Summary: Maintaining a growth mindset and confidence in your ability to improve—even as you age—supports continued skill development and achievement. Source: NTNU Did you ever imagine becoming a professional athlete, a chess master, or a world-class chef when you were younger? As we get older, many of us assume those ambitions are out of reach. … Read more

Summary: A new study in mice identifies dopamine release along a specific brain circuit as the signal that helps the brain extinguish fear. Rather than merely suppressing fear, dopamine from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) activates reward-responsive neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to drive a positive learning process that replaces fear memory. Disruption of … Read more

Ultra-Rare Structural Variants at TAD Boundaries Implicated in Schizophrenia Risk Summary: New evidence from the largest whole genome sequencing study to date suggests that very rare structural genetic variants that disrupt the boundaries of topologically associated domains (TADs) may contribute to the development of schizophrenia. Source: UNC Health Care Most genetic research on schizophrenia has … Read more

Summary: New research into the maternal brain offers fresh insights into how pregnancy and childbirth reshape brain circuits, behavior, and mood, and points to potential directions for diagnosing and treating postpartum depression. Source: SfN Pregnancy and childbirth trigger profound and often long-lasting changes in brain physiology, emotional state, and behavior. Researchers presented new findings on … Read more

Summary: New research finds that the brain circuitry responsible for map-based navigation is active in children as young as five. Using a child-friendly virtual environment called Tiny Town, researchers demonstrated that young children can form and hold mental maps to guide navigation, and functional brain scans show the retrosplenial complex is already engaged during these … Read more

Summary: New nanosensors that detect dopamine release from single cells could give researchers clearer insight into how dopamine shapes brain activity. Source: MIT. New technology may help neuroscientists map how dopamine influences brain circuits Researchers at MIT have created an extremely sensitive detector capable of tracking dopamine secretion from individual neurons. Dopamine is a key … Read more

Why does the promise of a reward—any kind of excitement—lead teenagers to toss caution aside? Many current theories argue that teenagers take more risks because they seek the pleasurable surge of dopamine, the neurotransmitter linked to the brain’s reward and pleasure circuits. However, much of that idea stems from studies of adult brains. New research … Read more

Summary: New research strengthens the view that Huntington’s disease (HD) has roots in neurodevelopment. Scientists report that the HTT gene mutation alters brain and body growth during childhood and that increased vulnerability of neurons begins long before clinical symptoms appear. Source: IOS Press Evidence supporting a neurodevelopmental contribution to Huntington’s disease is growing: the HTT … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that disruptions to the body’s circadian rhythms can appear years before memory problems arise in Alzheimer’s disease. These early changes in sleep and activity patterns could help identify people at higher risk for the neurodegenerative disorder. Washington University School of Medicine study finds circadian rhythm fragmentation in people with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease … Read more

Summary: Researchers identified active compounds in Drynaria Rhizome that enter the brain, improve memory, and reduce Alzheimer’s disease markers in a mouse model. Source: Frontiers. Japanese researchers develop a method to isolate plant-derived therapeutic compounds for Alzheimer’s disease Researchers in Japan have developed a systematic method to isolate and identify active therapeutic compounds from plant … Read more