Brain scans have uncovered two biologically distinct forms of autism hidden within the spectrum. An international team of researchers has identified at least two biologically distinct forms of autism by examining how different regions of the brain communicate with one another. The findings could help advance more precise and personalized approaches to autism care and [...]

Scientists discovered a hidden gut-brain network that can change cravings when the body needs more protein. The body has a remarkable ability to recognize when it is missing important nutrients and adjust behavior accordingly. New research shows that the gut plays a much larger role in this process than previously understood, actively detecting protein shortages [...]

Cambridge researchers used lab-grown human brain and spinal cord tissues to uncover a hidden mechanism that blocks nerve repair. By reversing that biological brake, they restored the ability of damaged nerve fibers to regrow. Scientists at the University of Cambridge have created miniature brain and spinal cord circuits in the lab that mimic the neural [...]

A mysterious low-frequency sound known as The Hum has been reported around the world for decades, leaving researchers searching for its source. Imagine lying in bed late at night and hearing a faint engine-like drone that seems to come from somewhere outside. You check the windows, listen for traffic, and search for a nearby machine. [...]

A new study challenges the long-held idea that habits form only through slow, gradual repetition. What if your habits don’t form through countless repetitions over months or years? What if the brain can decide, almost instantly, that a behavior is no longer worth thinking about? That possibility is at the center of a new Johns [...]

With $500 million in funding and a reported $2.5 billion valuation, Flourish wants to reinvent AI by putting real neurons under the microscope.

Brain scans suggest long COVID’s biggest clues may lie in the brain’s emotion centers, not widespread inflammation. A new brain imaging study suggests that persistent symptoms of long COVID may not be driven by ongoing brain inflammation, as many researchers have suspected. Scientists in Finland used advanced imaging techniques to examine the brains of people [...]

Researchers have developed a urine-based screening tool that may help identify individuals who are most likely to be diagnosed with autism later in life, opening the door to assessment and support networks.

Continue Reading

Category: ADHD & Autism, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: Arizona State University, Diagnostic devices, Autism spectrum disorder, Developmental conditions, Brain,…

People under stress may find it harder to orient themselves in space, and researchers in Bochum have identified a possible reason why. The stress hormone cortisol appears to interfere with the brain system that helps people navigate. It weakens the activity of grid cells, which are important for spatial orientation. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum [...]

Two new tool compounds may help scientists study TAOK proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia and affects more than seven million people in the United States. Some treatments can slow the disease, but most address symptoms rather than the root biology, and none can [...]

Researchers suggest that old psychoanalytic ideas and modern brain science may be describing the same mental processes from different angles. More than a century after Sigmund Freud developed his influential theories of the mind, some researchers believe modern neuroscience may be arriving at surprisingly similar conclusions. A new paper published in the neurocognitive journal Entropy [...]

Amateur male soccer players had greater changes in certain blood markers associated with neural damage the harder and more frequently they headed balls.

A simple writing task may offer clues about aging brains. Researchers found that dictation, in particular, exposed subtle differences linked to cognitive impairment. Handwriting depends on both fine motor skills and complex mental processes, including selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information. Because writing places heavy demands on the brain, changes in handwriting may help…

Scientists have discovered that the brain’s sensory systems play a much larger role in speech learning than previously believed. New research suggests that learning to speak a new language, or recovering speech after injury, relies more heavily on the brain’s sensory systems than on regions responsible for controlling movement. The findings, from researchers at McGill [...]

Regular aerobic exercise may reduce inflammation, support brain health, and help slow the progression of symptoms. With no known cure for Parkinson’s disease, exercise has emerged as one of the most promising tools for helping slow the disease’s progression. “Exercise may be more than just good for your general health, as it can actually help [...]

One of the biggest mysteries in neuroscience is why women account for nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s disease cases. Now, we may be a step closer to understanding this phenomenon, with new findings that highlight an overlooked part of the brain that appears to fail as estrogen levels fall with age.

Continue Reading

Category: Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: Brain, Alzheimer's…

A new study reveals that the brain may handle voluntary and forced decisions using remarkably similar neural mechanisms. Picture yourself standing in line at a bakery, trying to choose between a doughnut and a tart. After thinking it over, you decide on the doughnut. But when you finally reach the counter, the doughnuts are gone, [...]

People with a rare genetic disorder that damages the amygdala are helping neuroscientists rethink how the brain shapes fear, trust and concern for others

Scientists have identified new ways lithium chloride may interact with Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms at the cellular level. A new study from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) suggests lithium chloride may influence several cellular processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. One of its key features is [...]

A "foundational" study found that the brains of children with ADHD matured later, but that finding was likely a mirage tied to issues with how the children were followed over time.

Research suggests that different types of sedentary behavior may affect dementia risk in different ways, a finding that could help shape future prevention strategies. What if the biggest threat to brain health is not how long we sit, but what we do while sitting? New research suggests that mentally passive activities, such as prolonged TV [...]

An experimental gene-silencing therapy safely lowered LRRK2 protein levels in an early Parkinson’s trial, but its effect on symptoms remains untested. An experimental medicine built to silence a gene closely associated with Parkinson’s disease has produced encouraging results in its first clinical test in people, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. The treatment, [...]

Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown brain feedback system that links deep sleep, growth hormone release, and wakefulness. Most people think of sleep as a time when the body simply rests. In reality, the brain is carrying out a complex series of processes that regulate everything from metabolism and tissue repair to memory and hormone [...]

Scientists have uncovered new evidence that certain immature brain cells may help some people resist the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, even when the disease is already present. The findings hint at previously unknown mechanisms that could shape how the brain ages. Why do some people develop memory loss and cognitive decline as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, while [...]

A new study reveals that the brain may continue interpreting language and predicting information even while unconscious under anesthesia. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that the human brain can continue carrying out complex language processing even while a person is unconscious under general anesthesia. The study, published in Nature, challenges long-standing ideas [...]

Lining up donor and recipient nerves for a potential brain transplant is one thing. Getting them to communicate is another.

A long-term study found that brain health can improve throughout life with consistent daily habits, cognitive training, and personalized support, regardless of age. What if the brain doesn’t have to follow the familiar path of gradual decline with age? A major new study published in Scientific Reports is challenging long-held assumptions about aging, revealing that [...]

Low doses of psilocybin made aggressive fish calmer without stopping social interaction, revealing a selective effect on escalated conflict behaviors. More than 200 mushroom species contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin, especially gilled mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe. In mammals, psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain and can affect mood, appetite, aggression, and…

Two experimental drug molecules promoted myelin repair in MS disease models, pointing toward a possible future route for treating nerve damage rather than only suppressing inflammation. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the leading causes of neurological disability in young adults, affecting nearly three million people worldwide. Despite decades of research and major advances in [...]

Researchers discovered that psilocybin temporarily increases brain complexity and may reshape neural connections for weeks. Researchers at UC San Francisco and Imperial College London have found that a single dose of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, may cause physical changes in the brain that last for as long as a month after use. [...]