Summary: Researchers have reversed structural brain abnormalities and improved autism-related behaviors in a validated mouse model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The team identified a pronounced defect in the axon initial segment (AIS)—the neuronal region that initiates electrical action potentials—and used a targeted chemogenetic approach to restore AIS structure and rescue social and repetitive-behavior deficits. … Read more

Summary: New research reveals how repeated cannabis use during adolescence is linked to measurable changes in deep brain regions that govern motivation and reward. Using advanced MRI measures of tissue iron, a key biological cofactor for dopamine production, the study shows that frequent cannabis use — especially of high‑potency products — is associated with reduced … Read more

Summary: A developmental neurobiology study from Harvard reveals a previously unmapped molecular pathway that controls brain plasticity in early life and explains how critical periods close. The research shows that the stress hormone cortisol (corticosterone in mice) functions like a biological clock: when it rises after sensory experience, it triggers a gene program in astrocytes … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a clear connection between irregular sleep patterns and reduced cognitive performance in early childhood. The study found that variability in sleep timing and duration is linked to lower receptive vocabulary and weaker visuospatial memory in preschool-aged children. Importantly, these cognitive effects persisted even after controlling for total sleep time, indicating that … Read more

Summary: A clinical overview published in the Australian Journal of General Practice challenges the prevailing scientific consensus on long-term antidepressant use. The review identifies a fundamental flaw in many relapse prevention trials: researchers often mistake withdrawal symptoms for a true return of depression, which may overstate the benefits of continuing medication beyond one year. Key … Read more

Summary: A new study addresses a crucial diagnostic gap by examining how combined cannabis and tobacco use affects cognition during the prodromal period of psychosis. In adolescents and young adults identified as clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P), concurrent use of cannabis and tobacco—commonly called “co-use”—was linked with significantly poorer neurocognitive performance compared with healthy … Read more

Summary: A novel scientific collaboration has launched a program to mathematically map the human psychedelic experience. Described in a recently released scientific preprint, the initiative centers on N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and aims to create a quantitative framework for altered states of consciousness. Combining an intravenous protocol that lengthens the normally brief DMT window into sustained, hours-long … Read more

Summary: An international research team has developed a near real-time clinical monitoring platform designed to eliminate diagnostic delays and lower costs in brain‑injury care. Called NeuroSense, the system connects directly to external brain drainage lines to continuously assess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for early signs of infection and drain malfunction. By continuously measuring key biochemical markers … Read more

Summary: A new study provides the first empirical evidence that an invertebrate can use a mirror as an abstract spatial tool to interpret its surroundings. Researchers found that the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) can read mirror reflections to locate and intercept prey that is entirely out of its direct line of sight. By showing … Read more

Summary: A new theoretical framework in neuro‑philosophy and cognitive neuroscience challenges the longstanding consensus on how the brain produces choices and actions. This perspective disputes the linear “sandwich model” that treats decisions as a distinct, centralized cognitive stage sitting between sensory perception and motor output. Instead, it argues that what we call decisions emerge from … Read more