Summary: A new study finds that the brain processes artificial languages, such as Esperanto and Klingon, using the same neural network as natural languages. Researchers scanned the brains of 44 speakers of constructed languages and observed activation in language-processing regions when participants listened to sentences in their conlang.This contrasts with...

Summary: A new study shows that the rubber hand illusion can reduce the intensity of pain caused by heat. Researchers found that when participants viewed a rubber hand being illuminated while their hidden hand received a heat stimulus, they reported feeling less pain.This suggests that integrating visual and sensory cues...

Summary: New research reveals that witnessing trauma triggers unique brain changes, distinct from those caused by experiencing trauma firsthand. The study found that indirect trauma leads to different protein degradation patterns in key brain regions involved in fear memory.Researchers also identified sex-specific differences, which may explain why women are twice...

Summary: A recent study reveals a surprising link between longevity and verbal fluency—the ability to effectively recall and utilize vocabulary. Researchers analyzed cognitive data from the Berlin Aging Study, involving over 500 elderly participants tracked for nearly two decades, assessing verbal fluency alongside memory, perceptual speed, and verbal knowledge.Of these...

Summary: New genetic research suggests that humans first developed language around 135,000 years ago when populations began geographically splitting, followed by widespread social use around 100,000 years ago. Using data from 15 genetic studies, researchers found that early human groups branched out approximately 135,000 years ago, which likely coincides with...

Summary: A new study reveals that herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), commonly known for causing cold sores, can travel through the nasal cavity directly to the brain, causing severe and lasting neurological symptoms. In animal experiments, nasal HSV-1 infection led to persistent neurological dysfunction, including anxiety and cognitive impairment.The researchers identified...

Summary: Viewing natural scenes can significantly reduce how people perceive pain, a new neuroimaging study has found. Researchers discovered that participants reported less pain and exhibited altered brain activity associated with pain perception while looking at virtual nature, compared to urban or office environments.Using advanced machine learning to analyze brain...

Summary: New research reveals dopamine has a previously unknown role: reshaping our memories of rewarding experiences. In a study using mice, scientists found dopamine helps reduce the perceived value of memories linked to rewards, altering future behavior toward those rewards.When mice recalled memories of sweet food while feeling unwell, dopamine...

Summary: Researchers have discovered that a person’s “bioenergetic age,” reflecting how efficiently cells produce energy, strongly predicts Alzheimer’s risk and progression. High blood levels of molecules called acylcarnitines, markers of aging metabolism, were linked to faster cognitive decline and greater Alzheimer’s symptoms.However, lifestyle choices like plant-based diets and regular exercise...

Summary: New research has identified cannabis-derived terpenes—compounds that give plants their distinctive aroma—as effective treatments for fibromyalgia and post-surgical pain. In preclinical mouse models, terpenes such as geraniol and linalool significantly reduced chronic pain, providing promising alternatives to opioid medications and avoiding THC’s psychoactive side effects.The terpenes appear to act...