Weekly Neuroscience Update

December 15, 2023Leave a comment

Credit: *Nature Communications* (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42088-7

A team of international neuroscientists has obtained the first direct recordings of the human brain in the minutes before and after a brain hub crucial for language meaning was surgically disconnected. The results reveal the importance of brain hubs in neural networks and the remarkable way in which the human brain attempts to compensate when a hub is lost, with immediacy not previously observed.

A new study, published in Cell Reports, describes a novel molecular link between vitamin B₁₂ and multiple sclerosis that takes place in astrocytes—important non-neuronal glial cells in the brain.

Australian researchers have flagged potential concerns over the use of social chatbots, calling for more studies into the impact of AI software on neurodiverse people and those who find human interaction difficult.

An exploratory study has shown that light, regular exercise can improve the cognitive as well as physical health of adults with Down syndrome.

Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have examined the brains of 16 patients previously hospitalised for COVID-19 with persisting symptoms. They have found differences in brain tissue structure between patients with persisting symptoms after COVID-19 and healthy people.

Scientists have discovered a new way a ribonucleic acid (RNA) impacts fear-related learning and memory.

Comparing PET scans of more than 90 adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI), researchers say relatively lower levels of the so-called “happiness” chemical, serotonin, in parts of the brain of those with MCI may play a role in memory problems including Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study reveals a significant association between adverse childhood experiences and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia in adolescents and young adults.

Using electrochemical techniques and machine learning, scientists measured dopamine levels in real time during a computer game involving rewards and penalties. The findings shed light on the intricate role of dopamine in human behavior and could have implications for understanding psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Researchers have identified a potential treatment target for a genetic type of epilepsy.

A new study sheds light on the significant role of patients’ beliefs in the effectiveness of neurostimulation treatments for conditions like depression and ADHD. Analyzing five studies, the research team found that patients’ perceptions of receiving real or placebo treatments often had more impact on outcomes than the treatments themselves.

New research has found that smoking causes the brain to shrink and age prematurely, a condition not reversible even after quitting smoking.

Researchers have discovered a key player in alcohol addiction: pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). This peptide, found in the “bed nucleus of the stria terminalis” (BNST), is linked to heavy alcohol drinking and withdrawal.

Finally this week, new research reveals that moderate exercise improves cognitive performance even under conditions of sleep deprivation and low oxygen levels.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

December 2, 2023Leave a comment

*Credit: Communications Biology (2023).*

Researchers have demonstrated the use of AI-selected natural images and AI-generated synthetic images as neuroscientific tools for probing the visual processing areas of the brain. The goal is to apply a data-driven approach to understand how vision is organized while potentially removing biases that may arise when looking at responses to a more limited set of researcher-selected images.

A first-line therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) reshapes connectivity of the brain, according to a new study

A new analysis of the brain activity of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the first to reveal that traumatic memories are represented in the brain in an entirely different way than sad autobiographical memories.

Researchers have identified objective evidence of how the neck muscles are involved in primary headaches.

Optimal windows exist for action and perception during the 0.8 seconds of a heartbeat, according to research published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The sequence of contraction and relaxation is linked to changes in the motor system and its ability to respond to stimulation, and this could have implications for treatments for depression and stroke that excite nerve cells.

In a new study, researchers say they found high levels of a repair protein present long after a traumatic brain injury such as a concussion takes place.

A new study shows that individuals who report tinnitus, which presents as a ringing in the ears in more than 1 out of 10 adults worldwide, are experiencing auditory nerve loss that is not picked up by conventional hearing tests.

An international study group has identified how three novel genes cause neurodevelopmental disorders.

A new study has demonstrated that a novel treatment is effective in most patients with major depressive symptoms even after multiple failed courses of antidepressant medication. The treatment, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), may work even more rapidly than past findings have suggested, starting to alleviate symptoms as quickly as one week.

Finally this week, newborn babies can perceive the beat in music, new research has confirmed.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

November 25, 2023November 25, 2023Leave a comment

Researchers have investigated the shared and unique neural processes that underlie different types of long-term memory: general semantic, personal semantic, and episodic memory, suggesting that these memory types all use the same network of the brain, rather than relying on different areas of the brain altogether. This questions a previous theory that characterizes general semantic and episodic memory as two distinct systems. Instead, the authors suggest that different long-term memory types could be viewed as a spectrum, where they rely on activating the same areas of the brain at differing magnitudes.

Scientists can now pinpoint where someone’s eyes are looking just by listening to their ears.

Using a specialized device that translates images into sound, neuroscientists have shown that people who are blind recognize basic faces using the part of the brain known as the fusiform face area, a region that is crucial for the processing of faces in sighted people.

