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WUSTL

·February 28, 2024·5 min read

Sleep Brainwaves Flush Brain of Waste

A new study unveiled a crucial role of sleep: brainwaves facilitating the cleansing of the brain by flushing out waste. This discovery not only underscores the brain's non-dormant state during sleep but also highlights a sophisticated system where neurons' synchronized activity powers the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, effectively removing metabolic waste and potentially neurodegenerative disease-causing toxins.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 20, 2024·6 min read

Decision Making: The Brain’s Blueprint for Future Insights

Researchers made a breakthrough in understanding how the brain makes decisions about future information, pinpointing the lateral habenula as a key player in this process. Their study demonstrates that humans and animals evaluate the worth of cognitive rewards, such as information about the future, using mental rules that the brain applies to both tangible rewards and the intangible satisfaction of curiosity.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 9, 2024·6 min read

Unlocking the Fountain of Youth: Brain-Fat Tissue Feedback Loop Holds Key

A new study reveals a vital brain-fat tissue feedback loop that plays a pivotal role in aging. The research identifies specific neurons in the hypothalamus that, when activated, signal the body's fat tissue to release energy, facilitating physical activity and brain function.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 8, 2024·6 min read

The Science of Sleep: Brain’s Reset Mechanism Revealed

Sleep has long been a mystery, but a new study offers fresh insights. By tracking brain activity in sleeping rats, they propose that sleep's primary function is to reset the brain's computational state to achieve "criticality."

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·December 12, 2023·6 min read

Rare Gene Mutation Shields Woman from Alzheimer’s

Researchers uncovered why a Colombian woman, despite carrying a genetic defect for Alzheimer’s, remained cognitively healthy into her 70s. The key lies in her possession of two copies of the rare Christchurch mutation in the APOE gene, which they replicated in a mouse study.

This shows a woman surrounded by Christmas ornaments.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 28, 2023·4 min read

Holiday Stress: Embracing Unpleasant Emotions for Better Health

December's festive season often brings stress and disappointment, challenging the societal expectation of only positive emotions. A new study shows how we respond to negative emotions is crucial for our mental health.

This shows bottles full of flowers and herbs.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 8, 2023·6 min read

Why Do We Like Certain Scents?

Researchers delved into understanding why certain smells appeal to us and others don't by studying locusts. Through a series of experiments, they analyzed how locusts' brains reacted to various odors and the behavior exhibited in response.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 11, 2023·4 min read

Brain’s Sugar Detectives: Uncovering Neurons that Monitor Blood Glucose

A new study uncovers a subset of neurons in the hypothalamus that sense and respond to changes in blood sugar levels, akin to insulin-secreting pancreatic cells. The research brings forth crucial insights into our understanding of the body's blood sugar regulation.

This shows the outine of two kids and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 27, 2023·8 min read

Childhood Poverty’s Impact: Reshaping the Brain’s Communication Pathways

Growing up in poverty may impact a child’s brain development, specifically in the white matter tracts which facilitate communication between different brain regions. The research, part of the large-scale Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, links neighborhood and household poverty to these crucial aspects of brain structure.

This shows a woman walking with a balloon.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 26, 2023·4 min read

Sense of Purpose May Shield Against Loneliness

A sense of purpose in life, irrespective of its nature, can be a robust defense against loneliness. A new study, involving over 2,300 Swiss adults, found fewer instances of loneliness among individuals who led a purposeful life.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 14, 2023·6 min read

Gut Microbiome Shifts: An Early Warning for Alzheimer’s Disease?

The composition of gut bacteria in individuals at the earliest stage of Alzheimer's disease is notably different from those in healthy people. The finding paves the way for the potential use of gut bacterial composition as a means to identify individuals at a higher risk of developing dementia.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 10, 2023·5 min read

Mapping Emotion Recognition in Children

Researchers discovered children's ability to process emotional cues is largely established by the time they start school. Analyzing brain scans from children aged five to 15, the study revealed that such brain activity becomes increasingly similar to their peers' as they reach adolescence. The research emphasizes the importance of early intervention to address issues related to understanding emotional cues.