Summary: New research reveals that the brain stores memories of cold experiences, which can later trigger metabolic responses in anticipation of cold environments. Mice trained to associate visual cues with cold temperatures began to increase their metabolism when shown those cues—even at room temperature.This response was linked to specific memory-encoding...
Summary: Micronanoplastics—tiny plastic particles from environmental sources—were found in much higher concentrations in the arteries of people with plaque-related stroke symptoms compared to those with healthy arteries. In a new study, individuals with symptomatic carotid plaque had plastic levels up to 51 times higher than those without plaque.While the presence...
Summary: Our brain doesn’t passively receive visual input—it actively orchestrates a symphony of neural oscillations to process the complex, dynamic scenes we see in everyday life. A new study reveals that features like brightness and contrast in different parts of the visual field trigger distinct oscillations across specific neural circuits.These...
Summary: A new study reveals that chronic stress activates immune cells that travel to the brain, amplify inflammation, and heighten fear responses. Researchers found that psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin disrupt this immune-brain crosstalk, reducing stress-related fear in mice and showing similar effects in human tissue samples.These findings suggest psychedelics...
Summary: A large international study has found that middle-aged Americans report higher levels of loneliness than older adults, a pattern seen in only one other country—the Netherlands. While loneliness generally increases with age globally, the U.S. stands out as an exception, with factors like unemployment, caregiving burdens, and lack of...
Summary: A new preclinical study has found that two drugs—o-Vanillin and RG-7112—can clear “zombie cells” from spinal discs, potentially treating the root cause of chronic low back pain. These senescent cells accumulate with age or injury and cause inflammation, pain, and tissue damage.When administered orally to mice, the drugs reduced...
Summary: A single dose of the psychedelic compound 25CN-NBOH significantly improved cognitive flexibility in mice, with effects lasting up to three weeks post-treatment. Treated mice adapted more quickly in rule-switching tasks, indicating enhanced neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex.The findings suggest psychedelics may offer lasting cognitive benefits, with potential applications for...
Summary: A new study reveals that while the molecular structure of liver metabolism remains intact during starvation, obesity disrupts the precise timing of metabolic responses. In healthy mice, key “hub” molecules like ATP and AMP responded rapidly and in a coordinated sequence to starvation.In obese mice, this temporal coordination was...
Summary: A large-scale study has found that adolescents who go to bed earlier and get slightly more sleep show better brain function and higher cognitive test performance than their peers. Using wearable devices and brain imaging from over 4,000 participants, researchers discovered that even small differences in sleep duration and...
Summary: A new study shows that combining heavy alcohol use with burn trauma causes severe disruptions in the gut microbiome, leading to inflammation and a weakened gut barrier. Within a day of injury, beneficial bacteria plummet, harmful microbes rise, and levels of butyrate—a key anti-inflammatory compound—drop significantly.This microbial chaos fuels...
