Summary: A comprehensive national analysis finds that more than 180 million Americans—over half of the U.S. population—live with a neurological disease or disorder. These conditions affect people across the lifespan, from neurodevelopmental disorders and childhood conditions to migraines and age-related illnesses such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Although deaths attributable to neurological conditions have fallen … Read more

Summary: A new University of Exeter study shows African lions produce two distinct roar types — the well-known full-throated roar and a newly identified intermediary roar. Using machine learning and a data-driven approach, researchers automatically classified these vocalizations with high accuracy, reducing human bias and improving passive acoustic monitoring for conservation. This breakthrough strengthens noninvasive … Read more

Summary: New imaging research identifies a clear brain-activity signature in children who become overwhelmed by everyday sensory input—such as loud noises, certain textures, or bright lights. Using functional MRI, researchers at UC San Francisco found that children who are over-responsive show reduced activation in outward-directed sensory and motor networks alongside increased activation in inward-directed cognitive … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a specific brain circuit that can switch behavior into a compulsive “repeat mode,” causing mice to persistently dig and sniff even when rewards are available. The circuit connects neurons in the nucleus accumbens through the hypothalamus to the lateral habenula, a brain region known for processing aversive or unpleasant experiences. Repeated … Read more

Summary: New research shows that combining genetic susceptibility with cardiovascular and lifestyle risk markers produces a more precise prediction of who will develop dementia. While inherited factors such as APOE4 and family history strongly influence risk, the study highlights that modifiable conditions — including hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and other vascular risks — play an equally … Read more

Summary: A large, two-year longitudinal study of nearly 12,000 children found that greater daily screen time at ages 9–10 predicted an increase in ADHD symptoms two years later, even after accounting for initial symptom levels. Brain imaging showed that higher screen exposure was linked to smaller total cortical volume and altered development in brain regions … Read more

Summary: A new biocultural framework argues that human language did not arise from a single evolutionary leap but from the gradual convergence of multiple biological capacities and cultural processes. The researchers show how separate developments—such as vocal learning, the formation of linguistic structure, and social motivations to share information—followed distinct evolutionary paths before combining into … Read more

Summary: A research team combined a large dance video dataset with state-of-the-art AI models and fMRI to map how the human brain perceives dance. Their work shows that higher-order, cross-modal brain regions—those that integrate sight and sound—explain neural responses to choreography far better than simple motion or audio cues alone, and that expert dancers exhibit … Read more

Summary: New research shows that neurons release an extracellular kinase called VLK that strengthens synapses by phosphorylating receptors outside the cell. VLK phosphorylates EphB receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, which promotes recruitment and clustering of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and thereby amplifies synaptic signaling. This mechanism fills a key gap in understanding how the nervous system … Read more

Summary: An international survey of 858 people who received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) found that women are twice as likely as men to receive ECT and report more adverse effects. Women described higher rates of memory loss, stronger feelings of coercion, and more harmful emotional outcomes, often characterizing the treatment as retraumatizing. They were also less … Read more