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Max Planck Institute

·June 10, 2025·4 min read

How the Brain’s RNA Rings Are Formed

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable, ring-shaped molecules that play crucial roles in brain development, cognition, and long-term cellular regulation. Unlike typical RNA, they form closed loops that resist degradation, making them ideal for neurons.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 6, 2025·6 min read

Study Links Gut Bacteria to MS Risk and Reveals Key Triggers

A new twin study has identified specific gut bacteria that may contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. By comparing identical twins where only one has MS, researchers reduced confounding genetic and environmental factors and pinpointed 51 bacterial taxa with different abundances.

This shows different animals in a forest setting.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 17, 2025·6 min read

Hidden Patterns Shape Animal Behavior Across Species

Despite vast ecological differences, animals from meerkats to hyenas appear to follow a shared behavioral architecture in how they switch between activities. By tracking movement patterns with accelerometers and using machine learning, researchers discovered that the longer an animal stays in one behavior—like resting or foraging—the less likely it is to switch, a pattern known as a “decreasing hazard function.”

Featured Neuroscience

·May 10, 2025·4 min read

Your Brain Maps Actions Like It Maps Space

A new study shows that the human brain organizes action-outcome associations in cognitive maps, much like how it maps physical space for navigation. These action maps are formed in the hippocampus and communicate with the motor system to support goal-directed behaviors and flexible decision-making.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 10, 2025·5 min read

From Calls to Communication: A New Look at Language Origins

A new study reveals that wild chimpanzees combine vocal calls in structured ways to create new or more specific meanings, echoing key features of human language. Researchers documented over 12,000 calls from chimpanzees in Côte d’Ivoire and found that they formed at least 16 different two-call combinations.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 22, 2025·4 min read

Gestures Help Listeners Predict Speech

Humans use hand gestures during conversation, but until now, it wasn’t clear whether listeners actively use these gestures to anticipate speech. A new study using virtual avatars shows that listeners indeed use iconic gestures—like miming typing—to predict what the speaker will say next.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 11, 2025·6 min read

Hidden Neural Stem Cells May Hold Key to Brain Regeneration

Scientists have identified a previously unknown type of neural stem cell (pNSC) that exists outside the brain and spinal cord, overturning decades of neuroscience dogma. These peripheral neural stem cells, discovered in tissues like the lung and tail of mice, share key properties with brain-derived neural stem cells, including the ability to self-renew and differentiate into neurons.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 31, 2025·4 min read

Genes Play a Role in Why We Love Music

A new genetic study reveals that our capacity to enjoy music is partly inherited, with 54% of music enjoyment variability linked to DNA differences. Researchers analyzed data from over 9,000 twins to explore whether genetics influence how much pleasure people derive from music.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 29, 2025·4 min read

Infomorphic Neurons Bring AI One Step Closer to Brain-Like Learning

Researchers have developed a new kind of artificial neuron—called infomorphic neurons—that can independently learn and self-organize with nearby neurons, mimicking the decentralized learning of biological brains. Inspired by pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex, these neurons process local signals to adapt and specialize in tasks without external control.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·February 18, 2025·4 min read

Prenatal Stress Hormones Alter Brain Development

Environmental factors like stress and medication exposure during pregnancy can shape brain development, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Researchers used brain organoids to study the effects of synthetic glucocorticoids, commonly given to prevent complications in premature births.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 9, 2025·6 min read

How We Make Life’s Toughest Choices

A new study presents a novel framework for understanding transformative life decisions, focusing on their complexity and emotional impact. Researchers identified five key dimensions—conflicting cues, change of self, uncertain experiential value, irreversibility, and risk—that shape these decisions.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 18, 2024·4 min read

Genes Behind Dyslexia Linked to Brain Changes in Motor, Vision, and Language

A 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.

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Max Planck Institute

How the Brain’s RNA Rings Are Formed

Study Links Gut Bacteria to MS Risk and Reveals Key Triggers

Hidden Patterns Shape Animal Behavior Across Species

Your Brain Maps Actions Like It Maps Space

From Calls to Communication: A New Look at Language Origins

Gestures Help Listeners Predict Speech

Hidden Neural Stem Cells May Hold Key to Brain Regeneration

Genes Play a Role in Why We Love Music

Infomorphic Neurons Bring AI One Step Closer to Brain-Like Learning

Prenatal Stress Hormones Alter Brain Development

How We Make Life’s Toughest Choices

Genes Behind Dyslexia Linked to Brain Changes in Motor, Vision, and Language

How the Brain’s RNA Rings Are Formed

Baby Talk Enhances Infant Speech Learning

Genetic Sensitivity to Environment May Shape Mental Health Traits

How Acetaminophen Silences Pain Before It Reaches the Brain

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