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University of Barcelona

·November 28, 2023·5 min read

Protein Key to Lifespan and Healthy Aging Identified

A new study reveals the significant role of the CD300f immune receptor in determining life expectancy and healthy aging in mice. The absence of this protein in immune system cells, particularly in macrophages and microglia, leads to shorter life spans and pathologies related to cognitive decline and premature aging, with a more pronounced effect in females.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 28, 2025·5 min read

Study Links Schizophrenia to Visual Contrast Sensitivity Deficits

People with schizophrenia experience impaired contrast perception, affecting their ability to differentiate light intensity and recognize shapes and textures. This deficit may stem from disruptions in glutamate neurotransmission, a key neural mechanism in the disease.

This shows a sad child holding onto a fence

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 15, 2022·5 min read

Children With History of Maltreatment Could Undergo an Early Maturation of the Immune System

Study links acute stress as a result of childhood maltreatment to accelerated early maturation of the immune system.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 2, 2024·6 min read

Activating Brain-Gut Connection with Light Reduces Depression

A new study reveals how photobiomodulation, a non-invasive light therapy, effectively treats cognitive impairments caused by chronic stress by targeting the brain-gut axis. This innovative approach was shown to significantly improve conditions in lab animal models.

This shows children putting their hands on top of each other

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 2, 2022·7 min read

What Oxytocin Can Tell Us About the Evolution of Human Prosociality

Study sheds new light on the genetics underlying possible social differences between modern humans, our ancestors, and other primate species.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 8, 2024·6 min read

Mitochondrial Transport Key to Neurological Health

Researchers have discovered a molecular complex crucial for the transport of mitochondria within neurons, offering new insights into preventing neurodegenerative diseases. The complex, identified as Alex3/Gαq, is pivotal for distributing energy-producing mitochondria throughout neurons, essential for neurotransmission and neuronal functions.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 9, 2020·7 min read

The largest genetic map of psychiatric disorders so far

The largest genetic map of mental health disorders to date reveals there are three groups of highly genetically related disorders among eight psychiatric disorders. A gene related to nervous system development is a risk factor for all eight disorders studied. The RBFOX1 gene is implicated in seven of the eight disorders. ADHD and depression share 44% of genetic risk factors common in the general population. 109 pleiotropic loci affect more than one disorder. These pleiotropic loci are within genes that show heightened expression in the brain through the lifespan, beginning during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 9, 2018·5 min read

40 Genes Associated with Aggression Identified

Researchers have identified 40 new genes they believe are related to aggressive behavior in both humans and mice. The findings deepen understanding of the genetic basis of aggressiveness.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 22, 2025·4 min read

Parental Mental Illness Raises Risk of Childhood Psychopathology

A new long-term study confirms that children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder face a higher risk of developing mental health issues compared to peers without parental psychiatric diagnoses. Over four years, researchers tracked 238 children and found distinct patterns of symptoms depending on whether a parent had schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·April 12, 2023·4 min read

Listening to Music During Pregnancy Benefits Baby Brain’s Ability to Encode Speech Sounds

Exposure to music or the sound of the mother singing while in the womb was associated with better neural encoding of speech sounds in infants.

This shows a newborn with a headset and eeg wires on her head

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 26, 2021·6 min read

Can a Newborn’s Brain Discriminate Speech Sounds?

It's a question most new parents ponder, can a newborn baby discriminate between speech sounds? Researchers found newborn babies encode voice pitch comparable to adults exposed to a new language for three years. However, there are some differences when it comes to distinguishing between spectral and temporal fine structures of certain sounds.