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University of Birmingham

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 23, 2025·4 min read

Cleaner Air May Protect Children’s Eyesight and Slow Myopia

New research reveals that cleaner air may protect children’s eyesight and help slow the rise of myopia, especially in younger children. Using machine learning, scientists found that children living in less polluted areas had better vision, even after accounting for genetics and screen time.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 22, 2025·4 min read

How Zepbound Targets the Brain and Pancreas

A new imaging approach reveals how dual agonist drugs like tirzepatide act on the pancreas and brain to regulate blood sugar and appetite. Using fluorescent probes called daLUXendins, researchers visualized drug binding to insulin-producing beta cells and other pancreatic cell types, as well as brain regions tied to hunger regulation.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·April 29, 2025·5 min read

Brain Lesions Heighten Impulsivity and Social Influence

New research shows that damage to specific regions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) increases both impulsivity and susceptibility to the impulsive behavior of others. Participants with mPFC lesions were more likely to choose immediate rewards and to be influenced by others who made impulsive decisions.

This shows older people walking and talking.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 16, 2025·5 min read

Exercise Boosts Language Processing in Older Adults

Increasing physical fitness improves language comprehension in older adults. Over six months, monolingual participants who followed a simple exercise program were 7% quicker at detecting words in language tests, highlighting the cognitive benefits of fitness.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 6, 2024·4 min read

Advanced Brain Mapping Unveils Behavioral Links

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking method to map brain activity, revealing how higher-order functions like thought and language emerge from complex interactions between multiple brain regions. Unlike traditional models focusing on paired brain connections, this new approach uses neuroimaging data to capture the intricate networks driving behavior.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 20, 2024·6 min read

L is Smooth, R is Rough: Our Brains Link Sounds to Sensations

A new study reveals a near-universal association between the trilled R sound and rough textures or jagged shapes, while the L sound aligns with smooth textures or straight lines. Researchers tested over 1,000 participants speaking 28 languages and found that 94% matched the trilled R to jagged lines and 84% matched L to smooth lines, even among speakers of languages without a trilled R.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 14, 2024·4 min read

Key Protein Regulates DNA Enzymes, Supporting Genome Stability

Researchers have discovered that the protein USP50 regulates DNA replication by managing which enzymes—nucleases or helicases—cleave or unwind DNA strands during replication. This control is crucial for stable replication, especially when the process encounters issues that need restarting.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 14, 2024·4 min read

Infrared Light Therapy Shows Promise for Brain Injury Recovery

Scientists have found that transcranial infrared light therapy may promote tissue repair after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). In animal studies, brief daily infrared treatments reduced harmful inflammatory activity and cell death in the brain post-injury.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 11, 2024·4 min read

Brain Endurance Training Combats Age-Related Decline in Focus

Brain endurance training (BET), a combined cognitive and exercise approach, has been shown to significantly improve cognitive and physical performance in older adults. In a study with sedentary women aged 65-78, BET participants showed greater improvements in attention and executive function, along with increased physical endurance. This method, originally developed for athletes, could play a role in reducing age-related cognitive decline and physical challenges such as balance issues.

This shows a brain and a person playing piano.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 26, 2024·4 min read

Study Links Hippocampus to Control of Skilled Movements

The hippocampus, traditionally linked to memory, also plays a crucial role in skilled actions like typing, handwriting, and playing music. This study challenges the long-held belief that motor skills are exclusively managed by motor regions like the basal ganglia and cerebellum.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 23, 2024·4 min read

AI Detects PTSD From Social Media Posts

Researchers analyzed millions of tweets to identify COVID-19 survivors at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By applying machine learning techniques, they achieved an 83% accuracy rate in classifying posts as PTSD-positive, based on specific keywords related to trauma symptoms.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 23, 2024·4 min read

Older Adults More Prone to Impulsive Financial Influence

People aged 60 and over are more likely to be influenced by others' impulsive financial decisions than younger adults. Researchers found that older participants, especially those with higher emotional empathy, were more likely to change their financial preferences after observing impulsive behavior. In contrast, younger adults tended to stick with their original financial choices.