Summary: A new study identifies a genetic variation in a repeat-rich region of the MUC6 gene that may represent a previously unrecognized risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Source: Oxford University Press USA A study published in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology reports a genetic locus that could account for a substantial portion … Read more

Summary: New research shows that the human body — and in particular the heart — continues to respond to sounds while we sleep, challenging the idea that sleep fully disconnects us from the environment. The study found that hearing relaxing words during sleep slows cardiac activity, a sign associated with deeper sleep, whereas neutral words … Read more

Summary: Living near areas with a higher tree canopy is linked to lower psychological distress and better self-rated general health. Source: JAMA Overview: An observational cohort study examined associations between urban green space and mental and general health. Prior research has suggested that nearby green space can offer health benefits; this study explored whether different … Read more

Summary: After deep general anesthesia, consciousness and cognitive functions return gradually. The prefrontal cortex and higher-order problem-solving abilities recover earlier than processes tied to reaction time and sustained attention. Source: University of Michigan General anesthesia makes millions of surgical procedures possible each year by reversibly suppressing consciousness in a controlled way. Scientists are using anesthesia … Read more

Summary: A recent study uncovers how depression alters neural activity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of rats. Using a custom microelectrode array (MEA), researchers observed increased theta-band activity in the BLA that correlated with behaviors consistent with depressive states. These observations point to specific patterns of brain activity that may serve as biomarkers for depression … Read more

Military personnel who experience more than one mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) face a substantially higher risk of suicide, according to research from the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah. A clinical survey of 161 service members deployed to Iraq and evaluated for suspected TBI found that repeated mild head injuries … Read more

Summary: Nonstandard and volatile work schedules earlier in adulthood are linked to poorer sleep, more depressive symptoms, and worse overall health by age 50. Drawing on more than 30 years of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (NLSY79), this study examines how long-term employment patterns influence physical and mental health in middle age, … Read more

Summary: Sex hormones are central to brain health and help explain sex-based differences in dementia risk and other neurological conditions. Source: AHA Medical science has moved far beyond the old notion of “bikini medicine,” when women’s health was treated as largely limited to reproductive organs. In recent decades researchers have documented many ways that men’s … Read more

People who donate kidneys to strangers have noticeably different brain structures than those who don’t. That is the central finding of a study from Georgetown University published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research identifies structural and functional brain differences that appear to be associated with extraordinary acts of altruism, … Read more

Summary: New longitudinal research identifies patterns of brain activity that can help predict future symptoms of gaming addiction in adolescents. Scans taken when participants were 10–15 years old showed that lower activity in brain regions tied to decision-making and reward anticipation was linked to greater gaming addiction symptoms measured over the following four years. The … Read more