New NIH grants will enable SDSU psychologist Ralph-Axel Müller to study the autistic brain using fMRI, EEG, and MEG imaging technologies together. Recent brain imaging research increasingly shows that neural connections in children with autism differ from those in typically developing children. Early work emphasized reduced connectivity between key brain regions, but more recent studies … Read more

New research reveals how nerves — whether damaged by disease or traumatic injury — begin to die, uncovering targets for drugs that could slow or stop peripheral neuropathies and major neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Peripheral neuropathy damages nerves in the hands, feet and other extremities, producing persistent pain, … Read more

Summary: Researchers have advanced our understanding of universal emotions across languages by applying colexification analysis, a linguistic method that traces when a single word expresses multiple related concepts. Their cross-linguistic network study highlights four emotion-related concepts—“GOOD,” “WANT,” “BAD,” and “LOVE”—as central hubs that show the most associations with other emotion words across diverse languages. This … Read more

Summary: Older men who have higher blood pressure at night than during the day may face an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Source: Uppsala University Nocturnal high blood pressure — when nighttime blood pressure exceeds daytime levels — could be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in older men. This conclusion comes from a … Read more

Summary: Researchers have developed a method to print microelectrode arrays directly onto gelatin candies and other soft substrates, a step that could enable new diagnostic and therapeutic bioelectronic devices. Source: TUM Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) enable direct measurement of electrical signals from tissues such as the brain and heart, but conventional MEAs are typically rigid. A … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that synthetic marijuana products sold under names such as K2 or Spice can cause severe health problems — including psychosis, seizures, kidney and heart injury, dependence, and even death. These products are chemically different from cannabis and are not safe substitutes. Source: Cell Press. Synthetic marijuana compounds are promoted as legal, undetectable … Read more

Summary: There is no gender disparity in how children learn and perform math tasks. Source: Carnegie Mellon University Background In 1992, Teen Talk Barbie sparked controversy when the doll uttered the phrase “Math class is hard.” That slogan reflected and reinforced a pervasive stereotype: that girls and women are inherently less suited for mathematics and … Read more

Summary: New research shows the coordinated activity of the striatum and hippocampus enhances adolescents’ learning and memory formation. Source: Zuckerman Institute. Columbia-led study links adolescent memory performance with reward-driven learning and specific brain connectivity. Researchers have identified a distinctive characteristic of the adolescent brain that appears to support learning and the formation of lasting memories: … Read more

Summary: New research provides evidence that specific human herpesviruses are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The study found higher levels of human herpesvirus 6A (HHV‑6A) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV‑7) in brain tissue with Alzheimer’s neuropathology, and describes network-level interactions that suggest viral activity may contribute to disease mechanisms. Source: Arizona State University. Alzheimer’s disease remains … Read more

Summary: Researchers found that music—especially listeners’ own favorite tracks—can lessen how intensely people experience pain. In the experiment, participants reported lower pain intensity and reduced unpleasantness when listening to their favorite music compared with unfamiliar relaxing pieces or silence. The emotional character of the music mattered: songs described as “moving” or “bittersweet” were particularly effective. … Read more