A new study reveals that individuals with stronger ‘mindreading’ abilities, or the capacity to understand others’ feelings and intentions, are more successful in cooperative tasks. This trait, also known as ‘theory of mind,’ is not directly tied to intelligence and can potentially be improved through training programs.

Researchers have identified proteomic changes associated with forms of Alzheimer’s disease.

People in their eighties who can recall everyday events and life experiences as well as someone 20 to 30 years younger—known as superagers—are also more likely to have greater movement speed than typical older adults. They also have lower rates of anxiety and depression, according to a new study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal.

A research team has developed a tool that counts brain lesions in seconds.

A new study has found that the frequency and duration of naps in infants are an indication of their cognitive needs. According to the research, infants with smaller vocabularies and poorer cognitive abilities tend to nap more frequently.

Researchers have discovered that myo-inositol, a small cyclic sugar molecule found in breast milk, plays a crucial role in promoting neuronal connections in infants’ brains.

Neuroscientists have proposed a fresh perspective on systems consolidation, the process by which certain memories are moved from the hippocampus to the neocortex for long-term storage. Their theory, backed by a mathematical neural network model, posits that the consolidation of memories depends on their generalizability, not age. This theory suggests a new memory, which is a generalization of previous memories, is created during consolidation.

Researchers have utilized artificial intelligence to uncover the promising potential of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in combating Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

New research heightened light sensitivity in Alzheimer’s patients to “sundowning,” a worsening of symptoms late in the day, and sleep disruptions that may advance the disease. This fresh understanding of biological clock disruptions in Alzheimer’s could aid the creation of treatments and symptom management. Light therapy could potentially regulate erratic sleep patterns caused by altered circadian rhythms.

Finally this week, scientists have identified a group of nerve cells in the midbrain, which, when stimulated, can suspend all movement, akin to setting a film on pause.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically GPT-4, was found to match the top 1% of human thinkers on a standard creativity test. The AI application ChatGPT, developed using GPT-4, excelled in fluency and originality in the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, a widely recognized tool for assessing creativity. This breakthrough finding indicates that AI may be developing creative ability on par with or even surpassing human capabilities. 

Researchers have identified a small structure in the brain, the anterior precuneus or aPCu, as a crucial component in establishing our physical self or “I”.

Taking good care of your teeth may be linked to better brain health, according to a study published in Neurology. The study found that gum disease and tooth loss were linked to brain shrinkage in the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory and Alzheimer’s disease. The study does not prove that gum disease or tooth loss causes Alzheimer’s disease; it only shows an association.

A new study has demonstrated for the first time that the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) can be significantly improved by additionally measuring the thickness of retinal layers in the eye.

Distinct, though neighbouring, areas of the brain are activated when processing music and language, with specific sub-regions engaged for simple melodies versus complex melodies, and for simple versus complex sentences, according to researchers.

New findings suggest that depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI) could be a clinically distinct disorder rather than traditional major depressive disorder, with implications for patient treatment.

If you’re sleep deprived, you will likely have a harder time remembering things than if you’re well-rested. But if you have good cardiorespiratory fitness, your memory may be less affected by the effects of sleep deprivation than others, according to a recent McGill study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Finally this week, even during sleep, the sounds that infants are exposed to can play a big role in language development, especially for babies at risk of language delays.