Summary: Chronic stress combined with a high-calorie diet dramatically raises insulin in the amygdala of mice, causing insulin receptors on those neurons to become desensitized. Those insulin-resistant neurons increase production of neuropeptide Y (NPY), which drives overeating and reduces energy expenditure. This insulin–NPY pathway in the central amygdala helps explain why stress can trigger comfort-eating … Read more

Summary: Reducing neuroinflammation in the brain before cognitive symptoms appear may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Source: Experimental Biology New animal research indicates that lowering neuroinflammation at the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease can reduce disease progression. These findings emphasize the potential value of treatments that target the disease very early, before memory loss … Read more

Women who are night owls show a similar high tendency toward risk-taking as men, according to a study by a University of Chicago researcher. Research led by Dario Maestripieri, professor in Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago, links sleep-wake patterns with personality traits and behavior. The study indicates that people who prefer late … Read more

TAU researcher says discovery may lead to improved memory, cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients. Alzheimer’s disease progressively destroys neurons, particularly in the hippocampus and cortex, and with this loss comes reduced neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt, learn, and form memories. Preserving or restoring that plasticity is a promising strategy to slow cognitive decline and improve … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that mothers who obtain insufficient or poor-quality sleep tend to be more irritable, have reduced attention, and show greater inconsistency in parenting adolescents. Source: ACES. Research consistently links inadequate or disrupted sleep to negative health outcomes. This study explores how maternal sleep patterns influence parenting behavior during adolescents’ formative years. … Read more

Summary: Brain activity in the frontoparietal network during memory tasks reveals individual differences in working memory among children, showing a pattern of activation specific to working memory performance. Source: SfN A child’s distinctive brain activity predicts the strength of their working memory, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Working memory is … Read more

Summary: Researchers found that people who experience migraines have significantly higher levels of oral microbes capable of modifying nitrates than those who do not suffer from migraine headaches. Source: UCSD. Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that the mouths of people who suffer from migraines contain significantly more nitrate-modifying … Read more

Summary: Reduced activation of the LEF1 gene is more common in people with bipolar disorder who do not respond to lithium treatment. Source: Salk Institute Lithium remains the clinical gold standard for stabilizing mood in bipolar disorder (BD), yet up to two-thirds of patients do not achieve full symptom remission with lithium. Researchers at the … Read more

Summary: New research shows that cannabinoid-induced amnesia depends on activation of mitochondrial CB1 receptors in hippocampal neurons, which acutely reduces mitochondrial energy production and impairs memory-related synaptic function. Source: University of the Basque Country. Researchers have long known that plant-derived, synthetic and naturally produced cannabinoids act on type‑1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1) to suppress neurotransmitter release. … Read more

Summary: Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that neural networks trained for image classification follow a common, low-dimensional learning trajectory—regardless of architecture, size, or training method. Instead of relying on vastly different internal strategies, networks tend to discover the same essential features (for example, ears, eyes, or fur patterns) and move along a … Read more