Category: dementia

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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The four sensory networks of the brain network partition. The partition comprises four sensory networks, with the somatomotor network encompassing the somatosensory cortex. The thalamus contains parcels of each sensory network. Credit: Molecular Psychiatry (2024).

Researchers have uncovered a potential new biomarker for psychosis diagnosis.

A new approach to analyzing brain scans could help researchers better understand psychiatric illness using much smaller groups of patients than previously thought necessary, potentially accelerating the development of more precise mental health treatments.

A new study reveals how specific brain cells called interneurons can act as our in-built traffic controllers. The findings are published in the journal PLOS Biology.

Younger and middle-aged patients seem to be disproportionately affected by neurologic manifestations of post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (Neuro-PASC), according to a study published in the Annals of Neurology.

Investigators have defined new biologic and clinical biomarkers for better identifying patients with different stages of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

Researchers have developed the most detailed 3D computational models of key brain regions, including the hippocampus and sensory cortices, to better understand their roles in memory formation and connectivity.

Healing the gut may be the key to improving long-term recovery in stroke patients, scientists at Texas A&M University have found.

New research provides critical insights into the role of sleep in motor learning for individuals recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study sheds light on how sleep, specifically a short nap, influences brain activity associated with motor skill improvement, with implications for optimizing rehabilitation strategies.

A recent study of high school football players found that concussions affect an often-overlooked but important brain signal.

Researchers have uncovered that stress changes how our brain encodes and retrieves aversive memories, and discovered a promising new way to restore appropriate memory specificity in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Cognitive neuroscientists at Trinity College Dublin have published new research describing a brand new approach to making habit change achievable and lasting.

A new study uncovers constant communication between the human brain’s social cognitive network, responsible for understanding others’ thoughts, and the amygdala, known for processing fear and emotions. High-resolution brain scans revealed that this connection helps the brain integrate emotional importance into social interactions. This insight could lead to non-invasive treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for anxiety and depression by targeting these regions. The findings highlight how evolutionary brain expansion enhances social understanding while linking it to ancient emotional processing centers.

Neuroscientists have demonstrated that dopamine and serotonin work in opposition to shape learning.

Researchers have identified a novel role for the brain’s ‘locus coeruleus’ in sleep and its disruptions. This brain region facilitates the transition between NREM and REM sleep states while maintaining an unconscious vigilance toward the external world. Stress disrupts its functions and negatively impacts on sleep quality.

A future treatment for Alzheimer disease may involve a nasal spray. 

A new method to profile gene activity in the living human brain has been developed by researchers at FutureNeuro, the Research Ireland Center for Translational Brain Science and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, in collaboration with international partners. This innovative approach, published in JCI Insight, opens new avenues for understanding and treating neurological conditions such as epilepsy.

A study led by the University of Glasgow has revealed differences in the brains of pediatric and adult patients that might explain the sometimes catastrophic outcomes seen in children following a traumatic brain injury.

Finally this week, new research has examined the relationship of emotion regulation to real-world responses to stress to better understand stress-related increases in suicide risk in depression.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Large-scale functional networks are embedded along two principal gradients. Credit: Nature Neuroscience (2024).

Scientists have uncovered how different types of brain cells work together to form large-scale functional networks in the human brain—interconnected systems that support everything from sensory processing to complex decision-making—paving the way for new insights into brain health and disease.

A new neuroimaging marker of cerebral small vessel disease is related to general cognition and may serve to identify persons at risk of dementia in future clinical trials, a landmark study has found.

A recent study reveals that the genetic mutation causing Huntington’s disease (HD) enhances brain development and intelligence in early life, but leads to degeneration in adulthood. Children with the HD gene exhibit larger brains and higher IQs than those without the mutation.

In what could one day become a new treatment for epilepsy, researchers have used pulses of light to prevent seizure-like activity in neurons.

A team of researchers has found that certain factors are linked to faster brain shrinkage and quicker progression from normal thinking abilities to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). People with type 2 diabetes and low levels of specific proteins in their cerebrospinal fluid showed more rapid brain changes and developed MCI sooner than others.

A new study explores how brain waves reflect melody predictions while listening to music.

Neuroscientists have identified the binding site of low-dose ketamine, providing critical insight into how the medication, often described as a wonder drug, alleviates symptoms of major depression in as little as a few hours with effects lasting for several days.

New research indicates that cannabis use causes cellular damage that increases the risk of highly cancerous tumors by disrupting mitochondria and damaging DNA. 

Fampridine, used for improving walking in multiple sclerosis, may also enhance working memory in individuals with schizophrenia or depression. A study found that the drug significantly improved working memory in participants with initially poor performance, but had no effect on those with strong baseline memory.

