Summary: The strength of a person’s mental imagery is linked to the excitability of brain regions, particularly the prefrontal and visual cortices. High excitability in the visual cortex appears to reduce the clarity of mental images, which may help explain conditions such as aphantasia, where people cannot form visual images. Source: University of New South … Read more

Summary: Researchers explore the neuroscience behind why many people enjoy being frightened. Source: The Conversation. Fear is as ancient as life itself. As a basic, deeply wired reaction, it evolved to protect organisms from threats to their existence. Fear can be as simple as a snail retracting an antenna when touched or as complex as … Read more

Summary: A new biochemical reconstitution study from HKUST shows that multivalent interaction networks formed by major excitatory postsynaptic density (PSD) scaffold proteins drive the assembly of PSD-like structures via liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), both in solution and on supported membrane bilayers. Source: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Synapses are the fundamental sites where … Read more

Summary: Mouse study finds females carrying an EPHB2 gene mutation show greater vulnerability to autism-related traits. Source: Medical University of South Carolina Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) examined a database of gene mutations found in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and focused on a single, damaging mutation identified in a … Read more

Summary: For sedentary adults with overweight or obesity, performing moderate to vigorous physical activity in the evening substantially reduces daily blood glucose levels. Researchers report that evening activity produces larger improvements in glucose control than similar activity performed in the morning or afternoon. These results emphasize the value of precise exercise timing as part of … Read more

Summary: New research from Arizona State University finds that certain ways of engaging with science—especially experiences that inspire awe—can increase belief in a non-personal, abstract concept of God, while a stronger commitment to logical, analytical thinking is associated with lower belief in a personal deity. Source: Arizona State University Overview: Although many Americans view science … Read more

Summary: Researchers detail how individual neurons achieve distinct communication patterns through RNA editing of a key presynaptic protein. Using Drosophila fruit fly motor neurons as a model, scientists identify the protein Complexin as a key regulator that limits spontaneous neurotransmitter release. Their work shows that RNA editing can generate up to eight different versions of … Read more

Summary: Brain health is not just a concern for older adults; it is shaped across a lifetime by experiences, biology, and environment. A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association presents a broad framework for understanding how factors from early childhood through late adulthood influence brain aging, stroke risk, cognitive decline and dementia. Moving … Read more

Summary: New research shows that in some lemur species, the evolution of greater gender equality is associated with changes in the brain’s oxytocin system. By comparing seven closely related species in the genus Eulemur, researchers found that the more egalitarian species have higher densities of oxytocin receptors, especially in the amygdala, a brain region linked … Read more

Potential rehabilitation of volitional walking in individuals with spinal cord injury. Gait disturbances after spinal cord injury often result from disruption of the neural pathways that carry voluntary commands from the brain to the spinal locomotor networks. Neural circuits above and below a lesion frequently retain much of their intrinsic function, but without the brain’s … Read more