People with long COVID exhibit patterns of changes in the brain that are different from fully recovered COVID-19 patients, according to new research.

What is the mechanism that allows our brains to incorporate new information about the world, and form memories? New work led by Dr. Tomás Ryan from Trinity College Dublin shows that learning occurs through the continuous formation of new connectivity patterns between specific engram cells in different regions of the brain.

New research indicates that acoustic stimulation of the brain may ease persistent symptoms in individuals who have experienced mild traumatic brain injury in the past.

Scientists have discovered that Alzheimer’s-related changes in brain networks extend beyond memory and attention, impacting sensory and motor circuits. These findings challenge previous assumptions about Alzheimer’s effects.

A pivotal discovery in addiction science has found a correlation between microstructural deficits in the prefrontal cortex-habenula tract and the development and maintenance of addiction.

Researchers have unveiled a pioneering technique for charting the intricate conversations occurring within our brains. Such insights are key to decoding behavioral alterations in neurological disease patients. The innovative tool, CaMPARI, allows scientists to witness brain activity in real-time, marking active neurons red and inactive ones green. This breakthrough could offer pathways to better treatments and understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

A team of neuroscientists has found evidence suggesting that the neural development of babies still in the womb is impacted by the language they hear spoken by their mothers as they carry them.

A new study has discovered a link between a new gene pathway and structural brain anomalies in some people who stutter into adulthood, opening up promising research avenues to enhance the understanding of persistent developmental stuttering.

Finally this week, researchers have developed a tool that simplifies the identification of errors in neural networks used for image recognition.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

November 18, 2023Leave a comment

(A) Brain regions where spectra were measured (yellow box) (B) 1H MR spectrum in the hippocampus: Hippocampal taurine signal shown at 3.4 ppm (arrow). Black line: actual measured spectrum. Red line: LCModel fitting spectrum. Credit: Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI)

For the first time, a research team in Korea has discovered there is a significant relationship between depression and the taurine concentration in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning functions. This discovery provides the opportunity to publicize the role and importance of taurine in future prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of depression.

A recent study reveals that individuals who experienced childhood adversity, such as neglect or abuse, faced higher chances of COVID-19 hospitalization or mortality in adulthood.

Time spent watching television or playing computer games has measurable and long-term effects on children’s brain function, according to a review of 23 years of neuroimaging research, which—while showing negative impacts—also demonstrates some positive effects.

A first-of-its-kind study has identified overactive inflammation and loss of critical protection mechanisms in the brain as potential contributors to suicide risk.

An international team of scientists has uncovered the vital role of microglia, the immune cells in the brain that acts as its dedicated defense team, in early human brain development. By incorporating microglia into lab-grown brain organoids, scientists were able mimic the complex environment within the developing human brain to understand how microglia influence brain cell growth and development.

A novel study finds a link between childhood physical fitness and cerebellar grey matter volume in adolescents.

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified new scoring criteria allowing for the detection of treatable forms of rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) with reasonably high confidence during a patient’s first clinical visit. This scoring criteria may allow physicians to substantially reduce the time it takes to begin treatment. The findings are published in the Annals of Neurology.

A new sudy has identified the top three genes responsible for traumatic brain injury complications.

Researchers have made a discovery that sheds light on how our brain cells manage to efficiently replace older proteins. This process is crucial for maintaining effective neural communication and ensuring optimal cognitive function.

A pair of studies has uncovered novel cellular mechanisms that are involved in two types of genetic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research, psychological assessments indicated that people who regularly use cannabis, or marijuana, tend to have a greater understanding of the emotions of others. Brain imaging tests also revealed that cannabis users’ anterior cingulate—a region generally affected by cannabis use and related to empathy—had stronger connectivity with brain regions related to sensing the emotional states of others within one’s own body.

Finally this week, researchers have unearthed the genetic connection between the heart and brain related to fainting spells.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

November 10, 2023November 10, 2023Leave a comment

Researchers have identified important new methods for accurately identifying possible biomarkers in adolescent brains that can reliably predict cognitive developments and psychiatric issues.

A new study has examined the neural processes underlying odor processing in the human olfactory system and how the brain handles odor information from different nostrils and details the finding that each nostril has its own sense of smell, recording a distinct representation of the odor information it encounters.

A groundbreaking discovery suggests that dendrites could be pivotal in learning processes and may even influence our understanding of brain states and degenerative diseases.

A new study reveals the brain’s swift response to human errors compared to unintended outcomes. The study found that the brain recognizes an error within one second and then engages in a longer process to prevent future errors. This process was absent when the outcome wasn’t a direct result of an action, indicating a specialized error-awareness mechanism in the brain.

