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University of Washington

·May 29, 2025·5 min read

Wearable Device Tracks Brain Waste System

A new wearable device has been developed to noninvasively monitor the brain’s glymphatic system, which helps clear waste and may play a role in neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s. Traditionally only measurable via MRI, researchers can now observe this system throughout different sleep stages using a head cap embedded with electrodes. The device revealed that glymphatic activity doesn’t simply switch on during sleep and off when awake, but instead builds progressively during sleep and decreases gradually upon waking. This finding offers insights into how sleep quality impacts brain health and could help identify individuals at risk for neurodegenerative diseases.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 15, 2025·5 min read

Brain’s Arousal Regulator Found

A new study reveals that a small cluster of cells near the brain's "blue spot"—the locus coeruleus—helps regulate arousal, attention, and stress responses. These peri-LC neurons modulate the locus coeruleus by releasing GABA, which reduces its activity and dampens the release of norepinephrine.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 8, 2025·4 min read

Blood Flow Boosts Brain Stiffness in Key Memory Region

Researchers have discovered that increased blood flow is linked to greater stiffness in the hippocampus, the brain region vital for memory and learning. This is significant because the hippocampus is among the first regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 9, 2024·5 min read

COVID Pandemic Hastened Brain Aging in Teens

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated brain maturation in adolescents, particularly girls, with their brains aging by an average of 4.2 years. The study links this acceleration to the stress of reduced social interaction during lockdowns, affecting brain regions responsible for emotional regulation.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 31, 2024·5 min read

Infants Hear More Speech Than Music At Home

A new study compared the amount of music and speech infants hear at home. Researchers found that infants are exposed to more speech than music, with the gap increasing as they grow.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 18, 2024·6 min read

Are Scents of Nature an Untapped Well-Being Boost?

A new study urges researchers to explore how the smells of nature impact human health and well-being. While the visual aspects of nature have been extensively studied, the olfactory dimension remains under-explored.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 8, 2024·6 min read

Baby Talk: Early Social Interaction Spurs Language Growth

Early social interactions, characterized by "parentese," smiles, and eye contact, significantly impact infant brain development and language growth. Utilizing magnetoencephalography (MEG), the study observed increased brain activity in 5-month-olds during social interactions with adults, compared to nonsocial scenarios.

This shows a tired face and two glasses.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 10, 2023·5 min read

Sleep’s Frenemies: Alcohol vs. Caffeine

A new study turned previous assumptions on their head, finding that alcohol and caffeine may offset each other's negative effects on sleep when consumed together. Over a six-week period, financial traders' sleep logs revealed that the combined use of caffeine and alcohol didn't exacerbate poor sleep as expected but showed a complex interplay that affected their sleep patterns.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 23, 2023·7 min read

New Tools Illuminate Myelin Growth in Infants

Researchers are grappling with vast datasets to unravel brain mysteries. A team employed new software to analyze MRIs from 300 infants, revealing that myelin in white matter grows slower after birth.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·February 6, 2023·5 min read

Overlooked Tau-RNA Interaction May Play Key Role in Dementia

The interaction of Tau with RNA is a key stage in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 5, 2022·4 min read

New Blood Test Can Detect ‘Toxic’ Protein Years Before Alzheimer’s Symptoms Emerge

A new blood test can detect toxic amyloid beta oligomers associated with Alzheimer's disease years before symptoms appear.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·December 1, 2022·4 min read

Ganglion Cells Created in Mice in Bid to Fix Diseased Eyes

Researchers induced non-neural cells that mimic ganglion cells in the eyes of mice, effectively reducing the impact of certain eye diseases. They hope to next replicate their technique in humans in order to help restore vision lost due to eye diseases.