Each autumn, monarch butterflies across Canada and the United States tilt their orange, black and white wings toward the Rio Grande and undertake a migration of more than 2,000 miles to the relatively mild mountain forests of central Mexico. That epic journey is repeated instinctively by successive generations, even as monarch populations have declined sharply … Read more

Key Questions Answered: Q: What is the “Geographic Model of Meaning in Life”?A: The Geographic Model of Meaning in Life is a conceptual framework proposing that life’s meaning is not a fixed property but an experiential landscape that unfolds as people actively explore their lives with different attitudes and commitments. It likens the process to … Read more

Summary: Vascular risk factors appear to amplify the harmful effect of brain amyloid-beta, accelerating cognitive decline in older adults with early Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. Source: Mass General. Vascular risk factors for heart disease and stroke—such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking and elevated body mass index—may speed cognitive decline in clinically normal older adults who show early … Read more

New research in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology reveals that perinatal chronic hypoxia triggers neuroinflammation and myelin loss in the developing brain, producing lasting behavioral deficits. Researchers report that sustained low oxygen exposure shortly after birth disrupts white matter development in mice, causing persistent hypomyelination and motor learning problems. If similar processes occur in humans, … Read more

Summary: After injury, microglia can cross the spinal boundary from the central nervous system (CNS) into the peripheral nervous system (PNS). In the PNS they clear cellular debris at the injury site, then return to the CNS in an altered state. Researchers suggest this migration and altered state could contribute to damage seen in neurodegenerative … Read more

Summary: Focused ultrasound that stimulates the retina could offer a noninvasive path to restoring vision for people with blindness caused by photoreceptor degeneration. Source: USC The number of Americans living with visual impairment or blindness is projected to rise to more than 8 million by 2050, according to estimates from the USC Gayle and Edward … Read more

Summary: Researchers find that carefully designed music sessions can play a vital role in improving the lives of people whose speech is limited by conditions such as autism, brain injury, stroke, dementia and learning disabilities. Source: University of Plymouth. Tailored music sessions could transform life and communication for millions whose speech is affected by neurological … Read more

Brain regions tied to reward and pleasure are linked to the ability of the drug butorphanol to relieve itch, new research led by Gil Yosipovitch, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Temple University School of Medicine and Director of the Temple Itch Center, finds. The study implicates opioid receptors in the … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that neurons in the prefrontal cortex treat each experience as novel, responding as if every event were unique even when it closely resembles past events. The authors suggest this neural coding may help explain sensations of déjà vu. Source: Medical University of Vienna Neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex encodes … Read more

Summary: Neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex encode subjective values and their activity can directly influence which option is chosen. Source: WUSTL When you weigh two choices — for example, ice cream versus chocolate cake — groups of neurons just above the eyes become active as you assess the options. Animal research has shown that each … Read more