A recent study links satellite and brain imaging data to identify how environmental factors can impact mental health, cognition and brain development in young people.

A new Alzheimer’s test collects just a few drops of blood from a finger prick, which can be mailed to a lab for analysis. The test measures biomarkers like pTau217 and has shown similar accuracy to traditional venous blood sampling.

Children born to mothers who take antiseizure medications during pregnancy may face increased risks of neurodevelopmental conditions, according to new data.

Researchers have shed light on the puzzling relationship between dopamine and rest tremor in Parkinson’s disease, finding that preserved dopamine in certain brain regions may actually contribute to tremor symptoms, challenging common beliefs.

New research has revealed the diverse assembly and regulation of Type-A GABA receptors (GABAARs), which are crucial for balancing brain activity. 

A recent study has found fascinating similarities in how the human brain and artificial intelligence models process language. The research, published in Nature Communications, suggests that the brain, like AI systems such as GPT-2, may use a continuous, context-sensitive embedding space to derive meaning from language, a breakthrough that could reshape our understanding of neural language processing.

A team of researchers has investigated the composition and communication of cells in so-called subcortical lesions, tissue damage to deep brain structures at different stages of multiple sclerosis.

Care for stroke survivors urgently needs to focus on non-motor skill outcomes such as fatigue, anxiety and reduced social participation to improve survivors’ quality of life and minimize care needs, according to a new study.

An international research collaboration has discovered how unusual spherical structures form in the brains of people with a mutation that causes a form of inherited Alzheimer’s disease. 

A new study identifies previously hidden brain network patterns in schizophrenia by focusing on nonlinear connectivity, offering potential biomarkers for early diagnosis. Traditional imaging methods often overlook these patterns, but researchers developed advanced statistical tools to uncover this new dimension of brain organization.

Finally this week, research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has identified several community-level factors that may increase people’s risk of experiencing cognitive impairment.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Functional MRI before and after HBOT. Credit: The Shamir Medical Center

Researchers have demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) improves the condition of PTSD sufferers who have not responded to psychotherapy or psychiatric medications.

Scientists have discovered for the first time a neural mechanism for memory integration that stretches across both time and personal experience. These findings, reported in Nature, demonstrate how memories stored in neural ensembles in the brain are constantly being updated and reorganized with salient information, and represent an important step in deciphering how our memories stay current with the most recently available information.

An international study has found frailty increases a person’s risk of dementia, but early intervention may be the key to prevention.

Neuroscientists have discovered brain cells that form multiple coordinate systems to tell us “where we are” in a sequence of behaviours. The findings help us understand the algorithms used by the brain to flexibly generate complex behaviors, such as planning and reasoning, and might be useful in understanding how such processes go wrong in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia.

New research finds that even single bouts of intense exercise can improve cognitive performance in young adults, particularly in memory, attention, and executive functioning. 

By scanning the brains of people while they watched movie clips, neuroscientists have created the most detailed functional map of the brain to date. The fMRI analysis, published in Neuron, shows how different brain networks light up when participants viewed short clips from a range of independent and Hollywood films, including Inception, The Social Network, and Home Alone.

Asthma is associated with memory difficulties in children, and early onset of asthma may exacerbate memory deficits, according to a new study.

Older adults with significant fluctuations in cholesterol levels are at increased risk for dementia and cognitive decline, even without medication changes. Researchers studied nearly 10,000 older adults, tracking their cholesterol levels and cognitive function over six years. High variability in total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol was associated with a 60% increase in dementia and 23% increase in cognitive decline.

Scientists have successfully reprogrammed astroglia, a type of brain support cell, into neurons that mimic specific interneurons critical for brain function.

Exercise has been shown to improve brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia over the long-term. But engaging in everyday physical activity has immediate benefits for brain health, according to a new study.

A team of researchers has identified a potential biomarker of Parkinson’s disease progression.

New research highlights neuroglia (or glia cells) as critical players in mental health, potentially influencing conditions like depression and schizophrenia. Glia cells, long considered “support cells” in the brain, have now been shown to communicate through unique calcium signaling, impacting neuronal function and stress responses. Studies suggest that compromised astrocyte function, a glial cell type, may relate to depressive symptoms and schizophrenia.

Using deep brain stimulation techniques, neuroscientists are looking for early signals in the brain to help stop seizures.

A study investigated how cannabis use influences metabolomic patterns linked to psychotic-like experiences in adolescents. Blood samples revealed that non-cannabis users showed inflammatory metabolic changes associated with hallucinations, while cannabis users exhibited shifts in energy-related metabolites tied to brain ketogenesis.

