All

Latest

Neuroscience

Neuroscience research articles are provided.

What is neuroscience? Neuroscience is the scientific study of nervous systems. Neuroscience can involve research from many branches of science including those involving neurology, brain science, neurobiology, psychology, computer science, artificial intelligence, statistics, prosthetics, neuroimaging, engineering, medicine, physics, mathematics, pharmacology, electrophysiology, biology, robotics and technology.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 4, 2024·3 min read

Study Links Muscle Loss to Alzheimer’s Risk

New research shows that skeletal muscle loss, measured through temporalis muscle size on brain MRIs, is associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A study of 621 older adults found that those with smaller temporalis muscles were 60% more likely to develop dementia and experienced greater cognitive and brain volume decline over nearly six years.

This shows a collage of people, like a music album cover.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 4, 2024·4 min read

Musicians’ Sophomore Slump: Real for Critics, But Fans Disagree

A new study challenges the notion of the musicians' "sophomore slump," finding it exists only in professional critics' reviews, not fan ratings. Critics tend to harshly critique bands’ second albums compared to their first and third, likely influenced by social conformity within their group.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 4, 2024·5 min read

How Evolution Shaped the Brain’s Understanding of Numbers

Human number cognition may be rooted in the putamen, a deep brain structure traditionally associated with movement rather than abstract thought. Neurosurgery patients demonstrated activity in this area while processing numbers as symbols, words, and concepts, suggesting that numerical understanding emerged early in evolution.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 4, 2024·5 min read

Brain Age Models Offer Insights into Early Development Trajectories

A new study highlights how brain age models can track healthy infant development and reveal environmental influences. Using MRI data from over 600 term and preterm infants, researchers trained machine learning models to predict brain age and identify gaps between predicted and actual ages.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 3, 2024·3 min read

Aging: Is It a Disease, a Process, or Something Else?

A survey of experts in aging research reveals significant disagreements on fundamental questions, such as "What is aging?" and "When does it begin?" Responses ranged from seeing aging as a demographic increase in mortality to a lifelong process or even a developmental stage, with no consensus on whether aging is a disease.

This shows a woman sitting alone with a mug of tea.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 3, 2024·3 min read

Alone Time Helps Reduce Holiday Stress

46% of Americans don’t get enough alone time during the holiday season, even though 56% say it’s crucial for their mental health. Taking brief moments alone can help the nervous system settle, reducing stress and improving well-being during this busy time.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 3, 2024·5 min read

Gut Microbes May Have Powered Evolution of Larger Brains

A new study suggests that gut microbes played a key role in the evolution of larger brains in primates by influencing energy production and usage. Researchers implanted microbes from humans, squirrel monkeys (large-brained species), and macaques (small-brained species) into mice, observing that microbes from larger-brained primates enhanced energy production, while those from smaller-brained primates favored fat storage.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 3, 2024·5 min read

Aversion Shapes Addiction Risk in Early Drug Use

New research reveals that initial reactions to unpleasant drug experiences, like bitterness or discomfort, may predict susceptibility to addiction. In a rat study, individual responses to a bitter-tasting cue paired with cocaine varied widely, with some avoiding the drug entirely and others increasing consumption over time.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 3, 2024·4 min read

High Blood Sugar Impacts Brain Health, Even Without Diabetes

New research reveals that elevated blood sugar levels may harm brain health, even in people without diabetes. The study showed decreased connectivity in brain networks linked to cognition, memory, and emotion regulation, with stronger effects in older adults and women.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 3, 2024·5 min read

Cannabis Impacts Brain Plasticity via Astrocyte Receptors

Researchers discovered that cannabis affects brain development by interacting with CB1 receptors on astrocytes, not just neurons. Using a mouse model, they showed that removing these receptors impaired the brain’s ability to adapt during critical periods of plasticity, particularly in the visual cortex.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 3, 2024·6 min read

How We Filter Out Background Sounds When Speaking

Researchers have traced how the brain filters out background noise during speech using signals between the motor and auditory cortices. These milliseconds-long electrical signals, called auditory corollary discharge, originate in the motor cortex's precentral gyrus and travel to the auditory cortex's superior temporal gyrus.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·December 3, 2024·3 min read

Empathy Loss in Dementia Linked to Brain Activity Changes

Frontotemporal dementia, affecting about 3% of dementia patients in Sweden, is characterized by a loss of empathy that challenges patients and their families. Using functional MRI, researchers found that patients showed no activation in brain networks associated with empathy when viewing distressing images, unlike healthy individuals.