Summary: An international team has produced a detailed blueprint of the human neocortex — the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher cognition, decision-making, and sensory processing. By integrating data from nearly 200 studies and more than 30 million individual cells, researchers assembled a fine-grained atlas that traces neocortical development from prenatal stages through … Read more

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside challenge several common beliefs about what leads to a long life. A detailed, long-term study examining personality and life outcomes shows that many widely repeated pieces of advice—like “avoid stress,” “be relentlessly cheerful,” or “don’t work too hard”—do not reliably predict greater longevity. The research team followed participants … Read more

Summary: A study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital links lower late-life BMI with higher cortical amyloid deposits, particularly among carriers of the APOE4 gene. Source: Mass General. Lower body mass index in older adults is associated with greater Alzheimer’s-related amyloid accumulation Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General … Read more

NIH study sheds light on treatment of related disorders. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have used RNA interference (RNAi) screening to identify dozens of human genes that could become therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease and other conditions that arise from mitochondrial dysfunction. The large-scale genetic survey highlights a network of genes that influence … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that describing certain foods in a foreign language can reduce disgust and increase willingness to try them. Source: University of Chicago. Restaurateurs may be on to something when they list “escargot” instead of “snails.” New research indicates that people are more willing to try foods they find disgusting when those … Read more

Summary: A large genetic study indicates that a low body mass index (BMI) is unlikely to be a causal factor in developing Alzheimer’s disease. Source: Endocrine Society. Research clarifies the link between weight and the common form of dementia A new, large-scale genetic analysis finds that low body mass index (BMI) does not appear to … Read more

Discovery of how two types of neurons suppress activity could illuminate autism and other brain disorders The brain is composed of billions of neurons organized into intricate circuits that allow us to perceive the world, control movement and make decisions. Understanding how those circuits operate is essential for learning how healthy brains function and for … Read more

Summary: Researchers have created a light-sensitive compound that boosts adenosine signaling in the brain and can induce sleep in mice without the need for genetic modification. This optochemical approach targets adenosine A2A receptors in the nucleus accumbens, enabling precise, reversible control of sleep and motivational states while avoiding several limitations of earlier photosensitive agents. The … Read more

Summary: Exercise increases breathing in mice, which raises the oxygen content of hemoglobin and delivers more oxygen to the brain. Source: Penn State New research challenges the longstanding belief that mammalian blood is always fully saturated with oxygen. An international team led in part by researchers at Penn State found that increased respiration during exercise … Read more

Summary: A new UCLA study clarifies how the fungicide ziram triggers loss of the brain’s primary dopamine source and points to a possible protective strategy. Source: UCLA. Exposure to a class of widely used pesticides called dithiocarbamates has been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, but the precise way these compounds damage the … Read more