FeaturedNeuroscience·April 7, 2025·5 min readAir Pollution May Impair Language Skills, Brain HealthLong-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter may harm cognitive health, particularly language ability, in older adults. In a new study of individuals aged 65 and over, those living in England’s most polluted areas consistently scored lower on cognitive assessments, especially in language-based tasks.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 20, 2025·6 min readBrain Regions Linked to Word Memory IdentifiedA new study has identified brain regions crucial for remembering words and how they are affected in people with temporal lobe epilepsy. Researchers found that shrinkage in the prefrontal, temporal, and cingulate cortices, as well as the hippocampus, was linked to difficulty recalling words.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 19, 2025·8 min readFrom High Valyrian to Klingon: Artificial Languages Engage the Brain Like Natural SpeechA new study finds that the brain processes artificial languages, such as Esperanto and Klingon, using the same neural network as natural languages. Researchers scanned the brains of 44 speakers of constructed languages and observed activation in language-processing regions when participants listened to sentences in their conlang. This contrasts with computer programming languages, which engage different brain areas linked to logical reasoning.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·March 18, 2025·5 min readVerbal Fluency Might Predict Human LongevityA 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.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·March 18, 2025·7 min readWhen Did Humans First Speak? Genes Offer New Clues on Language OriginsNew genetic research suggests that humans first developed language around 135,000 years ago when populations began geographically splitting, followed by widespread social use around 100,000 years ago. Using data from 15 genetic studies, researchers found that early human groups branched out approximately 135,000 years ago, which likely coincides with the origin of language as a cognitive system.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 3, 2025·5 min readHow the Brain Transforms Speech Pitch into MeaningA new study reveals that Heschl’s gyrus, once thought to only process sound, actually plays a crucial role in interpreting speech melody, or prosody. Researchers tracked brain activity in epilepsy patients with implanted electrodes and found that this region encodes pitch accents as meaningful linguistic signals, separate from word sounds.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 1, 2025·4 min readMultilingualism Starts Early: Study Challenges View on Language LearningA new study of 121 infants in Accra, Ghana, reveals that babies regularly hear between two and six languages from multiple caregivers. Unlike the Western model of learning one language from a primary caregiver, these children acquire language through a dynamic social environment.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 16, 2025·5 min readExercise Boosts Language Processing in Older AdultsIncreasing physical fitness improves language comprehension in older adults. Over six months, monolingual participants who followed a simple exercise program were 7% quicker at detecting words in language tests, highlighting the cognitive benefits of fitness.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 8, 2025·6 min readDopamine and Serotonin Drive Emotional Word ProcessingResearchers have uncovered how neurotransmitters in the brain respond to the emotional content of language, shedding light on the intersection of emotion, cognition, and communication. Using advanced techniques, the team simultaneously measured dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine release in patients during exposure to emotionally charged words.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscience·January 3, 2025·4 min readMultilingualism Boosts Cognitive Skills in Children With AutismChildren in multilingual households, including those with autism, demonstrate stronger executive functions, such as inhibition, flexibility, and perspective-taking, compared to monolingual peers. Speaking multiple languages also reduces repetitive behaviors and improves communication, key challenges in autism.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·December 18, 2024·4 min readGenes Behind Dyslexia Linked to Brain Changes in Motor, Vision, and LanguageA large-scale study revealed that genetic variants linked to dyslexia are associated with differences in brain areas controlling motor coordination, vision, and language. Using data from over a million individuals, researchers calculated genetic "polygenic scores" for dyslexia and analyzed their relationship to brain structures. Higher genetic risk for dyslexia was tied to lower volumes in brain regions related to speech processing and movement, and increased volumes in the visual cortex.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·December 17, 2024·4 min readBaby Babble Syncs With Heartbeats to Shape Speech DevelopmentInfants' heart rate rhythms are closely linked to their early vocalizations, including coos, babbles, and emerging words. Researchers found that babies were most likely to produce sounds when their heart rate reached a peak or trough, with speech-like sounds occurring during heart rate deceleration.Read More