Researchers have identified new therapeutic targets for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), an incurable brain disorder with symptoms mimicking Parkinson’s and dementia.

A speech prosthetic developed by a collaborative team of neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, and engineers can translate a person’s brain signals into what they’re trying to say. The new technology might one day help people unable to talk due to neurological disorders regain the ability to communicate through a brain-computer interface.

It’s been debated for decades, but now researchers have suggested that left-handedness is not linked to better spatial skills.

A new study sheds light on when adolescents start thinking like adults. Researchers found that executive function, critical for task-switching and focus, typically matures around 18 years old. Drawing from over 10,000 participants and multiple datasets, this large-scale study offers a developmental chart for teen cognitive growth. These findings are invaluable for education, psychiatry, and the judicial system.

Emerging research underscores the profound connection between mental health and heart disease, with depression and anxiety hastening the onset of cardiovascular risk factors.

Researchers have discovered a potential link between the microbe C. perfringens and the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study hints at the prospect of developing a vaccine or alternative treatments in the near future.

In a new study, researchers use a very large dataset to identify predictive brain imaging-based biomarkers of mental illness in adolescents.

Using advanced brain scanning technology, a research team has revealed insights into what happens in the brain during an advanced form of meditation called jhana. By uncovering distinct patterns of activity in different regions of the brain during jhana, the research suggests exciting possibilities for innovative therapies merging ancient meditation practices with modern neuroscience to improve well-being.

Finally this week, new research suggests your biological age, more than the years you’ve lived, may predict your risk of dementia and stroke in the future.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

November 3, 2023November 3, 2023Leave a comment

Acetylcholine wave traveling from lateral (L) to medial (M) in the striatum Credit: Dr. Joshua Goldberg, Prof. Jeffery Wickens, Dr. Nicolas Tristch

A new study unveils the existence of traveling waves of the neurochemical acetylcholine in the striatum, a region of the brain responsible for motivating actions and habitual behaviors.

Researchers have conducted a study aimed at better understanding the patterns in neural network communication associated with ‘bad’ decisions made while gambling. Their paper, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, shows that different types of ‘bad’ decisions made while gambling, namely avoidant and approach decisions, are associated with distinct neural communication patterns.

What determines how a teenager’s brain is structured and how it evolves? Researchers have established a close link between brain activity and a maturation process called cortical thinning.

Researchers have found COVID-19 does not appear to cause direct brain damage or viral invasion. In blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples, no abnormal biomarkers were found. The findings thus suggest that post-COVID condition is not the result of ongoing infection, immune activation, or brain damage.

A recent study finds differences in functional brain connectivity in people with and without psychosis and schizophrenia that could help researchers understand the neural underpinnings of this disease.

Brain health in people over age 50 deteriorated more rapidly during the pandemic, even if they didn’t have COVID-19, according to major new research linking the pandemic to sustained cognitive decline. The cognitive decline seems to have been exacerbated by several factors during the pandemic, including an increase in loneliness and depression, a decrease in exercise, and higher alcohol consumption.

Prenatal lead exposure is associated with an increased risk for cognitive developmental delay in children, according to a new study.

Children who are too short for their age can suffer reduced cognitive ability arising from differences in brain function as early as six months of age, according to new research. Stunted growth had previously been linked with poor cognitive outcomes later in life, but this is the first time that this association has been found in infancy. It is also the first time stunted growth has been linked to functional differences in how the brain works in early development.

Finally this week, researchers have developed a new method for mapping how the parts of the brain “speak” to each other, critical to understanding behavior changes in patients with neurological disease.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

October 28, 2023October 28, 2023Leave a comment

An international team of researchers has published a digital atlas showing how the normative maturation of the fetal brain occurs between 14 – 31 weeks’ gestation, a critical developmental period.

New findings suggest that measuring changes in how pupils react to light could help predict recovery from depression and personalize transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment of major depressive disorder.

A new study has found the influence of language on human thinking could be stronger than previously assumed.

Scientists at Imperial College London are leading the development and testing of a new method of stimulating the brain, which could provide an alternative treatment for brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and its associated memory loss.

Researchers report neural signaling during online exchanges is considerably reduced compared to face-to-face conversation.

Two different regions of the brain are critical to integrating semantic information while reading, which could shed more light on why people with aphasia have difficulty with semantics, according to new research.

Finally this week, researchers in Canada have examined what type of music helps to dampen pain perception.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

October 20, 2023Leave a comment

*Study summary graphic. Credit: Mount Sinai Health System*

A team of researchers has created the first “multiome” atlas of brain cell development in the human cerebral cortex across six broad developmental time points from fetal development into adulthood, shedding new light on their roles during brain development and disease.

