Study suggests a mother’s metabolism during pregnancy can influence her child’s later risk of diabetes and obesity New research indicates that when a pregnant woman develops gestational diabetes, her fetus shows slower brain responses to auditory stimuli after the mother consumes sugar than fetuses of mothers without the condition. The study, published in the Endocrine … Read more

Universal Frequency Decoding Governs Vibrotactile Touch Perception Summary: Across receptor types, the timing of neural spikes determines vibrotactile frequency perception. These results challenge established views about how Pacinian and non-Pacinian channels contribute to processing skin vibrations. Source: eLife Researchers have identified a single decoding mechanism in humans that determines how vibration frequency is perceived through … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that the impact of the foot during walking produces pressure waves that influence blood flow to the brain. Source: Experimental Biology 2017. Researchers show that the foot’s impact during walking helps control and increase the amount of blood sent to the brain. Walking is widely recognized for its physical benefits to the … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a sex-specific molecular mechanism that determines how the female brain forms and stabilizes fear memories. The study helps explain why women are roughly twice as likely as men to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), despite reporting similar rates of traumatic exposure. By studying rat models, the research team pinpointed a previously … Read more

From frogs to humans, choosing a mate can be complex. Females in many species evaluate potential partners using multiple signs of health, stamina or parenting ability, and producing several reliable signals at once can be difficult for males. Researchers at the University of Minnesota studied this challenge in Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). In this … Read more

Summary: New findings from researchers at the Max Planck Institute challenge the longstanding view of the thalamus as a passive relay. The study shows the thalamus actively changes its visual responses during learning-related adaptation, indicating a more dynamic role in sensory processing and plasticity than previously believed. Source: Max Planck Institute. The cerebral cortex is … Read more

Summary: New research shows that even brief episodes of high-intensity physical activity can meaningfully improve brain health and lower the risk of dementia. The study explains how endurance exercise and good cardiorespiratory fitness influence inflammation, cerebral blood flow, immune function and brain plasticity—key biological processes involved in cognitive decline. Importantly, short bursts of brisk activity—such … Read more

Summary: New research from the University of Cambridge shows that living in a socioeconomically deprived neighbourhood can harm brain health as early as midlife. People from these areas had more signs of small-vessel brain damage, slower information processing and attention, and greater difficulty managing lifestyle risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and poor … Read more

Summary: Loss of the TRESK potassium channel markedly raises the likelihood of headaches and appears to play a role in migraines. Source: SfN Defective potassium channels involved in pain detection can raise the risk of headache and may contribute to migraine, according to new mouse research published in eNeuro. TRESK is a potassium channel that … Read more

Summary: New preclinical research shows that cannabidiol (CBD) and the diabetes drug metformin reduce core behavioural difficulties in mouse models of Fragile X syndrome and Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Both genetic conditions are frequently associated with autism spectrum disorder and present challenges such as delayed speech, impaired social interaction, and repetitive behaviours. In these experiments, early or … Read more