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cognition

·April 24, 2025·5 min read

When the Brain Lacks Fuel, Exercise Still Protects Memory

New research shows that exercise may protect brain function even when the body can’t produce ketones, a vital energy source for cognition. When liver function is impaired and ketone levels drop, memory and learning typically suffer—but physical activity can still counteract those effects.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 24, 2025·6 min read

Lingering Bacterial Debris May Drive Post-Treatment Lyme Symptoms

New research suggests that lingering cell wall fragments from the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, may be responsible for persistent symptoms long after antibiotic treatment. These fragments, made of a unique form of peptidoglycan, appear to accumulate in the liver and joints, triggering inflammation and immune responses even after the infection is gone.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 23, 2025·6 min read

Earlier Bedtimes Linked to Better Brain Function in Adolescents

A large-scale study has found that adolescents who go to bed earlier and get slightly more sleep show better brain function and higher cognitive test performance than their peers. Using wearable devices and brain imaging from over 4,000 participants, researchers discovered that even small differences in sleep duration and timing impacted brain volume and task performance.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 21, 2025·6 min read

Early Alzheimer’s Clues Found in Adults as Young as 24

A new study reveals that cognitive changes tied to Alzheimer's risk factors begin far earlier in life than previously thought, some as early as age 24. Researchers found associations between memory performance and cardiovascular risk factors, immune markers, and Alzheimer’s biomarkers (amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration) in individuals aged 24–44.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 15, 2025·4 min read

Why Nostalgic Songs Spark the Brain’s Memory and Reward System

Listening to nostalgic music activates key brain regions tied to memory and emotion, according to a new brain imaging study. Researchers found that songs linked to personal memories engage both the default mode network and the brain's reward circuitry.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 12, 2025·5 min read

What Are Thoughts? Exploring the Mystery of the Mind

The nature of thought remains one of philosophy's greatest mysteries, with deep implications for neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Two main theories compete: materialism, which sees thoughts as brain states, and dualism, which holds that thoughts are non-physical entities. While neuroscience has mapped correlations between brain activity and mental states, it cannot yet explain how physical matter gives rise to conscious experience.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 10, 2025·4 min read

Obesity May Accelerate Brain Aging and Cognitive Loss

New research reveals that long-term obesity patterns have distinct impacts on brain structure, function, and cognition. Using data from the UK Biobank, researchers identified five obesity trajectories and linked them to different levels of neurological deterioration.

This shows a brain surrounded by vitamin K rich foods.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 8, 2025·6 min read

Low Vitamin K Intake May Accelerate Age-Related Memory Decline

A new study reveals that insufficient vitamin K may harm brain health and memory as we age. In rodent models, a vitamin K-deficient diet led to increased brain inflammation and fewer newly formed neurons in the hippocampus—key factors in learning and memory.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 4, 2025·6 min read

Heart Failure Accelerates Brain Aging

A large new study reveals that heart failure significantly accelerates cognitive decline, causing affected individuals to mentally age a decade within just seven years of diagnosis. Researchers tracked nearly 30,000 adults and found that heart failure was associated with a sharp drop in cognitive function at diagnosis and a faster decline in global cognition and executive function over time.

This shows a man drinking and a brain in a glass.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 2, 2025·5 min read

Heavy Alcohol Use Causes Long-Term Brain Damage

For the first time, scientists have shown how heavy alcohol use leads to long-term cognitive impairments by damaging brain circuits responsible for decision-making. In a rat model, animals exposed to high alcohol levels performed significantly worse on a complex, shifting-reward task, even after nearly three months of sobriety.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 31, 2025·5 min read

Glutamate Unlocks Brain Cell Channels to Enable Thinking and Learning

Researchers used advanced cryo-electron microscopy to capture atomic-level images of how glutamate, a key neurotransmitter, opens channels in brain cells. These channels, known as AMPA receptors, are essential for neuron-to-neuron communication and play a role in learning, memory, and disorders like epilepsy.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 18, 2025·5 min read

Verbal Fluency Might Predict Human Longevity

A recent study reveals a surprising link between longevity and verbal fluency—the ability to effectively recall and utilize vocabulary. Researchers analyzed cognitive data from the Berlin Aging Study, involving over 500 elderly participants tracked for nearly two decades, assessing verbal fluency alongside memory, perceptual speed, and verbal knowledge.