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neurobiology

·June 4, 2025·4 min read

Aging Brain More Vulnerable to Even Mild Oxygen Deprivation

New research shows that even mild, prolonged exposure to low oxygen levels can significantly disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in aging brains. Using mice aged 2 to 23 months, scientists found that older mice experienced 4–6 times more BBB breakdown than younger mice under similar hypoxic conditions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 4, 2025·4 min read

AI Model Maps Brain Dynamics to Boost Mental Health Diagnosis

A new adaptive brain modeling framework offers fresh hope for objective diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders, which currently lack reliable neuroimaging biomarkers. Using an enhanced version of the Landau-Stuart oscillator model, researchers simulated brain activity to better capture individual-specific neural dynamics.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 4, 2025·4 min read

Brain Uses Separate Synapses to Balance Learning and Stability

New research has overturned a long-held belief in neuroscience by showing that the brain uses separate synaptic transmission sites for spontaneous and evoked signaling. Traditionally thought to share the same origin, these two forms of communication actually emerge from distinct sites, each following its own developmental path.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 3, 2025·6 min read

Dormant Stem Cells May Hold Key to Restoring Sense of Smell

Researchers have created a 3D mouse organoid model to study how neurons in the nose regenerate, revealing that a type of stem cell once considered dormant may be crucial for repairing olfactory tissue. The team found that horizontal basal cells (HBCs), marked by KRT5, actively support new neuron generation alongside globose basal cells (GBCs).

Featured Neuroscience

·June 3, 2025·7 min read

Infant Brain Wiring Predicts Emotional Growth Months Before It Shows

The brain’s white matter microstructure at just three months of age can predict how an infant’s emotions will develop over time. Using an advanced imaging technique called NODDI, scientists mapped the organization of neural pathways that govern emotional processing. They found that specific brain tracts were linked to increases in either positive or negative emotionality by nine months.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·June 3, 2025·4 min read

Shared Genetic Signatures Found Across Psychiatric Disorders

Researchers have uncovered shared biological mechanisms across major psychiatric disorders by analyzing postmortem brain samples from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Instead of looking at gene expression broadly, they zoomed in on the exon level—the building blocks that influence how proteins are made.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 3, 2025·7 min read

Ibudilast Fails to Beat Placebo in Alcoholism Trial, Except in Women

A recent clinical trial found that ibudilast, a drug once promising for alcohol use disorder, was no more effective than a placebo overall. While all participants reduced their drinking, women on ibudilast showed a greater drop in drinks per day, hinting at a gender-specific benefit.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 3, 2025·5 min read

Can Chatbots Spot Mental Health Drug Side Effects?

As mental healthcare gaps persist, people increasingly turn to AI chatbots for help with psychiatric medication side effects. A new study evaluated how well large language models detect and respond to these complex, high-risk situations. While AI often mirrors a psychiatrist's tone, researchers found it struggles with accurately identifying adverse drug reactions and offering actionable advice.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 3, 2025·3 min read

AI Links Early Life Risks to Behavioral Challenges at Age Five

A new study reveals that emotional and behavioral difficulties in five-year-old children can be predicted using prenatal and early-life risk factors, including maternal smoking, low birth weight, and lack of breastfeeding. Researchers used AI to analyze data from nearly 6,000 UK children, uncovering gender-specific vulnerabilities—boys were more impacted by smoking during pregnancy, while girls were more affected by early fussiness.

This shows an older woman with a tincture.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 3, 2025·5 min read

Cannabis Use Among U.S. Seniors Has Surged 46% in Just Two Years

Marijuana use among U.S. adults aged 65 and older has climbed to a record 7%, up nearly 46% from 2021 to 2023. The trend is especially pronounced among college-educated, married, and higher-income individuals, particularly women.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 3, 2025·4 min read

Adopting the MIND Diet May Lower Dementia Risk at Any Age

A large study suggests that following the MIND diet—rich in leafy greens, berries, nuts, and olive oil—significantly reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Drawing on data from nearly 93,000 U.S. adults, researchers found the strongest and most consistent protective effects among African American, Latino, and White participants.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 3, 2025·6 min read

Seizures Often Precede Dementia in FTD

A large new study finds that epileptic seizures are significantly more common in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) than previously believed. In some cases, seizures occurred up to 10 years before an FTD diagnosis, highlighting a potentially overlooked early symptom.