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University of Ottawa

·May 22, 2026·9 min read

Heart Attacks Release Toxin That Damages Brain Function

Why do heart attacks so frequently trigger severe depression, anxiety, and accelerated dementia? A new study maps the "heart-brain axis," proving that dying cardiac tissue releases a toxic metabolic byproduct called methylglyoxal (MG).

This shows the outline of a baby touching a hand.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 24, 2026·7 min read

Why Human Babies Evolved to Be So Dependent

A new study suggests that human infant helplessness is a unique evolutionary trait that drives social collaboration. By being sensory-rich but motor-poor, human babies are "designed" to trigger the deep social bonds and care systems that make us human.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 22, 2026·7 min read

Could an “Exercise Pill” Help Treat Depression?

Exercise is medicine, but what if you can't take the dose? Scientists explore "exercise mimetics"—pills that trick your brain into thinking you've just finished a workout.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 16, 2025·5 min read

Hidden Primed Step in Nerve-Muscle Communication Found

An international research team has mapped the millisecond-by-millisecond process by which nerve signals activate muscles, uncovering a previously unseen “primed” intermediate step. This breakthrough reveals that neuromuscular receptors move asynchronously—not in perfect unison as scientists long believed—redefining how communication between nerves and muscles is understood.

This shows a brain and a person at a cross roads.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 25, 2025·6 min read

Serotonin Neurons Challenge Old Views of Brain Function

Serotonin neurons in the brainstem are not independent, as once thought, but interact to influence decision-making. Researchers found that clusters of serotonin neurons compete and collaborate, shaping when and how serotonin is released throughout the brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 9, 2025·6 min read

Serotonin Helps Your Brain Predict Future Rewards

New research reveals that serotonin plays a key role in how the brain predicts future rewards, shedding light on its puzzling activity in response to both pleasure and pain. Scientists found that serotonin neurons encode a “prospective code for value,” signaling expectations about upcoming outcomes and how rapidly those expectations are changing.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 5, 2025·4 min read

Serotonin Signals the Brain’s Best Guess About Future Rewards

A new study reveals that serotonin neurons in the brain may play a crucial role in helping us estimate the value of future rewards. Rather than simply responding to pleasure or pain, serotonin appears to encode a "prospective value" signal—telling the brain how good the near future is likely to be.

This shows an AI representation of stem cells.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 8, 2025·5 min read

Stem Cells in the Brain Use Childlike Signals to Trigger Regeneration

Scientists have discovered that neural stem cells (NSCs) receive constant feedback from their daughter cells, influencing whether they remain dormant or activate to form new neurons and glia. This parent-child relationship helps regulate brain regeneration and repair.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 16, 2024·4 min read

How Dendrites Shape Neuronal Response

Researchers made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding the brain's neuronal variability, with significant implications for both neuroscience and AI development. Their study unveils how dendrites, the neuron's antennas, control the variability in neuronal responses.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 30, 2023·4 min read

Sleep Loss Impairs Decision-Making

A new study highlights the significant impact of sleep deprivation on decision-making processes. The research revealed that a single night without sleep dampens neural responses to decision outcomes, affecting both positive and negative emotional reactions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 16, 2023·2 min read

Exercise Decreases Suicide Attempts in Those With Mental and Physical Illness

Engaging in an exercise program reduced suicidal thoughts and actions in patients with mental and physical health problems who previously had suicidal ideations.