Summary: A new UCLA-led study shows that repetitive practice not only sharpens skills but also drives lasting changes in the brain’s working memory circuits. By training mice to remember sequences of odors and tracking brain activity over days, researchers observed that initially unstable memory patterns gradually stabilize into persistent representations in the secondary motor cortex. … Read more

Summary: Variants in the inflammatory gene RIPK1 have been identified in people with obesity. These variants increase RIPK1 expression in adipose tissue, which is linked to a higher risk of obesity. Source: University of Queensland Researchers at The University of Queensland have found that a gene that controls inflammation can increase the risk of obesity … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that analysing the painting styles of artists using mathematical methods can reveal signs of neurodegenerative disorders before clinical diagnosis. Source: University of Liverpool. New research from the University of Liverpool, published in Neuropsychology, indicates that subtle changes in artists’ brushwork can help detect early signs of neurodegenerative disease. Psychologist Dr Alex Forsythe … Read more

Summary: A longitudinal study from researchers at UT Health San Antonio links higher midlife cortisol levels with greater brain amyloid accumulation—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease—specifically among post‑menopausal women. Tracking 305 cognitively healthy adults over about 15 years, the team found that elevated cortisol in midlife predicted later amyloid deposition in women who had experienced menopause, … Read more

Summary: Resting-state neuroimaging can reveal brain connectivity patterns associated with suicide risk. In young adults with mood disorders, those who have attempted suicide show reduced connectivity within the cognitive control network (CCN) and weakened connections between the CCN and the default mode network (DMN), compared with peers who have not attempted suicide. Source: University of … Read more

Summary: Women are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and tend to experience faster progression, a finding linked to greater and more rapid brain-wide spread of the tau protein. Source: Vanderbilt University Medical Center Overview: The abnormal buildup of proteins in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, but how these proteins spread across … Read more

Summary: Under certain conditions, people can correctly produce information when prompted by strong semantic cues even though they never consciously stored that information in memory. Source: Florida Tech Britannica defines memory as “the encoding, storage and retrieval in the human mind of past experiences.” A recent multi-institutional study including a Florida Tech researcher challenges that … Read more

Summary: Intermittent electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert raised acetylcholine levels and improved working memory in adult nonhuman primates, a new study reports. Source: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Intermittent deep brain stimulation of a small forebrain region that degenerates in Alzheimer’s disease improves working memory, while continuous stimulation can impair … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that believing a cigarette contains nicotine can relieve a smoker’s cravings even when the cigarette does not actually contain nicotine. Source: Virginia Tech Virginia Tech and University of Texas at Dallas researchers reveal how belief and drug effects interact in the brain New research from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research … Read more

Summary: New research shows that loss of smell in older adults can predict not only future cognitive decline but also shrinkage in brain regions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Source: University of Chicago Although we often take our sense of smell for granted compared with vision or hearing, olfaction supplies the brain with vital information—from detecting … Read more