Summary: A new study links dietary lutein — a pigment abundant in leafy greens — with preserved crystallized intelligence and specific brain structure in older adults. Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dietary Lutein Associated with Preserved Crystallized Intelligence and Parahippocampal Cortex Integrity in Older Adults New research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign … Read more

Innovative technique restores some hand and arm function for people with cervical spinal cord injuries A pioneering nerve-transfer surgical technique at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has restored partial hand and arm movement to patients left immobilized by neck-level spinal cord injuries, according to a new clinical report. By rerouting healthy peripheral … Read more

Summary: Have you noticed how some days you operate at peak efficiency while other days feel like slogging through fog? A new University of Toronto Scarborough study quantifies those daily swings in mental clarity and links them to significant differences in productivity. Researchers tracked fluctuations in “mental sharpness” over 12 weeks and found that day-to-day … Read more

Summary: New research shows that when people evaluate food images for appeal or calorie content, their judgments are biased by the food they just saw. This phenomenon—called serial dependence—means that a highly rated item makes the next item more likely to be rated highly, while an unappealing item pulls subsequent ratings down. These sequential biases … Read more

Summary: A comprehensive population-based study of more than 1.2 million births in Sweden found no clear evidence that prescribed opioid pain medications taken during pregnancy cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Initial associations seen in simple comparisons largely disappeared after accounting for parental mental health, genetics, and other family-level factors. … Read more

Buphenyl (sodium phenylbutyrate), an FDA-approved drug for hyperammonemia, shows promise for protecting memory and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center report that oral treatment with sodium phenylbutyrate (commonly marketed as Buphenyl) increased neurotrophic support in the brain and preserved learning and memory in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). … Read more

Summary: African American patients with major depressive disorder are disproportionately at risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Rutgers study indicates clinicians may prioritize psychotic symptoms over depressive symptoms when assessing Black patients, contributing to racial disparities in psychiatric diagnoses. Source: Rutgers University African American Patients with Severe Depression Are More Likely to Be Misdiagnosed … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a protein that appears to undermine the brain’s natural defense against oxidative damage, a process that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The protein Slingshot Homolog-1 (SSH1) interferes with the activity of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). In laboratory and animal models, removing SSH1 enhances Nrf2 activity, reduces oxidative injury … Read more

Summary: Researchers reveal the role corticotropin-releasing factor produced by neurons plays in alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Source: Scripps Research Institute When a heavy drinker attempts to stop for a night, the body can react with trembling hands, heart palpitations, anxiety and headaches. These acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms—and especially the longer-lasting emotional distress that can persist during … Read more

Summary: Researchers turned to people who identify as psychics—those who report hearing voices but do not have a psychiatric diagnosis—to gain insight into the auditory hallucinations experienced by people with psychosis. Source: Yale Yale researchers compared voice-hearing among self-described psychics, individuals with schizophrenia, and a control group to learn why some people hear voices without … Read more