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University of Iowa

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 13, 2024·7 min read

Huntington’s Gene Enhances Early Brain Growth and Intelligence

A study reveals that the genetic mutation causing Huntington’s disease (HD) enhances brain development and intelligence in early life, but leads to degeneration in adulthood. Children with the HD gene exhibit larger brains and higher IQs than those without the mutation.

This shows a woman surrounded by speech bubbles.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 29, 2024·6 min read

How We Recognize Words in Real-Time

A recent study has identified three distinct strategies people use to recognize words: "Wait and See," "Sustained Activation," and "Slow Activation." These strategies were observed in both individuals with normal hearing and those with cochlear implants, revealing that word-recognition processes are highly individualized.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 15, 2024·7 min read

Brain Area Linked to Attention Control Identified

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus, a treatment for Parkinson's disease, may influence more than just motor control. This treatment, which mitigates Parkinson's symptoms such as tremors, also appears to affect patients' ability to shift their attention between tasks.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 8, 2023·6 min read

Brain’s Response to Crucial Language Hub Removal: New Insights

A new study provides unprecedented insights into the human brain's response to the loss of a key language hub. During epilepsy surgery, the team recorded brain activity before and after the removal of the anterior temporal lobe, a hub for language meaning.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 9, 2023·5 min read

Mindful Mistakes: How Brains Learn from Errors

A new study reveals the brain's swift response to human errors compared to unintended outcomes. When individuals were tasked with identifying arrow directions, researchers observed the brain differentiating between correct responses followed by unexpected symbols and actual mistakes.

This shows people of different ages talking.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 3, 2023·7 min read

Age-Related Changes in Spoken Word Recognition

A recent study reveals intriguing findings about the efficiency of spoken word recognition across various age groups. Efficiency peaks in individuals in their mid-20s to early-30s and notably begins to decline from the mid-40s, independent of hearing ability or general cognitive function.

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Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 12, 2023·6 min read

Predicting Dementia in Parkinson’s: EEG Might Hold the Key

Data from a single EEG electrode might predict cognitive decline, including dementia, in patients with Parkinson's disease. Researchers discovered that reduced strength of specific low-frequency brain waves, known as delta and theta waves, was strongly linked to cognitive dysfunction in these patients.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 24, 2022·4 min read

Stress Link in the Brain Confirmed

Study confirms a neural circuit that links the caudal medial prefrontal cortex to the midbrain dorsolateral periaqueductal gray which governs stress response.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 13, 2022·5 min read

Distinct Brain Networks Associated With Risk and Resilience in Depression

Researchers have identified two distinct brain regions, one linked to increased and the other with decreased depressive symptoms, associated with the location of brain injuries.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 26, 2022·5 min read

Brain Region’s Role in Mind-Body Communication Confirmed

The subthalamic nucleus in the brain communicates with the motor system to help the body stop an action, researchers confirm.

This shows a brain in a lightbulb and an alarm clock

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 23, 2022·3 min read

Mechanism for Long-Term Memory Storage Identified

A novel protein folding mechanism in the endoplasmic reticulum is essential for long-term memory storage. This mechanism is impaired in tau-models of Alzheimer's disease, but restoring the protein folding mechanism reverses memory impairment associated with dementia.