AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·January 31, 2025·7 min readGenetics, Not Maternal Sickness, Drives Autism RiskA large study analyzing over 1.1 million pregnancies found no strong evidence that maternal health conditions during pregnancy cause autism. Instead, nearly all previously reported associations between maternal diagnoses and autism could be explained by genetic or environmental factors.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 22, 2025·6 min readDopamine Drives Aggression Learning in MalesNew research reveals that dopamine plays a crucial role in teaching young male mice to fight, with the chemical’s influence diminishing as they gain experience. In novice fighters, boosting dopamine increased aggression, while blocking it stopped them from fighting.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·January 13, 2025·6 min readAlmost Half of Americans Over 55 Face Dementia RiskNew research finds that the lifetime risk of dementia after age 55 in Americans is 42%, significantly higher than previous estimates. Women face a higher risk (48%) than men (35%) due to their longer life expectancy. Risk factors include genetic predisposition, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and limited physical activity.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceVisual Neuroscience·January 2, 2025·6 min readAncient Brain Reflex Develops Without Sensory InputResearchers uncovered that the vestibulo-ocular reflex, a vital brain circuit stabilizing gaze during body tilts, matures independently of sensory input in newborns. This reflex, essential for perceiving a stable environment, enables the eyes to counter-rotate with body movements.Read More
Auditory NeuroscienceFeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·December 3, 2024·6 min readHow We Filter Out Background Sounds When SpeakingResearchers have traced how the brain filters out background noise during speech using signals between the motor and auditory cortices. These milliseconds-long electrical signals, called auditory corollary discharge, originate in the motor cortex's precentral gyrus and travel to the auditory cortex's superior temporal gyrus.Read More
Auditory NeuroscienceFeaturedNeuroscience·October 9, 2024·6 min readVagus Nerve Stimulation Can Boost Perceptual LearningNew research demonstrates that stimulating the vagus nerve enhances perceptual learning, allowing animals to better distinguish subtle sensory differences over time. In the study, mice trained to differentiate tones improved more when their vagus nerve was stimulated, surpassing performance plateaus seen in unstimulated mice. This stimulation activated regions in the brain associated with attention, memory, and neuroplasticity, suggesting it might enhance adaptability to new experiences.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·May 14, 2024·6 min readAI Uncovers Hidden Differences in Male and Female Brain StructuresResearchers use AI to reveal distinct cellular-level differences in the brains of men and women, focusing on white matter. These findings show AI can accurately identify sex-based brain patterns invisible to human eyes.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 28, 2024·5 min readHow Memories Are Chosen for PreservationResearchers uncovered how the brain chooses which daily experiences to convert into long-term memories during sleep, pinpointing "sharp wave-ripples" in the hippocampus as the crucial mechanism. This phenomenon suggests that events followed by sharp wave-ripples are more likely to be consolidated into permanent memories.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 24, 2024·5 min readOxytocin Helps Mice Avoid BulliesResearchers discovered how mice learn to avoid their aggressors after a defeat. This study shows that the anterior ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (aVMHvl) in the brain, along with the hormone oxytocin, plays a central role in this behavior.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·October 26, 2023·5 min readRedefining Death: The Push to Update the U.S. Death ActA new survey reveals that 83% of 41 influential organizations support revisions to the U.S. Uniform Determination of Death Act. The act, defining death as either the irreversible cessation of brain or cardiopulmonary functions, is now under scrutiny.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 20, 2023·5 min readDASH Diet May Be A Shield Against Memory Loss in WomenResearchers found that middle-aged women on the DASH diet, aimed at lowering blood pressure, were 17% less likely to experience cognitive decline in their later years. This discovery has significant ramifications as women constitute over two-thirds of Alzheimer's disease diagnoses.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·September 20, 2023·5 min readHow Infant Cries Activate Mother’s Nursing ResponseA new study unveils the brain mechanism in rodents behind a mother's quick response to her newborn's cry by releasing breast milk. The research reveals that a baby's wail triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin, facilitating lactation.Read More
