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brain research

Research articles and news stories tagged with brain research

This shows a person sleeping and a brain.

·June 26, 2025·5 min read

Short Naps Linked to “Aha” Moments and Creative Insight

A new study suggests that a short nap, especially one reaching deeper N2 sleep, can significantly boost problem-solving insight. Participants who achieved N2 sleep were far more likely to discover a hidden shortcut in a task after napping.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 26, 2025·3 min read

Robotic Heart Transplant Marks Surgical Breakthrough

Surgeons have performed the first fully robotic heart transplant in the U.S., using advanced robotic tools to avoid opening the chest. This technique involved precise incisions and accessing the heart through the preperitoneal space, preserving the chest wall.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 26, 2025·7 min read

AI Reveals How Your Words Reflect Personality

Researchers have shown that AI can detect personality traits from written text and, crucially, now understand how these models make decisions. By applying explainable AI techniques like integrated gradients, the team uncovered how specific words and linguistic patterns contribute to predictions based on major psychological frameworks.

This shows an older person walking in a street and a brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 26, 2025·3 min read

Neighborhood Disadvantage Linked to Alzheimer’s Biomarkers and Inflammation

Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by elevating biomarkers associated with inflammation and neurodegeneration. A long-term study of 334 older adults found higher levels of tau and YKL-40, biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s and brain inflammation, in people from less advantaged areas.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 26, 2025·4 min read

Staying Active Slows Cognitive Decline

Regular physical activity isn’t just good for the body—it protects the brain as we age. A 16-year study of over 13,000 adults found that sustained physical activity significantly slowed cognitive decline.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 26, 2025·4 min read

Why Baby Talk May Be Uniquely Human

Child-directed speech, or “baby talk,” plays a crucial role in language development and is a near-universal human behavior. Researchers investigated whether this vocal strategy is shared with our closest relatives—great apes—and found that humans use infant-directed speech far more frequently.

This shows a brain behind a mountain and balls.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 25, 2025·5 min read

How Brain Cells Coordinate to Make Complex Decisions

Every decision begins subtly, as the brain weighs options long before action. Researchers have now shown that, despite individual differences in neuron activity, a shared underlying structure guides the brain toward unified decisions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 25, 2025·6 min read

Grip Strength Reveals Brain Clues Behind Early Psychosis

Psychosis may start not with hallucinations, but with subtle motor changes like reduced grip strength. A new study reveals that lower grip strength in people with early psychosis is linked to altered brain connectivity, particularly in networks that govern both movement and cognition.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 25, 2025·4 min read

Babies Show Surprising Flexibility in How They Learn and Adapt

New research reveals that babies as young as eight months can flexibly adapt their learning strategies to changing environments. Using eye-tracking and shifting patterns of visual stimuli, researchers observed that infants adjusted their behavior based on whether the monster on screen appeared in a predictable or unpredictable location.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 25, 2025·4 min read

Joy Delay: How Longing Turns into Procrastination

Despite longing to return to enjoyable activities, people often delay doing so—hoping the moment will feel more special. A new study finds that the longer individuals perceive their time away, the more likely they are to postpone reengagement, even with things they enjoy like visiting friends or dining out.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 25, 2025·4 min read

Autoimmune Disease Doubles Risk of Depression and Anxiety

People living with autoimmune diseases face nearly twice the risk of developing persistent mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, according to a massive UK-based study. Researchers suggest chronic inflammation may play a key role in this connection, especially in women who showed significantly higher risk levels than men.

This shows a child, an MRI machine, and a brain.

Neuroscience

·June 25, 2025·4 min read

Cerebellum Shapes Children’s Empathy and Theory of Mind

Understanding others’ beliefs—especially false ones—is key to human communication and begins to develop between ages three and five. In a new study, researchers observed children’s brain activity while they watched movies in an MRI scanner to investigate the neurological roots of Theory of Mind (ToM).