Summary: Researchers identify a little-known group of amygdala-region neurons as a key driver of aggressive behavior and emotional arousal in mice, shedding light on neural mechanisms that may underlie anger. Source: Zhejiang University When people are provoked or threatened, anger can arise suddenly and sometimes leads to aggressive actions. Across the animal kingdom, aggression—behaviors such … Read more

Future research proposed to link biomarkers with metabolic disorders associated with sleep loss. Sleep is a fundamental biological necessity, yet the molecular mechanisms through which sleep loss affects the body remain incompletely understood. Reduced sleep duration is epidemiologically linked to a range of metabolic disorders—including weight gain, insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease—driving renewed … Read more

Summary: Beginning around age 13, adolescents stop finding their mother’s voice uniquely rewarding and become more drawn to unfamiliar voices. A new Stanford study using functional MRI maps the neurobiological changes that accompany this shift and explains how it supports adolescents’ growing independence and social engagement beyond the family. Source: Stanford When teenagers act like … Read more

Cycles of a normal diet and protein restriction improved memory and slowed disease progression In a new study, mice that display many of the pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease showed clearer cognitive function and reduced signs of neurodegeneration when placed on a cyclical protein-restricted diet supplemented with specific amino acids. The dietary regimen alternated between … Read more

Discovery may advance understanding of memory formation and offer new avenues for treating epilepsy. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University report that brain waves traveling through the hippocampus originate from a previously unrecognized type of moving source. This finding could improve our understanding of how memories form and suggest new strategies for addressing seizure disorders … Read more

Summary: The long-standing stories that Anne Boleyn or other famous figures tried to speak after decapitation may have some basis in modern science. Researchers are examining how brain activity can persist for a short time after the heart stops or the head is separated from the body, and what this could mean for medicine and … Read more

Summary: A new study from the Toronto Adolescent and Youth (TAY) Cohort finds that roughly half of young people seeking specialized mental health care (about 49–50% in early data) show Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms (PSS). This unexpectedly high prevalence underscores the urgent need for better early detection, targeted assessment, and timely interventions for youth at risk … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified the doublesex (dsx) gene as a key genetic program that specifies essential worker behaviors in honeybees—including foraging, brood care, and social interactions. By editing dsx and mapping resulting changes in brain wiring and behavior, the team demonstrates how this single gene helps shape neuronal circuits that sustain colony life across generations. … Read more

Summary: Adolescents at elevated risk for developing psychosis show subtle differences in brain structure, including reduced cortical thickness compared with peers without risk factors. Among those who later developed psychosis, cortical thinning was most pronounced in several temporal and frontal brain regions. Source: University of Pittsburgh Adolescents with a higher likelihood of developing psychosis exhibit … Read more

Summary: New research shows that some people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) / motor neuron disease (MND) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) carry the same rare genetic changes found in other neurodegenerative conditions. These changes are short tandem repeat (STR) expansions, a type of DNA repeat that is already known to cause more than 20 neurodegenerative … Read more