Glymphatic System: How the Brain Clears Waste and Why It Matters for Alzheimer’s Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center describe a recently characterized brain waste-clearance pathway—the glymphatic system—as a promising target for treating neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. They suggest that impaired clearance of cellular waste may contribute to the development of … Read more

Tanning Activates Addictive Pathways in the Brain Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have identified a clear association between indoor tanning and substance use among Colorado high school students. Their analysis, published in JAMA Dermatology, suggests that motivations for indoor tanning and overlapping biological mechanisms may help explain why tanning is linked … Read more

You’re unlikely to meet anyone who enjoys interviews. No matter your experience, interviews often trigger anxiety—usually not because of the interview itself but because of unexpected, personal questions. Beyond basic skills and experience, interviewers may ask questions such as “How good are you at asking for help?” or “How do you create balance in your … Read more

Summary: New research shows that progranulin deficiency may contribute to neurodegeneration in frontotemporal dementia by reducing lysosomal support for key proteases. Source: VIB Flanders Progranulin stabilizes lysosomal enzyme cathepsin D, study finds In a study published in Human Molecular Genetics, researchers at VIB and KU Leuven, led by Professor Philip Van Damme in collaboration with … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that autism-like behaviors appear in mice when two competing neuronal proteins—MDGA2 and BDNF—lose their balance. Under normal conditions, MDGA2 restrains BDNF/TrkB signaling; when MDGA2 levels fall, BDNF/TrkB activity rises, driving increased excitatory neuronal activity and social deficits. Mice with reduced MDGA2 displayed behaviors resembling core features of autism spectrum disorder … Read more

Happiness is such a central idea in life that most people rarely stop to define what it really means or to ask why we devote so much energy to finding it. The pursuit of happiness is more than a philosophical concept; it has long been a cultural ideal. In Western traditions it has been celebrated … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified how a specific class of neurons helps the brain maintain and focus on short-term information. The team discovered PAC neurons—cells that coordinate the activity of memory-specific neurons through phase-amplitude coupling rather than storing content themselves. These conclusions come from direct brain recordings in epilepsy patients performing memory tests, offering fresh insight … Read more

When someone is fully immersed in an activity they often say, “I’m in the zone.” Positive psychologists use the term flow to describe this state. Flow denotes a deeply absorbing, effortless, and spontaneous experience in which a person’s attention and actions move with ease (Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). Because flow supports creativity, learning, … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that people can show early signs of multiple sclerosis up to five years before clinical diagnosis. Source: University of British Columbia People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may begin to show changes and increased health-care use up to five years before the condition is clinically recognized, according to a new analysis … Read more

Summary: Many people report feeling “empty” in their daily lives. Researchers have identified mental health symptoms, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours, associated with emptiness and say this psychological experience needs greater attention from clinicians and researchers. Source: The Conversation At some point many people will describe themselves as feeling “empty.” Yet this common, painful experience … Read more