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neurobiology

·May 31, 2025·5 min read

Kindness Sparks Cooperation by Boosting Social Connectedness

New research reveals that everyday niceness—like warm tones, smiles, and active listening—can significantly improve teamwork and increase willingness to cooperate. These small acts foster a sense of social connectedness, which serves as the bridge between kindness and collaboration.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 31, 2025·5 min read

One Molecule to Sleep and Wake: A New Brain Switch Discovered

Researchers studying the tiny roundworm C. elegans have uncovered a surprising mechanism by which a single brain signal controls both falling asleep and waking up. The chemical messenger FLP-11 activates a receptor called DMSR-1 in different neurons to either silence wakefulness or shut down sleep, acting as a biological on-off switch.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 31, 2025·4 min read

How Personality Shapes Emotional Intimacy

While neuroticism is strongly associated with lower relationship satisfaction, the behavioral mechanisms driving this link have remained unclear. In a week-long daily diary study involving 246 participants, researchers identified specific negative and positive behaviors in romantic relationships.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 31, 2025·5 min read

Lowering Blood Pressure May Cut Dementia Risk by Up to 15%

A massive study in rural China found that intensively lowering blood pressure significantly reduces the risk of dementia and cognitive decline in people with hypertension. Over 48 months, patients who received targeted care saw a 15% reduction in dementia and a 16% drop in cognitive impairment risk.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 31, 2025·3 min read

Brain ‘Reset Wave’ May Explain How ECT Rapidly Relieves Depression

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), long misunderstood due to outdated portrayals, remains the most effective treatment for severe, treatment-resistant mental illness. While traditionally thought to work solely through induced seizures, new research reveals that ECT also triggers a second brain event: cortical spreading depolarization (CSD).

This shows a person working early in the morning and one working at night.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 31, 2025·6 min read

Night Owls Face Faster Cognitive Decline

People who naturally stay up late, so-called "night owls", are more likely to experience faster cognitive decline than those who are early risers, according to a long-term study. Researchers found that unhealthy behaviors common in the evening, such as poor sleep, smoking, and drinking, may explain part of this risk.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 30, 2025·4 min read

SSRIs Restore Brain Function in Alzheimer’s

A new study suggests that SSRIs, commonly prescribed antidepressants, may reduce biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease. In a cohort of 191 individuals, AD patients on SSRIs had lower levels of plasma phosphorylated tau-181, a key indicator of disease severity.

This shows a person walking in a dark hallway.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·May 30, 2025·3 min read

Why Some Individuals Adapt to Fear Faster Than Others

A new study has uncovered the brain circuits responsible for individual differences in how animals adapt to repeated visual threats. Using advanced neural recording and manipulation tools, researchers identified two distinct pathways in the brain that drive either persistent escape or rapid habituation in mice.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 30, 2025·7 min read

Blood Fat Links Found Between Heart Risk and Alzheimer’s

New research reveals complex relationships between blood lipid levels and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. While small dense LDL cholesterol—linked to heart disease—was associated with increased Alzheimer’s risk, other markers like ApoB48 were linked to reduced risk.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 30, 2025·5 min read

Study Ties Racial Inequality to Psychosis in Young Adults

A new study finds that racial inequality and police violence may significantly contribute to higher rates of psychotic episodes in low-income young adults of color. While individual factors like trauma and drug use have long been studied, this research highlights the powerful role of structural oppression.

This shows a man, a woman, DNA, and a brain.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 30, 2025·5 min read

Common Gene Variant Doubles Dementia Risk, But Only in Men

New research reveals that men who carry two copies of a common genetic variant in the HFE gene are more than twice as likely to develop dementia, while women with the same variant are not affected. The variant, known as H63D, is linked to haemochromatosis and is present in about 1 in 36 people.

Neuroscience

·May 30, 2025·5 min read

Neuroscience and Genetics of ADHD and Neurodevelopment

A leading figure in molecular psychiatry shares how curiosity about DNA led to a career focused on unraveling the biological roots of neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD. By bridging genetics, neuroscience, and psychiatry, their work has illuminated how variations in DNA and environmental influences shape brain development and behavior.