Finally this week, a new study links satellite data with brain imaging to reveal how environmental factors like light pollution, green spaces, and urban density affect the mental health and brain development of children.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Cerebral networks and reciprocal connectivity between the cerebellum and cerebrum, supporting social and emotional learning. Credit: Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2024).

A recent publication in Nature Reviews Neuroscience sheds light on the often-overlooked role of the cerebellum in both motor and social-cognitive processes.

New research has shown that Alzheimer’s disease impacts the brain in two primary phases: an early, gradual phase that damages select cell types and a late phase marked by rapid, widespread damage as symptoms emerge.

Playing video games may boost your cognitive abilities and exercise can improve your mental health, but not the other way around, a large-scale study has found.

A large meta-analysis of over 600,000 people shows that experiencing loneliness significantly raises the risk of developing dementia by 31%. Researchers found that loneliness is a key factor in cognitive decline, contributing to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, regardless of age or sex.

Researchers have found that senescent cells—non-dividing “zombie” cells—accumulate in the skin as people age and may influence aging in other parts of the body.

A new study reveals that visual clutter alters how information flows between neurons in the brain’s primary visual cortex, but not the order in which it’s processed. Researchers found that the efficiency of information transfer changes depending on the location of clutter in the visual field.

An innovative study, published in Nature Communications, reveals the mechanism behind two seemingly contradictory effects of fear memories: the inability to forget yet the difficulty to recall.

After only one to three days of a whiplash injury, scientists can predict which patients will develop chronic pain based on the extent of cross “talk” between two regions of the brain, and the person’s anxiety level after the injury, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

Women who began an aerobic exercise program during chemotherapy for breast cancer reported improved cognitive function and quality of life compared to those who received standard care. 

A new study reveals that setting reminders can eliminate some age-related declines in memory. The findings offer a significant breakthrough in addressing the cognitive challenges faced by older adults, particularly in the context of prospective memory, which is the ability to remember to perform an intended action at the right moment, like taking medication or attending appointments.

Concussion researchers have recognized a new concussion sign that could identify up to 33% of undiagnosed concussions. 

In a study published in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, Concordia researchers use neuroimaging methods to examine brain resilience in regions of the brain linked to language and aging. They found that the hippocampus in bilinguals with Alzheimer’s disease was noticeably larger than those who were monolingual when matched for age, education, cognitive function and memory.

People in early middle age who have poor sleep quality, including having difficulty falling or staying asleep, have more signs of poor brain health in late middle age, according to a recent study.

New research shows that prolonged mental exertion weakens connectivity between the brain’s frontal and parietal lobes, impacting cognitive efficiency. However, the brain has built-in compensatory mechanisms that adjust neural connections to preserve function under fatigue.

Finally this week, cannabis use may lead to thinning of the cerebral cortex in adolescents, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience.


Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Mapped is the proportion of participants with a high rate of atrophy in cortical (left) and subcortical (right) areas. AD, Alzheimer’s disease; MCI, mild cognitive impairment. Credit: Alzheimer’s & Dementia (2024).

The way in which brains shrink in those who develop Alzheimer’s disease follows no specific or uniform pattern, finds a new study by researchers at UCL and Radboud University in the Netherlands.

A McGill University study has shown that hearing plays a crucial role in how people coordinate and control speech movements in real-time. Published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, the research shows that when people cannot hear their own speech, even briefly, their ability to move their jaw and tongue in a coordinated manner is impaired.

Recent research offers novel insights about the biological mechanisms behind major depressive disorder and especially on the role of the immune system.

A new analysis from Imperial’s human challenge study of COVID-19 has revealed subtle differences in the memory and cognition scores of healthy volunteers infected with SARS-CoV-2, which lasted up to a year after infection. The findings, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, show a small but measurable difference following highly intensive cognitive testing of 18 healthy young people with infection compared to those who did not become infected, monitored under controlled clinical conditions

A simple scoring system may help doctors predict which patients will likely become seizure-free after minimally invasive epilepsy surgery.

The European Commission has released the 10-year assessment of the Human Brain Project (HBP), an EU-Flagship initiative that concluded in 2023. The report highlights that the HBP made major contributions and had a transformative impact on brain research. One of the main outcomes of the HBP is EBRAINS, the open research infrastructure that continues to push neuroscience research forward.

A new, large study from France underscores the link between adult hearing loss and dementia. In addition, hearing loss is linked to loss of volume in critical areas of the brain.

