Binge Drinking Alters Brain Gene Expression Differently in Males and Females Summary: A new study shows repeated binge drinking produces distinct changes in gene expression in a brain region tied to addiction. Female mice show altered gene activity linked to hormone signaling and immune function, while male mice exhibit changes primarily in genes related to … Read more

Summary: A new study identifies a bacterial protein that enhances vaccine responses and may help the immune system target diseases such as cancer. Source: Boston University Medical Center Protein PorB Boosts Vaccine Effectiveness and Expands Immune Protection Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report that a protein derived from the outer membrane of … Read more

Summary: Researchers find that a desire for excitement, in addition to a search for meaning, can drive support for politically or religiously motivated violence; offering thrilling but peaceful alternatives may reduce that impulse. Source: American Psychological Society. What motivates people to support or take part in politically or religiously motivated violence, and how can such … Read more

Summary: Early reluctance to accept COVID-19 vaccination within the autism community declined over time. After FDA approval, most caregivers and dependents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) went on to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Nonetheless, persistent, general vaccine-hesitant beliefs continued to shape decisions for a minority of caregivers. Recent evidence also indicates that people on the … Read more

Summary: New research finds that binge drinking is linked to broader neural dysfunction than previously understood. People who binge drink show unusually high activation in visual brain areas involved in recognizing body parts, and they require greater neural effort to imagine and feel others’ pain, indicating reduced or more effortful empathy. Source: University of Sussex … Read more

Summary: New research from Penn State indicates that rejection from fathers can increase the risk of social anxiety and loneliness in adolescents. Source: Penn State. Healthy, supportive parent-child relationships play a crucial role in adolescent development. A Penn State study finds that fathers’ rejection is linked to rising social anxiety in teens, which can lead … Read more

Summary: Researchers have developed a noninvasive way to measure stress in baby chicks by analyzing their vocalizations, offering a practical tool for monitoring animal welfare. The study shows that chicks kept alone produced louder, higher-pitched calls consistent with anxiety-like states, while chicks with a mirror—perceiving a companion—emitted calmer, lower-intensity calls. These acoustic patterns could be … Read more

USC Study to Track How Intense Music Training Shapes Childhood Brain Development in YOLA at HOLA Students Researchers at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute will examine how high‑intensity musical training influences emotional, social, and cognitive development in children enrolled in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s YOLA at HOLA program. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, the … Read more

Summary: Autopsies of 44 people who died with COVID-19 reveal that SARS-CoV-2 can spread widely throughout the body — including the brain — and viral material can persist for many months after symptom onset. Source: University of Minnesota An exhaustive analysis of tissue collected at autopsy from 44 individuals who died with COVID-19 shows that … Read more

Summary: New research shows that bursts of calcium released from inside hippocampal neurons can enhance learning and stabilize memory encoding. Source: Columbia University Researchers at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute report that calcium floods originating within neurons—not only calcium entering at the cell surface—can strengthen learning. The team observed this effect while studying how mice form memories … Read more