Summary: Researchers compare human habits—like a vinyl collector favoring a particular record store—to a widespread decision-making strategy called operant matching, in which animals distribute choices according to expected rewards. New experiments show fruit flies use the same strategy, and the work pinpoints synaptic mechanisms in the fly brain that implement it. A recent study at … Read more

Summary: A study from West Virginia University examines how employees with depression decide whether and how to disclose their condition at work, identifying eight distinct strategies along a disclosure continuum. Source: West Virginia University Employees who experience depression often face a difficult choice: whether to disclose their condition at work, and if so, how much … Read more

Summary: Researchers report new molecular details about memory formation, showing how CaMKII binding sites organize actin filaments into rigid bundles that form the structural backbone of dendritic spines. Source: Rice University New insight into a longstanding puzzle — how memory can be encoded and maintained — comes from a multidisciplinary team that characterized how neuronal … Read more

Innovative ultrasound method uses acoustic pressure to control which molecules cross the blood-brain barrier—potentially improving treatments for central nervous system disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. A research team led by Elisa Konofagou, professor of biomedical engineering and radiology at Columbia Engineering, has demonstrated for the first time that the size of molecules that penetrate … Read more

Summary: For millions living with fibromyalgia, exercise is both essential and difficult: movement often brings intense pain and overwhelming fatigue. A large, real-world clinical trial now shows a simple, drug-free option that helps—adding TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to standard outpatient physical therapy significantly reduced movement-evoked pain and, importantly, fatigue. In the multicenter FM-TIPS trial, … Read more

Summary: Neurons generated during adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus continue to grow and mature over many months, becoming larger and more complex than neurons born in infancy. These long-maturing adult-born neurons likely contribute disproportionately to hippocampal plasticity and may serve distinct functional roles throughout life. Source: SfN Adult-born neurons continue developing for months and … Read more

Summary: Targeted sleep therapy for autistic adults shows encouraging results, with reductions in insomnia symptoms and related anxiety. Source: La Trobe University La Trobe University researchers have completed the first pilot study worldwide testing a sleep-focused intervention specifically adapted for autistic adults. The findings point to meaningful reductions in insomnia severity and improvements in co-occurring … Read more

Summary: Repeated listening to personally meaningful music promotes brain plasticity and improves cognitive performance in people with mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Source: University of Toronto Researchers at the University of Toronto and Unity Health Toronto report that repeated exposure to personally meaningful music can induce beneficial changes in the brain and improve … Read more

Summary: Researchers have used CRISPR gene-editing to reprogram stem cells so they can detect joint inflammation and produce an anti-inflammatory biologic to combat arthritis. Source: WUSTL. Goal is a vaccine-like therapy that targets inflammation in joints Scientists have engineered mouse stem cells using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to create cells that sense inflammatory signals and respond … Read more

Summary: Researchers examined whether people are judged more positively and even rewarded at the ballot box when their name matches the shape of their face. Source: Springer. New research finds that a well-matched name and face can help a politician win more votes. Researchers David Barton and Jamin Halberstadt of the University of Otago in … Read more