Scientists are investigating the extraordinary longevity of neurons, which can survive for over 90 years, in a new research project. The findings could not only improve understanding of neural aging but also lead to treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS. The research could potentially expand beyond neurons, offering insights into extending the health span of other cell types.

Bright light therapy is an effective adjunctive treatment for nonseasonal depressive disorder, according to a review published in JAMA Psychiatry.

A recent study has shown that conscious thought relies on synchronized brain rhythms to maintain communication between sensory and cognitive brain regions. Under general anesthesia, this rhythm-based communication breaks down, disrupting the brain’s ability to detect and process surprising stimuli.

A new trial reveals that weekly injections of the weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) lowered the risk of death from COVID-19 by about a third and reduced overall mortality by 19%.

In a breakthrough study, researchers have imaged a network of pathways in the human brain believed to clear waste proteins that can lead to Alzheimer’s and dementia. Using advanced MRI techniques, they revealed perivascular channels that guide cerebrospinal fluid through the brain, providing strong evidence of the glymphatic system’s role in waste removal.

New research has discovered that disruptions in the brain’s salience network, often tied to tau protein buildup, correlate strongly with behavioural changes in people with early-stage dementia.

A research team has published a comprehensive review on the application of brain network models (BNMs) in the medical field. This study summarizes recent advances and challenges in using BNMs to simulate brain activities, understand neuropathological mechanisms, evaluate therapeutic effects, and predict disease progression.

New research reveals that immune responses play a crucial role in the formation of Lewy bodies, protein aggregates that mark Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. 

A new study has found microplastics in human brains for the first time, raising concerns about the potential health impact. Researchers analyzed samples from autopsies and discovered an accumulation of plastic particles in brain tissue, likely due to exposure through food, water, and air. Although the study is still in its preliminary stages, it highlights the need for further investigation into the effects of microplastics on brain health. While microplastics have been shown to cause inflammation and damage in laboratory experiments, their long-term impact on human health remains unclear.

Finally this week, researchers are working on a novel gene therapy that holds potential in treating patients with epilepsy.

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Pupillary light reflex (PLR) assessment in open-eye and closed-eye conditions. Credit: Communications Medicine (2024).

A new technological advancement now enables researchers to observe changes in pupil size and gaze direction behind closed eyelids for the first time, using non-contact infrared imaging. This capability is expected to aid in identifying wakefulness states during sleep, anesthesia, and intensive care by monitoring pupil size variations. It could also be instrumental in gauging sedation levels, detecting seizures and nightmares, and acknowledging pain or responsiveness following trauma or within intensive care settings.

Neuroscientists have uncovered serotonin’s role in resilience.

A recent study using artificial intelligence has yielded a new understanding of how the brain anticipates future occurrences and processes data. It was found that the brain’s inherent activity, even in the absence of external stimuli, is crucial to our cognitive and emotional processes.

New research shows that varied cognitive training, rather than repetitive tasks, helps older adults improve working memory.

Scientists have mapped how propofol, a widely used anesthetic, alters brain connectivity to induce unconsciousness. Using fMRI, they found that propofol disrupts connections in the thalamus, reducing complex information processing and limiting sensory integration.

Research on older individuals indicates that vision impairment may be responsible for one in five dementia cases.

A new technology that uses harmless light waves to measure activity in babies’ brains has provided the most complete picture to date of brain functions like hearing, vision and cognitive processing outside a conventional, restrictive brain scanner.

Heat waves can worsen abnormal excitability of the brain in people with epilepsy, finds a new small-scale patient study.

Scientists have developed an innovative approach to studying brain connections using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Recently published in Cell Systems, this work introduces a new way of understanding brain architecture through dynamic functional networks, challenging the traditional static approach.

New research identifies potential therapeutic target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

A new study published in Nature Communications examines how the brain initiates spontaneous actions. In addition to demonstrating how spontaneous action emerges without environmental input, this research has implications for the origins of slow ramping of neural activity before movement onset—a commonly-observed but poorly understood phenomenon.

Researchers have published a novel study exploring the effects of delayed feedback on learning in individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

A breakthrough in medical imaging is making it possible for researchers to observe brain activity during movement and pick up the early signs of disorders that affect brain-to-body coordination, such as Parkinson’s disease.

A new study investigated the origin of ataxia in the brain of patients with stroke and found a significant number of the stroke lesions in the patients were located outside the cerebellum.

Researchers have developed a noninvasive technique that could dramatically improve the way doctors monitor intracranial hypertension, a condition where increased pressure in the brain can lead to severe outcomes like strokes and hemorrhages.

Robotic ‘coaches’ aiding upper limb rehabilitation for stroke and brain injury survivors have been successfully trialed in Vienna, Austria.

