Summary: New research highlights that optimal brain health, crucial for maintaining cognitive function as we age, is strongly linked to cardiovascular wellness. The study underscores that dementia and cognitive decline share risk factors with heart disease, suggesting these conditions are largely preventable by managing diet, exercise, cholesterol, blood sugar, and...
Neurons Use Social Shortcuts to Master Complex Group Dynamics
Summary: New research reveals that our brains simplify complex social interactions by using basic mental “building blocks” or shortcuts. Researchers scanned the brains of people playing a simple team game and observed how participants kept track of interactions with both teammates and opponents.Rather than monitoring each individual separately, the brain...
” Mental Booster Shots” Strengthen Resistance to Fake News
Summary: New research reveals that short, memory-focused interventions can help individuals resist misinformation more effectively and retain these skills over extended periods, acting as “psychological booster shots.” The study evaluated text-based messages, videos, and interactive games that teach people how to spot and resist misleading information.Memory-focused interventions showed the greatest...
Poor Sleep Linked to Brain’s Waste-Removal Break
Summary: A new study reveals that poor sleep in older adults disrupts the brain’s glymphatic system, responsible for clearing harmful waste and toxins. Researchers found that compromised sleep quality leads to dysfunction in this crucial system, potentially increasing risks for memory decline and cognitive impairments.Using advanced brain imaging in 72...
Childhood Abuse Doubles Psychiatric and Health Risks
Summary: New research finds that adults who experienced both physical and sexual abuse in childhood are about twice as likely to suffer chronic physical and mental health issues, such as depression, arthritis, asthma, and heart conditions. Even experiencing one type of abuse significantly increased the odds of adverse health outcomes...
Eating Seafood Linked to Kinder, More Socially Skilled Young Kids
Summary: Children who regularly eat seafood at age 7 exhibit more positive social behaviors—such as sharing, helping, and interacting kindly—by ages 7 and 9, compared to those who rarely consume seafood. This finding, from a large study tracking nearly 6,000 children, underscores seafood’s role in supporting behavioral and social development...
Social Media Linked to Increased Danger of Delusion-Based Problems
Summary: New research indicates a strong link between high social media use and psychiatric disorders involving delusions, such as narcissism and body dysmorphia. Conditions like narcissistic personality disorder, anorexia, and body dysmorphic disorder thrive on social platforms, allowing users to build and maintain distorted self-perceptions without real-world checks.The study highlights...
Brain Circuit Discovery Shows How Empathy Shapes Our Behavior
Summary: Researchers have discovered how specific brain circuits process empathy, showing that witnessing others in pain activates the same neural pathways as experiencing pain directly. Using advanced imaging techniques, the study pinpointed neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that respond both to personal distress and observed distress in others.The...
How a Typical Virus Triggers Brain Attacks in Multiple Sclerosis
Summary: New research highlights a critical link between antibodies produced against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). Scientists discovered that these viral antibodies mistakenly target a protein called GlialCAM in the brain, triggering autoimmune responses associated with MS.The study also revealed how combinations of genetic risk...
Gestational Stress Timing Shapes Infant Stress Answer
Summary: New research reveals that the timing of stress during pregnancy has gender-specific effects on infants, altering how boys and girls respond to stress differently. Scientists found mid-pregnancy stress has a stronger impact on girls’ stress reactivity, while boys are more sensitive to stress experienced in late gestation.The study involved...