Summary: Researchers have identified how the brain links faces of caregivers and familiar people to a sense of familiarity. A team from the University of Tsukuba found that the same neural mechanism that stores the long-term value of objects also supports recognition of socially familiar faces. This discovery clarifies the neural basis of social bonds … Read more

Caregiver spouses of stroke survivors face a higher risk of long-term mental and physical health problems, a seven-year Swedish study published in the journal Stroke reports. Researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg followed 248 stroke survivors (all younger than 70, with an average age in the mid-60s) and their spouses, comparing … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a coordinated set of cellular and molecular changes in the brains of people with schizophrenia and in older adults that point to a shared biological basis for cognitive decline. The findings reveal how neurons and astrocytes act together to support synaptic function and how disruption of that partnership may contribute to … Read more

Summary: Researchers identify genes activated in the brain just before the onset of severe repetitive behaviors—stereotypies—linked to addiction, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. Source: MIT Severe repetitive behaviors—such as hand‑flapping, body‑rocking, skin‑picking, and persistent sniffing—occur across multiple brain disorders including autism, schizophrenia, Huntington’s disease, and in some cases of drug addiction. These manifestations, known as … Read more

Summary: Recent papers in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease investigate the link between Parkinson’s disease and gastrointestinal dysfunction, with a focus on constipation and objective measures of intestinal transit. Source: IOS Press. New research in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease explores intestinal dysfunction and constipation in Parkinson’s disease. Constipation ranks among the most frequent non-motor … Read more

Summary: A review published in Frontiers in Physiology argues that frailty in older adults is not an unavoidable consequence of aging. With early detection, lifestyle changes, and targeted interventions, frailty may be treatable and even preventable. Source: Frontiers. Frailty is often assumed to be an inevitable part of aging, but growing evidence shows it can … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that magicians are less likely than many other creative professionals to show traits linked to psychosis and other mental health challenges. This research, led by Aberystwyth University and published in BJPsych Open, suggests the relationship between creativity and mental illness is more complex than commonly thought. Researchers assessed the psychological … Read more

Repeating words aloud improves verbal memory, and the effect is strongest when you speak as if communicating with another person, according to Professor Victor Boucher of the University of Montreal’s Department of Linguistics and Translation. His team’s study, to be published in Consciousness and Cognition, demonstrates that repetition benefits memory in general, but communication-context repetition … Read more

Summary: A comprehensive 15-year Swedish study of women charged with lethal or attempted lethal violence finds that psychopathy is uncommon among female perpetrators. Instead, most acted under provocation, perceived threat, or intense emotional arousal. About half of the 175 cases reviewed were assessed as having a severe mental disorder (SMD). Women with SMD displayed a … Read more

Simply activating a tiny number of neurons can conjure an entire memory. Memories of joy or fear — the memory of a first kiss, or the jolt of a bump in the night — leave physical traces in the brain that can later be re-experienced with time, place and sensory detail. Neuroscientists refer to these … Read more