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brain research

Research articles and news stories tagged with brain research

·December 8, 2025·4 min read

Nicotine Withdrawal Makes Smokers More Sensitive to Pain

A new study shows that abstinent smokers experience heightened pain sensitivity linked to altered activity in specific brain regions. Compared to nonsmokers, abstinent smokers required more postoperative pain relief—especially opioids—and their pain sensitivity increased the longer they remained nicotine-free.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 8, 2025·5 min read

PTSD Linked to Accelerated Brain Aging

A new study using advanced deep-learning brain age estimation shows that World Trade Center responders with PTSD exhibit signs of accelerated brain aging. Using BrainAgeNeXt, a model trained on more than 11,000 MRI scans, researchers found that responders with PTSD had “older” appearing brains than those without the disorder, especially among individuals with longer exposure at Ground Zero.

This shows a brain with computer components on it.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 8, 2025·5 min read

Brain Uses AI-Like Computations for Language

The human brain processes spoken language in a step-by-step sequence that closely matches how large language models transform text. Using electrocorticography recordings from people listening to a podcast, researchers found that early brain responses aligned with early AI layers, while deeper layers corresponded to later neural activity in regions such as Broca’s area.

This shows the outline of a child's head.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 8, 2025·6 min read

Extreme Heat Linked to Delays in Early Childhood Development

Young children exposed to unusually high temperatures are less likely to reach basic developmental milestones in literacy and numeracy. Analyzing data from over 19,000 children across multiple countries, the study found that average maximum temperatures above 86 °F were associated with measurable declines in early learning outcomes.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·December 6, 2025·7 min read

Blocking a Key Protein Greatly Reduces Alzheimer’s Damage

New findings show that removing Centaurin-α1, a protein elevated in Alzheimer’s disease, significantly reduces inflammation, plaque buildup, and cognitive deficits in a well-established mouse model. Eliminating this protein normalized several brain pathways, protected neural connections in the hippocampus, and improved spatial learning.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 5, 2025·6 min read

Why Memories Change: How the Brain Rewrites the Past

A new review explores how episodic memories are formed, stored, and reshaped over time, revealing why our recollections of past events often change. Rather than functioning like fixed files, memories consist of multiple components that can lie dormant until triggered by environmental cues.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 5, 2025·5 min read

Astrocytes Found to Drive Key Brain Changes in Nicotine Addiction

New research shows that astrocytes play an active role in nicotine-induced brain changes, challenging the long-held neuron-centered view of addiction. Nicotine stimulates receptors on astrocytes, triggering signaling cascades that boost glutamine synthetase activity and amplify glutamate-related pathways.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 5, 2025·6 min read

Warmth and Hugging Strengthen the Feeling of Being You

Changes in skin temperature play a key role in how strongly we experience our bodies as our own. Thermoception influences emotion, identity, and mental health by acting as a direct “skin-to-brain” pathway supporting bodily self-awareness.

This shows a person drinking from a plastic water bottle and a brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 5, 2025·6 min read

Microplastics Accelerate Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Damage

A new review highlights five major ways microplastics can harm the brain, raising concerns that they may worsen neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These tiny particles can trigger inflammation, disrupt the blood–brain barrier, generate oxidative stress, impair mitochondria, and damage neurons.

This shows a person and a natural environment.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 4, 2025·5 min read

Growing Fear of Nature: Study Reveals Causes of Rising Biophobia

An increasing number of people experience fear, discomfort, or disgust toward nature—a phenomenon known as biophobia. The findings reveal that negative emotions form through both external factors such as urban environments and media portrayals, and internal factors like health and emotional traits.

This shows a child and parent walking in a "forest" of DNA.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·December 4, 2025·7 min read

Mutation in Key Enzyme Triggers Ferroptosis and Childhood Dementia

Researchers have identified how a single mutation in the GPX4 enzyme causes neurons to undergo ferroptosis, leading to severe early-onset dementia. The study provides the first molecular evidence that ferroptosis can directly drive neurodegeneration in the human brain.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 4, 2025·9 min read

Fungal Molecule Shows Promise Against Brain Cancer

For the first time, chemists have fully synthesized verticillin A, a notoriously complex fungal molecule with striking anticancer potential. The molecule’s fragile structure required a complete rethinking of its synthetic sequence, enabling researchers to not only recreate it but design more stable and potent derivatives.

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brain research

Nicotine Withdrawal Makes Smokers More Sensitive to Pain

PTSD Linked to Accelerated Brain Aging

Brain Uses AI-Like Computations for Language

Extreme Heat Linked to Delays in Early Childhood Development

Blocking a Key Protein Greatly Reduces Alzheimer’s Damage

Why Memories Change: How the Brain Rewrites the Past

Astrocytes Found to Drive Key Brain Changes in Nicotine Addiction

Warmth and Hugging Strengthen the Feeling of Being You

Microplastics Accelerate Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Damage

Growing Fear of Nature: Study Reveals Causes of Rising Biophobia

Mutation in Key Enzyme Triggers Ferroptosis and Childhood Dementia

Fungal Molecule Shows Promise Against Brain Cancer

Brain Conductors Find Precise Connection to Target Cells via Protein Handshake

Multilingualism Calculator Reveals True Language Strengths

Brain Blends Fast and Slow Signals to Shape Human Thought

Immune Signal Ratio May Predict Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

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