenatal paracetamol (acetaminophen) exposure carries zero risk of causing autism or ADHD, regardless of trimester timing or dosage volume.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·July 1, 2026·12 min read

Optogenetics Restores Motor Learning in Huntington’s

Optogenetically activating underactive VIP inhibitory neurons in the motor cortex completely restores normal circuit activity and motor learning in Huntington’s disease models, with therapeutic benefits persisting long after stimulation ends.

This shows a robot hand and a human hand holding a rose.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 1, 2026·12 min read

How AI Substitutes Are Replacing Genuine Human Connection

A new study warns that widespread, unmoderated use of AI chatbots among teenagers introduces severe risks of relational displacement and maladaptive relational learning, distorting social development by replacing real-world conflict resolution with frictionless, algorithmic validation.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 1, 2026·11 min read

CAR-T Cell Therapy Eradicates Glioblastoma

A new study demonstrates a new CAR-T cell therapy that targets the GPNMB protein found on both glioblastoma cells and tumor-supporting macrophages.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 30, 2026·11 min read

Hand Dominance Is Driven by Practice, Not Birth

The skill gap between our dominant and non-dominant hands is not innate, but rather an emergent consequence of a lifetime of asymmetrical practice that manifests exclusively during tool use.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·June 30, 2026·11 min read

Does Melatonin Help Reduce Chronic Pain?

Melatonin can reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain by 9 to 10 points on a 100-point scale. This therapeutic relief matches the efficacy of opioids and NSAIDs while bypassing their severe risks of organ toxicity and addiction, offering a safe, non-dependent adjunct that treats pain and sleep disruption simultaneously.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 30, 2026·11 min read

Creatine Shows Mixed Results in Treating Depression

A new study reveals a split decision on using creatine to treat depression. While combining creatine with standard therapy or antidepressants significantly accelerated remission in adult women, it failed in adolescent, treatment-resistant, and bipolar cohorts, even triggering mania in some bipolar patients.