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University of Cambridge

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 3, 2022·7 min read

Cognitive Impairment From Severe COVID-19 Equivalent to 20 Years of Aging

Severe COVID-19 infection results in cognitive impairment similar to that sustained by natural aging between the ages of 50 to 70, and is equivalent to losing 10 IQ points.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 28, 2022·4 min read

Seven Hours of Sleep Is Optimal in Middle and Old Age

The optimal amount of sleep for middle-aged and older adults is seven hours per night. Sleeping too little, or too much, was associated with poor cognitive performance and mental health, researchers say.

This shows a pregnant woman's body and a pair of blue baby booties

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2022·7 min read

Boys Are More Demanding Than Girls Before They Are Born

Women expecting male babies often face more complications during pregnancy. Researchers found the sex of a baby affects how well the placenta functions, along with other factors including maternal stress and diet-induced maternal obesity. Designing individual plans and encouraging women to make lifestyle choices based on their child's sex could provide long-term health benefits and reduce complications during pregnancy.

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Featured Neuroscience

·April 6, 2022·8 min read

Brain Charts Map the Rapid Growth and Slow Decline of the Human Brain Over Our Lifetime

New brain charts span the entire lifespan, from 15 weeks of gestation to 100 years old. The charts plot the expansion and rapid growth of the brain during early life and the slow shrinkage that occurs during the aging process.

This shows an older lady with her hands crossed over her knees

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 17, 2022·6 min read

Lithium May Decrease Risk of Developing Dementia

A small study found people who received lithium, a drug commonly associated with the treatment of bipolar disorder, are less likely to develop dementia.

This shows the outline of a head and lots of wavy lines

Featured Neuroscience

·March 10, 2022·4 min read

How Changes in the Neural Code Unlock the Brain’s Inner Learning

Findings shed light on how plastic and stable neural populations are able to co-exist in the brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 8, 2022·5 min read

Dementia Patients Struggle to Cope With Change Because of Damage to General Intelligence Brain Networks

Damage to the multiple demand network, a brain network associated with general intelligence, causes people with dementia to struggle to adapt to changes in their environment

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 12, 2022·5 min read

Learning Through Guided Play Can Be as Effective as Adult-Led Instruction up to at Least Age Eight

Study reports play-based learning may positively impact a young child's acquisition of math skills compared to direct teaching.

This shows an ultrasound image of a fetus

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 30, 2021·5 min read

Battle of the Sexes Begins in Womb as Father and Mother’s Genes Tussle Over Nutrition

The father's genes drive a fetus' demand for larger blood vessels and more nutrients, while maternal genes in the placenta try to take control over how much nourishment the mother provides.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 24, 2021·7 min read

For the Brain, Context Is Key to New Theory of Movement and Memory

A new mathematical model explains how the brain has the ability to continuously acquire new skills, specifically movement-based skills, without forgetting or degrading old ones. The theory, dubbed COIN, suggests identifying current context is key to learning how to move our bodies when acquiring skills.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 29, 2021·4 min read

Cause of Alzheimer’s Progression in the Brain Identified

New findings contradict the existing thought that Alzheimer's starts from a single point in the brain and causes a chain reaction that leads to cell death. Instead, a new study reports, Alzheimer's disease reaches different brain regions early on. The speed by which the disease kills brain cells in these regions directly impacts the progression of Alzheimer's.