Brain cells long thought of as passive play key role in memory
Microglia, key immune cells in the brain, may play a significant role in memory retention.... Read More...
neuroplasticity
Early life experiences biologically and functionally mature the brain
Learning and memory abilities may vary, depending on the nature of individual experiences early in life.... Read More...
Aerobic exercise training linked to enhanced brain function
People with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease can benefit significantly from a six-month aerobic training program. Aerobic exercise helps improve brain glucose metabolism and executive function, in addition to increasing cardiorespiratory fitness. ... Read More...
The scent of a rose improves learning during sleep
The smell of roses while learning and during sleep helps increase memory and learning skills. The study reports a significant increase in learning success by 30% if a person is exposed to the smell of roses during both learning and sleep phases.... Read More...
High and low exercise intensity found to influence brain function differently
Low-intensity exercise triggers brain networks associated with cognitive control and attention processing, while high-intensity exercise activates networks involved in emotional processing.... Read More...
A rat had basically no brain, but it could still see, hear, smell, and feel
Rat R222 was born with hydrocephalus. Neuroimaging revealed most of its brain had compressed and collapsed as it filled with fluid. However, despite its condition, the animal was still able to see, hear, smell, and feel like other animals. The study sheds new light on neuroplasticity, and the findings could have implications for the development of new machine learning technologies.... Read More...
Long-term memory performance depends upon gating system
Fruit fly study reveals suppression of a genetic switch boosts long-term memory.... Read More...
Rejuvenating the brain: More stem cells improve learning and memory of old mice
Critical aspects of hippocampal function can be reversed in old age, or compensated for throughout life, with the help of neural stem cells.... Read More...
Some learning is a whole-brain affair
Motor learning induces widespread cortical synaptic potentiation by increasing the trafficking of AMPAR into dendritic spines.... Read More...
Watching pornography rewires the brain to a more juvenile state
From eroding the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain critical for impulse control, to damaging the dopamine reward system, researchers evaluate the impact of viewing pornography on the brain.... Read More...
How playing the drums changes the brain
Drummers have higher microstructural diffusion in the corpus callosum, an area of the brain that connects the two hemispheres and which plays a critical role in motor planning.... Read More...
Why stress doesn’t always cause depression
Rats susceptible to anhedonia have more serotonin neurons in the ventral dorsal raphe nucleus. However, activating neurons in the central amygdala reduced the serotonin signaling and lowered the effects of social stress.... Read More...