Summary: A new interdisciplinary framework integrates psychology and economics to explain how memorable experiences shape long-term choices. The model distinguishes the immediate pleasure or pain of consumption from a persistent “remembered utility” that arises from particularly impactful events—weddings, career milestones, or traumatic episodes—and shows how these memories influence later decisions about risk, saving, and consumption. … Read more

Summary: A rodent study identifies a brain circuit that appears to drive pain-induced anhedonia. Manipulating this pathway restored motivation in preclinical pain models. Source: NIDA / NIH A new study published in Nature Neuroscience reveals specific neuronal circuitry in rodents that contributes to pain-induced anhedonia — a reduction in motivation to pursue rewarding activities. Funded … Read more

Summary: New research indicates that supplements containing vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid (vitamin B9) may help preserve concentration and attention in young people experiencing a first episode of psychosis. Source: Orygen B-group vitamins and concentration in first-episode psychosis Researchers from Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, report that supplementation with … Read more

Summary: New genetic research helps explain why women are more likely than men to develop chronic pain conditions. The study also reinforces the central nervous system’s key role in chronic pain and highlights the importance of analyzing sexes separately in genetic research. Source: PLOS Researchers report that chronic pain appears to have a different genetic … Read more

Summary: New research identifies an astrocyte-produced protein that disrupts normal neuronal development across multiple neurodevelopmental disorders, and shows that blocking this protein can reduce disease-related deficits in mice. Source: Salk Institute Although neurons are often the focus of studies into brain health and neurological disease, astrocytes—star-shaped glial cells abundant in the brain—play crucial roles in … Read more

Mitochondrial Hypermetabolism in the Hippocampus Signals Early Alzheimer’s Changes Summary: Researchers from Karolinska Institutet report a previously unrecognized early phase in Alzheimer’s disease: a temporary increase in mitochondrial metabolism in the hippocampus. In mice engineered to develop Alzheimer-like pathology, the team observed a metabolic boost that precedes synaptic disruption caused by impaired cellular recycling (autophagy). … Read more

Summary: New research in mice reveals that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, actively support the growth of synapses that are essential for cognitive function. Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Microglia are best known as the brain’s resident immune cells, clearing pathogens and cellular debris much like immune cells elsewhere in the body. During early development … Read more

Summary: Opioids are commonly prescribed to help people with chronic non‑malignant pain sleep better, but a systematic review from the University of Warwick and Lausanne University Hospital finds the evidence for sleep benefits is limited, inconsistent and of poor quality. Opioid use may also increase the risk of sleep-disordered breathing such as sleep apnea. Source: … Read more

Summary: Commonly used music recommendation algorithms tend to favor male artists, reducing visibility and exposure for female musicians. A recent study from researchers at UPF Barcelona and Utrecht University examines this gender imbalance and proposes a re-ranking method to mitigate the bias. Source: UPF Barcelona Music industry inequalities exist offline—and recommendation systems online can amplify … Read more

Summary: Serotonin neurons in the brainstem do not operate in isolation as once believed. New research shows these neurons form interacting networks that compete and cooperate to shape when and where serotonin is released across the brain, influencing decision-making and responses to threat. This finding challenges the long-standing notion of a uniform serotonin signal and … Read more