How Generative AI Illuminates Memory, Imagination, and Planning — UCL Study Summary: A new study from UCL uses generative AI to model how the human brain encodes, stores, and reconstructs memories for learning, imagination, and planning. The researchers built a computational network that mirrors interactions between the hippocampus and neocortex to simulate how the brain … Read more

Summary: Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) shows complex, context-dependent associations with brain health. In a large UK Biobank study, current MHT users exhibited slightly older brain age estimates and reduced hippocampal volumes compared with women who never used MHT, while past users did not differ significantly from never-users. The findings suggest that age at last use, … Read more

Summary: A new randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study suggests that combining transdermal estradiol gel with oral micronized progesterone may help preserve or improve cognitive function in postmenopausal women diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Source: NAMS Hormones play a central role in many aspects of a woman’s health, influencing reproductive function, libido, body composition, mood, and … Read more

Summary: Researchers reveal how the auditory cortex signals unexpected sounds and illuminate mechanisms of auditory memory and prediction. Source: NYU From a squeaky car door to a mistimed musical note, our brains constantly detect when sounds deviate from what we expect. A team of neuroscientists at New York University has identified how the auditory cortex … Read more

Summary: A field experiment on the Milan subway shows that sudden, unexpected events can substantially increase everyday altruism. When an actor dressed as Batman boarded a train, passengers were almost twice as likely to offer their seats to a woman who appeared pregnant compared with a normal control condition. The study suggests that novelty interrupts … Read more

IDPN nitrile poisoning produces neuropathology resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); study may offer a new experimental model to study disease mechanisms Researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) in collaboration with the University of Barcelona (UB) have examined how exposure to the industrial nitrile compound IDPN (3,3′-iminodipropionitrile) produces neurological changes that closely mirror features … Read more

Summary: New research shows that babies as young as three months can detect and generalize visual patterns simply by observing the world around them. Source: Northwestern University. Three-month-old infants, who cannot yet sit up or roll over, are already capable of learning abstract visual patterns from what they see, according to a Northwestern University study … Read more

The Scent of a Woman: How Reproductive Hormones Influence Body Odour Attractiveness Summary: Researchers from the University of Bern report that reproductive hormones not only regulate fertility but also influence how attractive a woman’s natural scent is to men. Source: University of Bern. Overview Reproductive hormones orchestrate a woman’s menstrual cycle and overall fertility. New … Read more

Summary: A new study confirms the role of the corpus callosum in determining how language functions are distributed between the brain’s hemispheres. Source: HSE Researchers from the HSE Centre for Language and Brain have demonstrated a clear anatomical correlate of language lateralization: the corpus callosum. Their work links the size of specific callosal sub-regions to … Read more

Summary: By about two-and-a-half years of age, sleep shifts from primarily supporting brain growth to serving mainly maintenance and repair functions—roles it continues to perform throughout life. Source: UCLA Prolonged sleep deprivation has long been linked to serious health problems in humans and other animals. A multidisciplinary team led by UCLA researchers has clarified why … Read more