Summary: A new study shows that an early relative of mammals already had an enlarged brain with a neocortex-like region. Researchers report this feature in a late Permian therapsid, indicating that a neocortex-like structure appeared roughly 25 million years before the first true mammals. Source: UDE Researchers have discovered that a distant relative of mammals … Read more

Diaminothiazole Kinase Inhibitors Reduce Tau Pathology and Protect Neurons in Alzheimer’s Mouse Models Building on research published eight years earlier in the Journal Chemistry and Biology, Kenneth S. Kosik, Harriman Professor in Neuroscience and co-director of the Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI) at UC Santa Barbara, and his laboratory have extended those findings to two widely … Read more

Summary: New AI technology can identify the type of post-stroke depression in patients, enabling more targeted treatment and potentially improving recovery. Source: Hiroshima University Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed an artificial intelligence system that can help clinicians detect different types of post-stroke mood disorders—such as depression, apathy, and anxiety—by analyzing routine clinical evaluation data. … Read more

Summary: A large long-term study found that people who followed diets richer in high-quality plant-based foods and lower in added sugars and refined grains had about a 10% lower risk of experiencing a stroke—particularly ischemic stroke—later in life. Source: AAN Eating a diet focused on high-quality plant foods—such as leafy greens, fruits, whole grains, beans … Read more

Summary: A new preclinical study shows the hippocampus does more than store memories: it actively reorganizes them to predict future rewards. By tracking hippocampal activity in mice over several weeks, researchers observed neurons shift their firing from the moment of reward to the moments that lead up to it, effectively building a predictive model of … Read more

Summary: In mice with chronic postoperative neuropathic pain, full‑spectrum hemp oil produced a pronounced reduction in mechanical pain sensitivity—nearly a tenfold improvement within seven hours after dosing. Source: University of New Mexico Researchers examine the effectiveness of consuming hemp oil extracted from the whole Cannabis plant using a chronic neuropathic pain animal model. Researchers at … Read more

Summary: A neuroimaging study finds that politically incongruent statements—when a candidate’s position conflicts with their party—evoke stronger responses in the insula and anterior cingulate, particularly when the position is expressed with certainty. Source: University of Nebraska Lincoln In an era of sharp political polarization, voters often react strongly when a candidate takes a stance that … Read more

Summary: Researchers at the University of Utah identified a distinct sublineage of microglia—Hoxb8-lineage microglia—that protects mice from obsessive-compulsive-like overgrooming and anxiety. When these cells are dysfunctional, mice show excessive grooming behaviors reminiscent of human trichotillomania. The team also found that female sex hormones amplify these OCD-like and anxiety symptoms. Source: University of Utah Overview Anxiety … Read more

Brain cell insulation abnormalities caused in part by genes Schizophrenia is among the most disabling psychiatric disorders. It commonly begins in adolescence or early adulthood and can profoundly disrupt thinking, perception and daily functioning. For decades researchers have sought to understand its causes and to identify targets for prevention and treatment. Decades of research point … Read more

NIH-supported research underscores value of screening for toxoplasmosis Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have identified which strains of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii are most strongly linked to premature birth and severe congenital damage in the United States. Using a novel, strain-specific blood test developed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious … Read more