Summary: A new study reveals that young adults show the strongest empathic responses to others in physical or social pain, compared to adolescents and older adults. Researchers measured brain activity while participants viewed painful situations, finding that empathy responses develop with age but peak in young adulthood.Older adults exhibited stronger...
Oral microbial May Affect Brain Health and Cognitive Decline
Summary: The microbial ecosystems in our mouths may impact cognitive function as we age, with pathogenic bacteria linked to cognitive decline. Researchers found that beneficial bacteria, such as Neisseria, are associated with improved memory and attention, while harmful bacteria like Porphyromonas correlate with mild cognitive impairment.These findings suggest that diet,...
A research links physical contrast sensitivity deficiencies with schizophrenia.
Summary: People with schizophrenia experience impaired contrast perception, affecting their ability to differentiate light intensity and recognize shapes and textures. This deficit may stem from disruptions in glutamate neurotransmission, a key neural mechanism in the disease.Researchers suggest that contrast sensitivity testing could serve as a non-invasive biomarker for diagnosing and...
Adult for a Mouse with Two Adult Kids
Summary: Researchers have successfully engineered bi-paternal mice, born from two male parents, that survived to adulthood using embryonic stem cell techniques. By modifying 20 key imprinting genes, they overcame the developmental barriers that previously limited unisexual reproduction in mammals.Though only 11.8% of embryos developed to term, the findings highlight imprinting...
Important Memory Regions ‘ Head Exercise Is Reduced by Cannabis Use
Summary: A study of over 1,000 young adults reveals that both recent and heavy lifetime cannabis use reduce brain activity in regions critical for working memory, including the prefrontal cortex and anterior insula. This reduced activity correlates with poorer performance on memory tasks like following instructions or solving problems.While other...
Synchronizing Nerve Stimulation With Heartbeat Boosts Effectiveness
Summary: Synchronizing vagus nerve stimulation with natural body rhythms, such as the heartbeat and breathing, significantly improves its effectiveness. This “electric pill” technique uses ear-mounted electrodes to stimulate the vagus nerve, targeting chronic conditions like pain and inflammation.Researchers found that stimulation during heart contraction (systole) and inhalation phases produced the...
How the Brain Processes Space and Time
Summary: New research highlights a functional hierarchy in the brain’s processing of space and time. In posterior areas, like the occipital cortex, space and time are tightly linked and processed by the same neurons.In anterior regions, such as the frontal cortex, space and time are processed independently, with distinct neural...
Dream Sleep Delays May Indicate Early Alzheimer’s
Summary: Delayed rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that participants with delayed REM sleep had higher levels of toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports memory.Delayed REM sleep disrupts memory consolidation and increases...
Eating Disorders Cause Opioid Dysregulation in the Mind
Summary: Elevated opioid neurotransmission in the brain may underlie appetite loss and emotional symptoms in anorexia nervosa. Compared to healthy controls, patients with anorexia had increased opioidergic tone, which regulates appetite, pleasure, and mood.Despite severe malnutrition, glucose uptake in the brains of anorexia patients remained comparable to controls, suggesting the...
Bipolar Mood Jumps May Be a Cause of Dopamine Clock Changes
Summary: New research suggests that mood swings in bipolar disorder are regulated by two clocks: the body’s 24-hour circadian rhythm and a dopamine-based clock that influences alertness. When these clocks align at specific intervals, they may trigger shifts between mania and depression.Researchers demonstrated this in mice by activating the dopamine...