Summary: A new Picower Institute study reveals how the brain maintains a unified visual experience as objects move between the left and right visual fields. By recording individual neuron spikes and brain-wave frequencies, researchers found distinct oscillatory patterns that anticipate, execute, and confirm the transfer of object information between hemispheres. High-frequency gamma and beta rhythms … Read more
Summary: For the first time, lab-grown brain organoids have revealed how neurons misfire in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. By applying machine learning to the organoids’ electrical activity, researchers detected distinct electrophysiological signatures that distinguish patient-derived tissue from healthy controls with over 90% accuracy after stimulation. Gentle electrical stimulation amplified subtle differences in neural activity, exposing … Read more
Summary: A new study finds that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) during adolescence is more effective than moderate exercise at reducing cocaine-seeking behavior in lab animals. Animals exposed to HIIT developed a preference for non-drug environments and showed aversion to cocaine exposure. These behavioral changes were linked to an increase in ΔFosB, a transcription factor associated … Read more
A Penn State study found that young boys adjusted how much they ate at a meal when they had already consumed a fruit snack, while girls did not. The researchers interpret this as an indication that boys in this age group more reliably respond to internal hunger and fullness signals, whereas girls may be more … Read more
Summary: A large clinical trial found that daily cocoa flavanol supplementation reduced an important marker of age-related inflammation, offering a possible explanation for observed heart-protective effects. Analysis of blood samples from trial participants showed a consistent lowering of high-sensitivity C‑reactive protein (hsCRP), a biomarker linked to cardiovascular risk, among those taking cocoa extract. Other inflammation … Read more
Summary: A major international study reveals that accumulated social hardships across the lifespan — the social exposome — leave lasting marks on the brain. Adverse social exposures such as limited education, food insecurity, financial strain, and poor access to healthcare are associated with cognitive decline, increased mental health symptoms, reduced functional ability, and measurable changes … Read more
Summary: Researchers investigating clonal raider ants have uncovered how each sensory neuron expresses a single odorant receptor gene from hundreds available in the genome. Unlike mechanisms seen in fruit flies or mammals, ants use a distinctive form of transcriptional interference: once one receptor gene is activated, neighboring genes are silenced by readthrough and antisense transcription. … Read more
Summary: Researchers investigating sensory circuits in fruit flies have found that nerve cells responsible for sensing leg movement are actively suppressed when the insect walks or grooms. This state-dependent silencing acts like a switch, allowing the nervous system to move between a mode that stabilizes posture and one that supports rapid, dynamic behavior. A particular … Read more
Summary: New research shows that both mothers and fathers play meaningful but distinct roles in shaping adolescent social anxiety. Parental warmth, affection, and acceptance are linked to lower anxiety, while rejection, coldness, and controlling behaviors are associated with higher levels of social anxiety in teens. The study finds that overly controlling parenting—especially from mothers—can have … Read more
Summary: New research shows Alzheimer’s disease reflects more than the accumulation of plaques and tangles — it also involves a breakdown in the molecular communication between brain cells. Using advanced imaging, spatial transcriptomics and computational modeling, researchers mapped how neurons and glial cells interact and identified a signaling pathway that influences microglial clearance of amyloid … Read more
