Summary: We identify smells almost instantly—often far quicker than we consciously notice. New research from NYU Langone shows that the core work of identifying an odor happens within the first fractions of a second inside the olfactory bulb, not in the cerebral cortex as long assumed. Using a mechanism the researchers call “temporal filtering,” the … Read more

Summary: A landmark study provides the strongest evidence yet for a theory proposed seven decades ago: somatic mutations—DNA changes that arise during a person’s life—can drive common autoimmune diseases. The research team found that immune cells, especially B cells, accumulate mutations that effectively “release the brakes” on immune control, enabling these cells to attack healthy … Read more

Summary: Traditional views frame excitatory neurons as the “gas” that initiates movement and inhibitory neurons as the “brakes” that stop it. New research challenges that simple dichotomy. Investigators at UC Santa Barbara show that a specific set of inhibitory neurons in the fruit fly can actively generate and coordinate the rhythmic leg movements used for … Read more

Summary: A major new study provides the strongest evidence yet for a long-standing theory: somatic mutations—DNA changes acquired during life—can drive common autoimmune diseases. The team found that B cells in patients with thyroid autoimmunity (Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease) frequently accumulate mutations that disable key immune checkpoints, effectively removing the brakes on the immune system … Read more

Summary: Does feeling lonely make your brain age faster? A large, seven-year longitudinal analysis of more than 10,000 older European adults suggests the answer is no. Data from the SHARE study (2012–2019) indicate that loneliness is linked with poorer memory performance at baseline but does not accelerate the pace of memory decline over time. Participants … Read more

Summary: For years, amyloid PET scans were considered the earliest reliable marker of Alzheimer’s disease, revealing brain amyloid plaques a decade or two before symptoms. A new study, however, shows that a blood test measuring plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217) can detect Alzheimer’s pathology even earlier — identifying people at risk before amyloid PET scans … Read more

Summary: Does feeling lonely make your brain age faster? A large European longitudinal study of more than 10,000 older adults suggests it does not. Researchers analyzed seven years of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2012–2019) to examine how loneliness relates to memory performance and memory decline over time. … Read more

Summary: How do you persuade a stranger to help carry out a multi‑billion dollar fraud? According to new research, people used a deliberate linguistic playbook to manufacture trust and coordinate illicit activity. Forensic linguists analyzed the Enron corpus—the world’s largest recorded collection of spoken conversations tied to illegal market manipulation—and identified five recurring conversational strategies … Read more

Summary: For years, amyloid PET scans were considered the earliest reliable sign of Alzheimer’s disease, identifying brain plaque buildup a decade or two before symptoms. A new study now identifies an even earlier warning: a blood marker called pTau217 (phosphorylated tau 217) that can predict future amyloid accumulation and cognitive decline long before PET scans … Read more

Summary: For decades, “neuroinflammaging” — the slow, chronic inflammation that contributes to brain fog and memory decline — was considered an unavoidable consequence of aging. A landmark study from Texas A&M now suggests that process may be reversible. Researchers have developed a non-invasive intranasal therapy that uses microscopic biological parcels to deliver therapeutic microRNAs directly … Read more