Summary: A comprehensive review of recent genetic and population studies finds that premorbid cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia — including lower IQ and early cognitive difficulties — are driven largely by neurodevelopmental disruptions rather than by the same inherited genetic variants that directly increase schizophrenia risk. The review argues that non-familial influences, such as rare … Read more

Summary: Findings could help empower people to enjoy and stick to optimal diets. Source: Experimental Biology 2017. Understanding the roles of genes in eating behavior and food preferences Researchers report that subtle differences in genes that influence brain function can help explain why people prefer certain foods and why changing eating habits is difficult for … Read more

Summary: New research from UNSW reports that 46.5% of people initially diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) later tested as “normal” at least once during follow-up assessments. Source: University of New South Wales A closer look at Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) — especially its subtypes and how symptoms change over time — is essential to … Read more

Summary: People prefer virtual slot machines that include casino-related cues—like the sound of coins dropping or dollar sign symbols. Money- and win-related cues make machines more appealing and make large wins more memorable. Source: University of Alberta The sights and sounds of a slot machine can increase how much you want to play and how … Read more

Testing saliva for the stress hormone cortisol in otherwise healthy older adults may help identify people who should undergo cognitive screening, according to a study published online August 19, 2015, in the journal Neurology. Researchers found that higher evening salivary cortisol levels were linked to smaller total brain volume and poorer performance on tests of … Read more

Summary: A new study shows that people attend to their own face automatically and can do so even when the face is presented outside conscious awareness. Source: APS. Our attention has limited capacity, so most sensory input never reaches awareness. But what happens to stimuli that the brain detects without conscious recognition? New research in … Read more

Summary: Researchers have developed an AI-driven blood test that can predict Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before symptoms appear. The test measures eight specific blood proteins and, in initial studies, diagnosed Parkinson’s with exceptionally high accuracy. This advance could enable much earlier intervention and clinical trials aimed at slowing or preventing the disease. Parkinson’s … Read more

Summary: When intense feelings of prediction accompany déjà vu, they strongly correlate with a later feeling of postdiction. High familiarity during déjà vu appears to carry through into a powerful hindsight bias. Source: Colorado State University For many people, déjà vu is a brief, uncanny sense that “I’ve been here before.” For some, the experience … Read more

Summary: A new study examines how the Dark Triad personality traits—Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism—relate to sleep quality, with a focus on people who have affective disorders (AD). The research, based on data from 657 participants, finds that Machiavellianism and psychopathy are significantly associated with poorer sleep quality. Surprisingly, this negative association was stronger in mentally … Read more

Summary: New research shows that reducing a specific group of proteins in the brain decreases depression-like behavior in mice, pointing to a promising target for future antidepressant therapies. Source: Northwestern University. Manipulating a novel molecular target could lead to new treatments for depression Researchers at Northwestern Medicine report that targeted manipulation of HCN channels in … Read more