Summary: A new analysis links higher maternal urinary fluoride during pregnancy with increased ADHD-like symptoms in school-age children, especially inattentive behaviors and cognitive difficulties. Source: University of Toronto. Higher maternal urinary fluoride during pregnancy is associated with more ADHD-related symptoms in school-age children, according to a new study involving researchers from the University of Toronto … Read more

Summary: Passive data collected from smartphones—such as social activity, screen time, location, exercise, and sleep patterns—can predict functional connectivity between brain regions involved in emotion. Dartmouth College researchers show that models trained on phone-sensed behavior can identify patterns of brain connectivity associated with anxiety and depression with about 80% accuracy. Source: Dartmouth College Smartphone sensing … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that vibrations produced during horseback riding can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and may enhance certain types of learning and cognitive control in children. Source: Frontiers. Study shows how horseback riding can enhance children’s learning and cognitive control Recent research published in Frontiers in Public Health reports that the rhythmic, three-dimensional vibrations … Read more

Summary: A large observational study from the University of Oxford finds that semaglutide (commonly known as Ozempic or Wegovy) does not harm brain health over 12 months and is linked with lower rates of cognitive problems and nicotine dependence. The analysis, which examined electronic health records from more than 100 million patients in the United … Read more

Summary: Researchers have measured synchronized brain activity between infants and adults while they interact during play. Source: Princeton University Have you ever played with a baby and felt an unmistakable connection even though the child can’t yet speak? New research indicates that this feeling may reflect real neural synchrony: similar patterns of brain activity in … Read more

Summary: People with social anxiety show increased amygdala activity during social decision-making and reduced nucleus accumbens (ventral striatum) activity during social feedback. In contrast, lonely individuals do not display these same neural signatures, suggesting that loneliness and social anxiety are distinct conditions that may require different interventions. Source: SfN New research published in the Journal … Read more

Summary: A large new meta-analysis of hundreds of task-based brain scans identifies specific error-processing and inhibitory control problems in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that may explain repetitive compulsions. Source: University of Michigan They wash their hands repeatedly. They flip switches over and over. They check—and recheck—that the stove is off. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) drives people to … Read more

Summary: Analysis of Flu Watch data on common human coronaviruses shows a clear seasonal pattern in England: infections peak in winter and fall to very low levels in summer. These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) may transmit less in summer but could rise again during winter if many people remain susceptible. … Read more

Summary: Short naps of up to 60 minutes do not fully reverse the cognitive effects of a night without sleep, according to a new study. Still, the amount of slow-wave sleep achieved during a nap was linked to smaller deficits on some tasks. Source: Michigan State University A daytime nap cannot fully replace a sleepless … Read more

Summary: New research reveals a gut-to-brain osmolality signaling pathway that controls thirst, identifying the sensory route that conveys intestinal osmolality information to the brain. Source: CalTech Drinking a single glass of water often makes your thirst disappear almost immediately, yet full bodily rehydration takes much longer—typically around 30 minutes. This gap arises because the brain … Read more