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brain research

Research articles and news stories tagged with brain research

This shows a child surrounded by hands and DNA.

·July 21, 2025·6 min read

ADHD-Linked Genes Raise Risk of Childhood Maltreatment

Children with higher genetic risk for ADHD are more likely to experience childhood maltreatment, a new study shows. Researchers found that ADHD-associated genetic variants, especially when combined with parental psychiatric diagnoses, increase the likelihood of abuse and neglect.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 21, 2025·4 min read

Hidden Genes in DNA “Dark Matter” Linked to Human Brain Traits

Researchers have identified two genes from the human genome’s “dark matter” that influence brain size and synaptic signaling. Using the complete human genome and zebrafish models, the team showed how these duplicated genes may contribute to what makes the human brain distinctive.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 21, 2025·5 min read

Optimists’ Brains “Think Alike” When Imagining the Future

Optimists’ brains show strikingly similar patterns when imagining the future, while pessimists’ brains display more individual variability, a new study reveals. Using fMRI, researchers found that optimists process positive and negative scenarios in distinct, shared ways, which may explain their greater social connectedness.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 21, 2025·3 min read

Right-Sided Brain Pathway Linked to Social Dominance

A new study uncovers how brain anatomy relates to social dominance in primates. Researchers found that the uncinate fasciculus, a tract tied to emotion and memory, strongly correlated with dominance behaviors in squirrel monkeys. This link was especially pronounced in the right hemisphere, aligning with human findings on social aggression.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 21, 2025·5 min read

Autism Masking Leaves a Mark on the Brain

Some autistic teens mask their traits to “pass” as non-autistic in social settings, but a new study reveals the hidden cognitive toll. Using EEG, researchers found these teens show faster automatic responses to faces and dampened emotional reactivity, suggesting their brains may adapt to cope with social demands.

This shows a pregnant woman and gut bacteria.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 21, 2025·7 min read

Pregnancy Stress Disrupts Baby’s Microbiome, Increasing Depression Risk

Prenatal stress in mothers can leave a lasting imprint on their offspring, predisposing them to depression-like behaviors. Researchers found that maternal stress disrupts the gut microbiome and metabolite production, which are vertically transmitted to the young.

This shows people and wolves with cell phones.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 21, 2025·7 min read

FoMO and Dark Personalities Drive Online Political Engagement

A large cross-national study examined how psychopathy, narcissism, fear of missing out (FoMO), and cognitive ability influence online political participation. Across eight countries, people high in psychopathy and FoMO consistently engaged more in digital political activities, while narcissism predicted participation only in some contexts.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·July 21, 2025·6 min read

Youthful Blood Restores Aging Retina and Vision

Researchers demonstrated that systemic factors from young mice can rejuvenate the aging retina by alleviating cellular senescence and restoring function. Using heterochronic parabiosis and single-cell RNA sequencing, the study identified AdipoR1 and its downstream AMPK signaling as key drivers of retinal rejuvenation.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 21, 2025·6 min read

Study Reveals Biological Bias in Baby Boy or Girl Odds

A massive study of over 58,000 women shows that families may have their own subtle biological bias toward having boys or girls, rather than offspring sex being purely random. Researchers found that older maternal age at first birth and specific maternal genetic variants were linked to having only sons or only daughters.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 20, 2025·6 min read

The Brain’s Ripple Effect: How Memories Are Structured

Researchers have identified ripple-type brain waves as key to how humans segment and store memories. By recording brain activity in epilepsy patients watching a TV episode, they found ripples marked event boundaries in the hippocampus while supporting information processing in cortical areas.

This shows a woman holding her head in pain.

Featured Neuroscience Pain

·July 20, 2025·5 min read

How Stress Sounds Amplify Pain and Inflammation

Pain isn’t just physical—it can be socially and emotionally transmitted. New research shows that ultrasonic vocalizations emitted by mice in pain trigger hyperalgesia in nearby mice, even without direct injury.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 19, 2025·4 min read

Flavored Vapes Trigger Reward Centers Even Without Nicotine

A new study shows that some e-cigarette flavorings, like vanilla and cherry, can trigger reward-seeking behaviors in adolescent mice even without nicotine. Researchers found that these flavors alone could activate the brain’s dopamine system, raising concerns about their potential for fostering addiction-like behavior.