Summary: New research shows that emotionally intense or surprising events can both retroactively and proactively reinforce weaker memories, helping them persist. The brain does more than preserve the striking moment itself; it can also stabilize ordinary experiences connected to that moment depending on timing and similarity. The study demonstrates that the mind prioritizes fragile memories … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a new genetic cause of hereditary optic atrophy — a degenerative condition of the optic nerve that leads to progressive vision loss — by discovering a recurrent missense mutation in the PPIB gene. PPIB encodes peptidylprolyl isomerase B, an enzyme involved in protein folding and quality control. The mutation disrupts mitochondrial … Read more

Summary: A new neuroimaging study finds that dehumanization and dislike activate separate brain regions, indicating they are distinct psychological processes. Source: University of Pennsylvania. In recent days, the media has shown painful images and sounds: migrant and refugee children confined in steel enclosures, families being separated and crying, buses transporting children in car seats. While … Read more

Summary: New research uncovers a previously unknown genetic connection between increased platelet distribution width and higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Source: Mater A Mater Research study has uncovered a novel genetic relationship between platelets and Parkinson’s disease, with the findings published in Cell Genomics. The investigation, led by Associate Professor Jake Gratten and Dr. … Read more

Restless Legs Syndrome Linked to Much Higher Risk of Suicide and Self-Harm, Large Study Finds Summary: New research indicates that restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with a substantially increased risk of suicide and self-harm. Source: Penn State Key finding: A large, claims-based study led by Penn State researchers found that people diagnosed with restless … Read more

New research using fruit flies expressing an Alzheimer’s-related protein shows the disease does not stop the internal biological clock from running, but it does disconnect that clock from the sleep–wake cycle it normally controls. These findings could point to more effective ways to restore healthier sleep patterns in people living with Alzheimer’s disease. Disrupted sleep—staying … Read more

Summary: New research uncovers a pressing safety and policy paradox in campus healthcare: college students experiencing significant mental health crises are disproportionately turning to generative artificial intelligence for emotional support. This pattern raises urgent questions about care quality, crisis detection, and institutional responsibility. Using data from the 2024–2025 Healthy Minds Study, researchers found that roughly … Read more

Discovery may help treat memory disorders resulting from stroke, Alzheimer’s and brain injury. A Northwestern Medicine study finds that stimulating a specific brain region with noninvasive electrical pulses delivered by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can improve memory. This targeted stimulation enhances the coordination of brain regions connected to the hippocampus and led to measurable gains … Read more

Summary: Children of both perpetrators and survivors of genocide show the same ingroup empathy biases as their parents, despite not having lived through the violence themselves. This inherited bias may help explain why intergroup conflicts persist across generations. The study also indicates that both survivors and perpetrators find it hard to relinquish intergroup biases after … Read more

Researchers at New York University and NYU Langone Medical Center report that speech production engages both hemispheres of the brain, overturning long-held assumptions about lateralization and offering new directions for treating speech impairments after stroke or injury. “Our findings upend what has been universally accepted in the scientific community—that we use only one side of … Read more