Summary: New research challenges long-standing ideas about how memories are formed and stored in the brain and proposes an alternative learning mechanism that operates over a much longer time scale. Source: AAAS New Findings Challenge the Classical View of Memory Formation Researchers report a novel mechanism of learning in the brain that calls into question … Read more

Summary: Primates with larger brains are capable of solving far more complex tasks with their hands than smaller-brained species. This greater manual dexterity, however, comes with a developmental cost: infants of large-brained primates, including humans, take longer to acquire even basic hand and finger movements than infants of smaller-brained primates. Source: University of Zurich Humans … Read more

Summary: A new randomized controlled trial finds that music therapy can lessen depressive symptoms and boost self-esteem in children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional difficulties. Source: Bournemouth University. Researchers from Bournemouth University and Queen’s University Belfast report that music therapy reduces depression and improves self-esteem in children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems. … Read more

Scientists are refining their understanding of the exceptional grasping abilities of humans and other primates across evolutionary history. A new study led by researchers at Yale University indicates that even some of the earliest known human ancestors may have possessed precision-grip abilities comparable to those of modern humans. Notably, the research suggests that Australopithecus afarensis—an … Read more

Irregular bedtimes during early childhood are linked to lower cognitive performance, a large longitudinal UK study finds. Researchers from the ESRC International Centre for Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health at University College London examined whether the time and regularity of bedtimes in early childhood are associated with intellectual performance at age seven. Given the … Read more

Summary: New research finds that a sense of meaning in life and strong self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed—are central to psychological well-being for both sexes. Men in the sample reported slightly higher levels of passion and self-efficacy, but men and women were similar across measures such as grit, growth mindset, flourishing, and emotional … Read more

Summary: A new analysis of CDC surveillance data with Rutgers University research shows a marked rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among 4-year-old children in New Jersey. Between 2010 and 2014 the measured prevalence increased by 43 percent, with New Jersey reaching about one in 35 children. Source: Rutgers University Increase in ASD Prevalence Among … Read more

Summary: A small study conducted in Turkey found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, women reported an increase in sexual desire and in the frequency of sexual intercourse, while simultaneously reporting a decline in perceived sexual quality and more menstrual disturbances. Source: Wiley Study overview A recent, small-scale clinical study from Turkey examined changes in women’s … Read more

Summary: Surf therapy can improve quality of life and mental well-being for people who have experienced a traumatic or acquired brain injury. Source: Swansea University For generations, surfers have celebrated the unique exhilaration of catching a perfect wave. New research now explores how time in the sea can also support recovery and psychological wellbeing for … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that the gamma-CaMKII protein acts as a crucial shuttle for memory-related signaling. When this shuttle is impaired, as seen in some cases of intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and autism, the ability to form long-term memories is reduced. Source: NYU Langone Broken shuttle protein that fails to deliver signals from synapses to the nucleus … Read more