Summary: Reading descriptions of motion that conflict with the typical patterns of one’s native language requires extra processing in the brain. Source: Georgia State University Although everyone flees a burning building quickly, the words we choose to describe that action depend on our language. English speakers might say we bolt, race, or dash, while speakers … Read more

Research using simple model organisms such as baker’s yeast has revealed new insights into the mechanisms that may drive Huntington’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. The study highlights a previously underappreciated role for genes involved in translation—the cellular process that decodes messenger RNA (mRNA) into protein—and identifies these genes as potential protective factors against mutant … Read more

For Clara Cohen, language is a system of patterns. As a postdoctoral researcher in psychology, Cohen’s fascination with linguistic structure began when she studied Russian as an undergraduate. Today, advances in technology allow her to observe how those patterns unfold in real time. Working with the Center for Language Science and the Language and Bilingualism … Read more

Summary: Research using fruit fly models of autism links sleep disruption to elevated serotonin levels, tracing the increase to glial cells that form the blood-brain barrier. Source: Radboud University Poor sleep undermines health, concentration, memory, and stress resilience. Sleep problems are common in people with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual … Read more

Summary: New research indicates that the growth rates of key brain circuits during infancy can help predict a child’s intelligence, emotional behavior and cognitive performance by age four. Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Researchers have found that how emotional brain circuits develop in the first two years of life can be linked to a child’s IQ … Read more

Patients respond very differently to concussion, but until now scientists did not fully understand why. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center have used a new way of analyzing brain imaging data to show that each concussion patient displays a distinct spatial pattern of brain abnormalities that evolves … Read more

Summary: Pooled evidence indicates that shift workers perform worse than non-shift workers on tasks that measure attention, working memory, and information processing. Source: BMJ New pooled analyses show shift work is associated with reduced working memory and slower mental processing speed, according to a meta-analysis published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Researchers found that shift … Read more

Summary: GABA speeds the breakdown of endocannabinoids in the brain, altering signals that shape emotional memory. These results point to new possibilities for treating disorders of emotion and behavior. Source: LSU Health New Orleans Researchers led by Si-Qiong June Liu, MD, PhD, Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health New Orleans School of … Read more

Each autumn, monarch butterflies across Canada and the United States tilt their orange, black and white wings toward the Rio Grande and undertake a migration of more than 2,000 miles to the relatively mild mountain forests of central Mexico. That epic journey is repeated instinctively by successive generations, even as monarch populations have declined sharply … Read more

Key Questions Answered: Q: What is the “Geographic Model of Meaning in Life”?A: The Geographic Model of Meaning in Life is a conceptual framework proposing that life’s meaning is not a fixed property but an experiential landscape that unfolds as people actively explore their lives with different attitudes and commitments. It likens the process to … Read more