A new study links rhythmic oscillations in ovarian hormone levels in women during the menstrual cycle to changes in brain structure.

Researchers at Monash University have identified a new way of mapping ‘phosphenes’—the visual perception of the bright flashes we see when no light is entering the eye—to improve the outcome of surgery for patients receiving a cortical visual prosthesis (‘bionic eye’).

A newly published atlas offers the most detailed maps yet of the location, structure, and, in some cases, function of more than 3,000 types of brain cells.

Researchers have analyzed more than a million human brain cells to produce detailed maps of gene switches in brain cell types and revealed the links between specific types of cells and various common neuropsychiatric disorders.

A new study shows that teenagers with OCD experience deficits in decision-making and behavioral control. This is linked to abnormal activity in an area of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).

Severe inflammation in early childhood is a clinically known risk factor for developing autism and schizophrenia. Now, for the first time, scientists have discovered that inflammation alters the development of vulnerable brain cells, and this could have mechanistic links to neurodevelopmental disorders. This finding could lead to treatments for many different childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders.

Scientists have discovered widespread differences in metal levels in the brains of patients with Huntington’s disease, a type of dementia, compared to a control group with healthy tissue.

In two parallel projects, researchers have been involved in creating the most comprehensive atlases of human brain cells to date. The two studies provide clues on different brain diseases and give hope for medical advancements in the future, such as new cancer drugs.

In a suite of new studies, a large consortium of researchers shares new knowledge about the cells that make up our brains and the brains of other primates.

The brains of people who reduce their drinking, as well as of people who quit drinking entirely, have greater volume in certain regions than people who drink more heavily, according to a new study of adults treated for alcohol use disorder.

Sleeping patterns and stress hormones could be the key to understanding how and when people with epilepsy are likely to experience seizures, a new study reveals.

New research has found molecular evidence highlighting important sex differences in the brains of people with major depressive disorder, with evidence of changes occurring specifically in the female brain, but not in males.

Finally this week, new research has found that MRI scans can reveal the parts of the brain that are involved in responding to fatty foods.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

September 13, 2019Leave a comment

A team of neuroscientists from Göttingen and Tehran has shown. how our brain combines visual features to achieve a unified percept.

Research published in the journal Cerebral Cortex has shown that stronger functional connectivity—that is, communication among neurons in various networks of the brain—is linked to youthful memory in older adults. Those with superior memories—called superagers—have the strongest connectivity.

Scientists have found a link between brain’s emotion circuit and movement.

High-fat diets are not only bad for your waistline, they are also bad for your brain health. A new study reveals high-fat diets contribute to hypothalamic inflammation which occurs long before symptoms of obesity arise.

Patients with schizophrenia show increased brain activity in central areas of the brain, but lower activity in the temporal sulcus when hearing metaphors.

Researchers have developed a system that measures a patient’s pain level by analyzing brain activity from a portable neuroimaging device. The system could help doctors diagnose and treat pain in unconscious and noncommunicative patients, which could reduce the risk of chronic pain that can occur after surgery.

Finally this week, a new study reports maternal marijuana use may be detrimental to the brain development of children.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

July 7, 2017Leave a comment

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Practicing paying attention can boost performance on a new task, and change the way the brain processes information, a new study says. This might explain why learning a new skill can start out feeling grueling, but eventually feels more natural — although right now, the study’s findings are limited to a simple pattern-recognition game.

A new study reports traumatic brain injury is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia in people of working age.

According to researchers, the ability to assess memory quality appears in children, and metamemory continues to improve beyond childhood into adolescence. The findings could provide new insights into effective learning methods and assist teachers to devise new educational strategies.

Researchers report harmful plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease may build up in the brain as a result of high blood pressure and decreased cerebral blood flow.

A new paper may help answer some questions as to why some infants die suddenly. Looking at blood samples from infants who had died of SIDS, researchers discover 31% of the children had elevated levels of serotonin. The researchers concluded that abnormal serotonin metabolism could indicate an underlying vulnerability that increases SIDS risk.

Using musical cues to learn a physical task significantly develops an important part of the brain, according to a new study.

Poor sleep may be a sign that people who are otherwise healthy may be more at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life than people who do not have sleep problems, according to a study published in Neurology. Researchers have found a link between sleep disturbances and biological markers for Alzheimer’s disease found in the spinal fluid.

A new study reports that listening to something while looking in a different direction may slow reaction times and increase the effort for auditory attention.

Finally, this week, higher intelligence (IQ) in childhood is associated with a lower lifetime risk of major causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, smoking-related cancers, respiratory disease and dementia, finds a study published by The BMJ.