Summary: Light, gentle stroking of an infant at approximately 3 centimeters per second can diminish pain-related brain activity before routine medical procedures. Gentle Stroking at 3 cm/s Reduces Pain-Related Brain Activity in Infants Highlights: Researchers report that lightly brushing a baby’s skin at about 3 cm/s lowers brain responses associated with pain. The findings, published … Read more

Summary: An inflammatory trigger similar to those produced during viral infections is elevated in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Source: UT San Antonio Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) report that an inflammation-inducing molecule, resembling what cells produce … Read more

Summary: Can a pea-sized piece of lab-grown brain tissue learn to play a video game? According to researchers, yes. For the first time, scientists have rigorously demonstrated goal-directed learning in brain organoids—tiny clusters of neurons cultivated in vitro. Using a closed-loop bioelectrical interface, the team coached organoids to solve the classic “cart-pole” balancing problem, a … Read more

Summary: A new multicenter study shows that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can more accurately identify cases of physical child abuse in emergency departments than conventional diagnostic coding alone. By combining injury codes with abuse-specific diagnostic data and applying a LASSO logistic regression model, researchers produced more reliable prevalence estimates and reduced the errors … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that obesity can substantially increase the risk of depression, even when other obesity-related illnesses are not present. Source: University of South Australia. Researchers from the University of South Australia and the University of Exeter report the strongest evidence to date that excess body weight itself contributes to the development of … Read more

Summary: EEG and skin conductance measurements show that hearing verbal insults produces a robust early P2 brain response, indicating heightened neural sensitivity to negative words. Insults trigger a chain of consecutive and overlapping processing stages, with some stages quickly adapting to repetition while others remain persistently responsive, resulting in an enduring emotional impact. Source: Frontiers … Read more

Most songbirds learn their songs from an adult model, typically the father. However, there are substantial differences in how accurately individual birds copy those songs. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen have identified a likely neural mechanism that influences the intensity of song learning in juvenile zebra finches. By increasing levels … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that the composition of a child’s gut microbiota at two years old is linked to body mass index (BMI) at age 12. Researchers suggest that analyzing a toddler’s gut bacteria could help identify children at higher risk of developing obesity. Source: ASM Evaluating the infant gut microbiota during the first … Read more

Summary: A new web-based, language-independent game offers a promising method to screen children for risk of dyslexia using interaction patterns and machine learning. Source: UPF Barcelona Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that affects an estimated 5–15% of the global population. A web game called MusVis, developed by Maria Rauschenberger under the supervision of Ricardo … Read more

Summary: New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania indicates that a ketogenic diet or supplementation with its key metabolite, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), can enhance CAR T cell therapy in preclinical models of lymphoma. In mice, a ketogenic diet improved tumor control and survival by promoting CAR T cell expansion and … Read more