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brain research

Research articles and news stories tagged with brain research

·July 7, 2025·3 min read

Astrocytes in Obesity: Brain Cells That Control Metabolism & Cognition

A new study reveals that astrocytes, star-shaped brain cells in the striatum, are key players in how obesity alters brain function and metabolism. Researchers showed that manipulating astrocyte activity in obese mice improved their cognitive flexibility and metabolic regulation.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·July 7, 2025·6 min read

Stem Cell Grafts Show Promise in Repairing Myelin in MS

A new study reveals that neural stem cell grafts can generate new myelin in the central nervous system, offering hope for treating progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers showed that induced neural stem cells matured into myelin-producing oligodendrocytes and safely integrated into damaged regions in a mouse model.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 7, 2025·8 min read

Early Meals Boost Health, but Genetic Clock Shapes When We Eat

Our bodies process food differently depending on the time of day, and eating later has been linked to poorer metabolic health. A study of twins found that those who consumed most of their daily calories earlier had better insulin sensitivity and lower risk factors for diabetes and obesity.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos Visual Neuroscience

·July 7, 2025·5 min read

Retinal Cells Rewire to Preserve Vision in Degenerative Eye Disease

New research shows that retinal neurons can rewire to preserve vision in retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disease causing blindness. Using mouse models, scientists found that rod bipolar cells adapt by forming functional connections with cone cells when their usual rod partners degenerate.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 7, 2025·1 min read

Positive Emotions Boost Memory

A new study shows that positive emotions can enhance memory, even for meaningless information. Researchers recorded brain activity as participants viewed neutral squiggles paired with positive, neutral, or negative emotional images.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 7, 2025·4 min read

Anxious Mondays Leave Lasting Mark on Stress

A new study reveals that anxiety felt on Mondays uniquely elevates stress hormones, even in retirees, with potential consequences for heart health. Researchers found older adults who reported Monday anxiety had 23% higher long-term cortisol levels than peers anxious on other days.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 6, 2025·5 min read

Brain’s Social Hub Responds to Confusion, Not Just People

New research reveals that the brain region often linked to understanding others, the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), is activated more by uncertainty than by social reasoning alone. Using fMRI, researchers found DMPFC responded to uncertain inferences about people, bodies, and even objects.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 6, 2025·5 min read

Why Your Brain Is Better at Gossip Than You Realize

A new study reveals how humans instinctively calculate who to gossip with by weighing popularity and social distance. This cognitive process allows gossip to spread widely while minimizing the risk of it reaching the wrong person.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·July 5, 2025·8 min read

Blurry Beginnings Shape Brain’s Visual Pathways

New research reveals how early-life blurry, low-color vision may help shape the brain’s visual pathways into specialized systems. Using computational models trained on low-quality images followed by high-quality ones, scientists showed this developmental trajectory produces distinct magnocellular and parvocellular-like processing.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 5, 2025·4 min read

Human Brains Keep Making Memory Neurons in Adulthood

A groundbreaking study shows that the human hippocampus continues producing new neurons well into late adulthood. Researchers identified neural progenitor cells—the precursors to neurons—in adults up to 78 years old, confirming ongoing neurogenesis in the memory center of the brain.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 3, 2025·5 min read

Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Those with Deafness

A new study shows that gene therapy can significantly improve hearing in both children and adults with congenital deafness caused by mutations in the OTOF gene. The therapy uses a synthetic virus to deliver a healthy copy of the gene directly to the inner ear, with hearing improvements observed in all ten participants within one month.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 3, 2025·5 min read

Forever Chemicals May Disrupt Brain Development

Despite its reputation as a safer chemical, PFHxA—a short-chain PFAS—may cause long-term behavioral changes when exposure occurs early in development. Researchers found that male mice exposed to PFHxA in utero and through breastfeeding displayed increased anxiety, memory deficits, and lower activity levels.