Summary: Listening to favorite music activates the brain’s opioid system, which is involved in feelings of pleasure and pain relief, according to a new PET imaging study. Researchers found that music-induced “chills” are linked to the release of natural opioids in key brain areas.Participants with higher opioid receptor density showed...
Summary: Affectionate mothering in early childhood may play a lasting role in shaping personality traits that influence educational, professional, and health outcomes. A study of over 2,200 identical twins found that maternal warmth between ages 5 and 10 predicted higher levels of openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness at age 18.These traits...
Summary: A new study suggests that two widely used Type 2 diabetes medications—GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors—may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Researchers analyzed Medicare data and found that patients taking these drugs had significantly lower rates of cognitive decline compared to those using...
Summary: Music therapy is proving to be a powerful adjunct treatment for a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, movement disorders, and mental health issues. Research highlights how music can regulate heart rate, reduce anxiety, and even improve communication in patients with memory loss.Both active and passive music...
Summary: A new research initiative is investigating how obesity reshapes brain circuits involved in reward, motivation, and emotion, potentially driving unhealthy food decisions. The cross-disciplinary team will use cutting-edge electrochemical techniques to measure real-time brain chemical responses to food-related stimuli in humans.By comparing these neurochemical patterns with markers of metabolic...
Summary: A new AI tool called RibbonFold is revolutionizing how scientists understand misfolded proteins linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Unlike existing tools such as AlphaFold, which predict correctly folded proteins, RibbonFold is specifically designed to model the twisted, ribbonlike shapes of amyloid fibrils that accumulate in neurodegenerative diseases.The tool uses...
Summary: A large-scale study using Finnish national data has found that young adults diagnosed with mental disorders are significantly less likely to become parents by age 39. The most pronounced effect was seen in individuals with schizophrenia, while common disorders like depression and anxiety also reduced parenthood rates—especially among men.Differences...
Summary: AI-generated avatars are increasingly used to deliver science content on platforms like TikTok, raising questions about how their appearance affects viewer trust. A new study tested whether avatar realism and gender influenced perceived trustworthiness among nearly 500 participants.Surprisingly, more realistic avatars were rated as more competent, benevolent, and trustworthy...
Summary: A global analysis of dietary trends across 101 countries over 60 years reveals that populations consuming more plant-based proteins tend to live longer. While animal-based proteins are linked to lower infant mortality, plant-based sources such as legumes, tofu, and grains are associated with increased adult life expectancy.After adjusting for...
