Summary: Major surgery may trigger distinct patterns of cognitive change depending on whether Alzheimer’s disease–related brain pathology is already present. Source: IOS Press A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, led by researchers at Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL University Hospital with collaborators from the University of Bonn Medical Center, suggests that major surgery … Read more

Summary: People routinely underestimate how much others want constructive feedback, and this misjudgment often prevents useful guidance that could improve performance and prevent avoidable mistakes. Source: APA New research published by the American Psychological Association finds that people consistently misjudge others’ desire for constructive feedback and therefore withhold it, even when that feedback could immediately … Read more

People often unconsciously mirror each other’s facial expressions and postures, and new research shows they also synchronize pupil size — a subtle form of mimicry that can influence trust. Published in Psychological Science, the study found that participants who matched a partner’s dilating pupils were more likely to trust that partner in an investment game, … Read more

NIH-funded study identifies over-the-counter compounds that may replace damaged cells Researchers have identified two widely available drugs that could help the brain repair the myelin damage that occurs in multiple sclerosis (MS). A study published in Nature and partially funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) found that the antifungal miconazole … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that combining touch with hearing significantly strengthens emotional reactions to music. Using a custom device that translates sound into tactile vibrations felt on the hands and body, researchers observed increased joy, a stronger sense of connection, and reduced anxiety when participants both heard and felt music. The effect was most … Read more

Summary: Slow repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the left prefrontal cortex improves episodic memory by reducing low-frequency brain-wave power during memory encoding. Source: PLOS Memories of past events shape our identity, yet the ability to form new episodic memories often weakens with age, neurological disease, or brain injury. A new study published in … Read more

NeuroAI Model Links Working Memory and Efficient Learning Summary: Modern AI systems can read, converse, and analyze large datasets, yet they still face important limitations. Researchers in neuroAI have developed a new model inspired by the brain’s efficiency that enables more local, real-time synaptic adjustments to improve learning and reduce data movement. The proposed approach … Read more

Summary: Mothers who report higher levels of parenting stress show reduced brain-to-brain synchrony with their young children compared with less stressed mothers. The findings reveal how everyday parenting stress can weaken mother-child attunement at a neural level. Source: Nanyang Technological University Overview A study led by Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) examined how parenting stress … Read more

Summary: A new multi-center study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai identifies two previously unreported genes linked to schizophrenia and implicates a third gene as carrying risk for both schizophrenia and autism. Source: Mount Sinai Health System Researchers have discovered two novel genes associated with schizophrenia and have newly … Read more

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have identified a misstep in protein production inside motor neurons that may be a key initiating event in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to paralysis and, ultimately, death. Tens of thousands of people in the United … Read more