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·April 26, 2023·5 min read

Obesity’s Heavy Toll: Preteens With Excess BMI Show Troubling Changes in Brain Function, Structure, and Cognition

A large national study finds that preteens with excess weight show significant differences in cognitive performance, brain structures, and brain circuitry when compared to those with normal body-mass index. Although the study cannot establish causation, it suggests a significant association between BMI and brain measures, raising concerns about tracking adolescent brain health and intervening through lifestyle modifications.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 26, 2023·6 min read

Correlation Between Social Vulnerability and Elevated Suicide Risks Discovered

Social determinants of health are linked to suicide risk, with the suicide rate nearly doubling between the least and most socially vulnerable counties. The study proposes several public health and economic policies that could reduce suicide rates by targeting social vulnerability in communities, such as improving access to mental health services and quality healthcare, and building stronger social networks.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2023·6 min read

Unveiling the Hidden Biases in Medical AI: Paving the Way for Fairer and More Accurate Imaging Diagnoses

Researchers identified 29 sources of potential bias in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) models used in medical imaging, ranging from data collection to model deployment. The report provides insights into the limitations of AI/ML in medical imaging and suggests possible ways for their mitigation, paving the way for a more equitable and just deployment of medical imaging AI/ML models in the future.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 26, 2023·6 min read

Glaucoma Drugs Prevent Cognitive Impairment Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice

Drugs used to treat glaucoma and high-altitude sickness may prevent cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer's disease in mice. The research indicates that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), promote the clearance of amyloid beta from blood vessels and glial cells, which control brain inflammatory processes, as well as reducing inflammation, restoring cell function and preventing cognitive impairment.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2023·5 min read

Baby Talk: Babies’ Language Acquisition Relies on Pitch and Rhythm

A new study reveals that prosody - rhythm, melodic stress, pitch, pauses - plays a fundamental role in babies' language acquisition and cognitive development, improving their ability to identify distant grammatical regularities. The study highlights the crucial impact of subtle pitch changes in processing statistical information in early childhood and sheds light on the role of prosody in language acquisition.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2023·6 min read

Study Shows Neuronal Activity is Crucial for Complex Astrocyte Shape

Neuronal activity is necessary and sufficient for astrocytes to develop their bushy shape, which is fundamental for brain function. These findings suggest that astrocyte development and function involve a complex pattern of events and proteins triggered by the activity of neurons, offering new insights into the mechanisms of brain development and the potential causes of neurodevelopmental disorders.

This shows a brain surrounded by music notes

Featured Neuroscience

·April 26, 2023·4 min read

Music to Your Ears and Brain: Long-Term Musical Training Can Keep Your Brain Young

A new study shows that musical training can improve audiovisual speech perception in aging adults by preserving and compensating for youthful neural patterns. The research reveals two mechanisms that older musicians use to counteract age-related decline: functional preservation and functional compensation, providing hope for targeted interventions to promote healthy aging.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 25, 2023·4 min read

Gray Matter Volume Linked to Language Deficits in Autism

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have language impairment show lower gray matter volume and greater gyrification in the temporal and frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex, which are crucial for language function. The study's findings could help design specialized education programs for children with autism by understanding the structural characteristics that contribute to behavioral deficits.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·April 25, 2023·5 min read

Food for Thought: Nutrient Intake Linked to Cognition and Healthy Brain Aging

A new study reveals that nutrient intake, brain structure and cognitive function jointly contribute to brain health in older adults. The research discovered that blood markers of certain fatty acids are linked with better memory and larger brain structures in certain areas, suggesting the value of a comprehensive approach to diet and nutrition to promote healthy aging.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 25, 2023·5 min read

Your Happiness Is Not Just About Your Personality; It’s Also Affected by Circumstances

Objective circumstances and behaviors like wealth and health affect happiness as much as subjective psychological traits, according to a recent study. Researchers found that surveys of happiness and life satisfaction overstate the importance of psychological traits because they are measured similarly, and a methodological change — simply asking someone how they're doing — enables a fairer comparison.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 25, 2023·6 min read

Shining a Light on Shyness: New Study Explores How It Manifests in Children

A new study has found that shyness is characterized by fear and nervousness in response to social novelty and/or social evaluation. Researchers identified that temperamental shyness may exist in a distinct group of children over time, while a larger subset of children may experience shyness as an emotional state in some situations.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 25, 2023·4 min read

Unraveling the Genetic Mechanisms Behind Long-Lasting Memories in the Brain

Researchers shed new light on the molecular and genetic basis of long-term memory formation in the brain. A new study reveals a single stimulation to the synapses of hippocampal neurons triggered numerous cycles where the memory-coding Arc gene produced mRNA molecules that were then translated into synapse-strengthening Arc proteins. From the findings, researchers determined a novel feedback loop that helps explain how short-lived mRNA and proteins create long-term memories in the brain.