Scientists have created a dynamic technique to monitor swift changes in brain activity, particularly those associated with cravings. This method differs from conventional neuroimaging by offering a continuous perspective on the variations in craving intensity. The research revealed that individuals with intense cravings tend to remain longer in brain states that intensify these cravings and do not activate the brain networks that could diminish them.

A recent study highlights the interaction between brain structure and social context, suggesting that some children are more vulnerable to social stressors than others.

With maps of the connections between neurons and artificial intelligence methods, researchers can now do what they never thought possible: predict the activity of individual neurons without making a single measurement in a living brain.

A review highlighting recent advances in genetically encoded fluorescent tools for labeling and selectively manipulating synapses has been published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

Researchers have investigated the correlations between outdoor nighttime light pollution and Alzheimer’s disease, finding that excessive light pollution may elevate the risk of Alzheimer’s, particularly in younger individuals.

Finally this week, brain waves can be manipulated while in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a sleep stage associated with memory and cognition, a new study from the University of Surrey finds. 

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Three modes of salience network expansion in depression. Credit: Nature (2024)

By repeatedly scanning the brains of a small group of patients for a year and a half, researchers have identified a distinct pattern of neuronal interactions that appears to predispose some people to developing depression.

A new study reveals that higher levels of inequality—whether economic, environmental, or health-related—are associated with faster brain aging, particularly in countries with greater disparities. 

Researchers have published a new clinical protocol examining the combination of aerobic exercise and cognitive rehabilitation to improve learning and memory in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have mobility disability.

A new study reveals that the protein Tau – a key player implicated in several neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s disease – also plays a positive role in the brain.

Scientists have revealed new insights into the mechanisms behind cerebral small vessel disease, a condition that affects the smaller blood vessels in the brain and causes approximately half of all dementia cases.

Sports-related concussions may not be associated with long-term cognitive risks for non-professional athletes, a new study suggests.

Researchers have discovered that the Tau protein, often linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, also has a protective role in the brain. Tau helps combat oxidative stress by aiding in the formation of lipid droplets in glial cells, which sequester toxic lipids and protect neurons.

Scientists have developed an integrated optical sensor capable of detecting dopamine directly from an unprocessed blood sample.

A recent study has mapped genes linked to schizophrenia and uncovered a mechanism that disrupts synaptic plasticity in affected individuals. The researchers showed the role of three proteins in mediating the impairments of plasticity in schizophrenia. The findings may hold promise for the development of new treatments.

Finally this week, researchers have identified a protein called OSER1 that plays a key role in regulating longevity, offering new insights into why some people live longer than others. 

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Serotonin changes how people learn and respond to negative information

Selective serotonin releasing agent is not negated by 5-HT1A supersensitivity, resulting in a rapid onset of pro-serotonergic activity. Credit: Nature Communications (2024).

Increasing serotonin can change how people learn from negative information, as well as improving how they respond to it, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications.

A recent review outlines the genetic complexity of schizophrenia, highlighting nearly 300 common genetic variants and over 20 rare variants linked to the disorder. Researchers emphasize that schizophrenia’s genetic basis is multifaceted, involving multiple genes rather than a single cause. Environmental factors like lifestyle and stress also play crucial roles.

Researchers have conducted a study examining the impact of alcohol on the electrical conductivity of the brain, highlighting its sedative effects.

New research indicates that 20% of children with an older sibling diagnosed with autism are also likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with this rate increasing to 36% when there are multiple siblings with ASD.

A new study suggests that the risk of developing dementia in Parkinson’s disease patients may be lower or occur later than previously reported.

An international team of researchers has investigated the neural mechanisms underlying imitative behavior: a phenomenon that facilitates interaction and social cohesion and allows people to engage spontaneously with others. The study—published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)—has uncovered new insights into how the brain regulates this behavior, opening up new perspectives for clinical and therapeutic applications.

Advanced MRI scans, particularly diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), have shown promise in predicting which concussion patients are at risk for long-term symptoms. 

A significant breakthrough in the understanding of sleep mechanism opens new promise for treating sleep disorders and associated neuropsychiatric conditions: Scientists have pinpointed the melatonin receptor MT1 as a crucial regulator of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.

Innovative new research has revealed that the activity of different versions of genes expressed in the brain is associated with the accumulation of the protein tau, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

Finally this week, western classical music can significantly affect brain activity, particularly in people with treatment-resistant depression. By measuring brainwaves and neural imaging, scientists discovered that music synchronizes neural oscillations between brain regions associated with sensory and emotional processing, enhancing mood.

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Coupling between speaker and listener brains. Credit: Neuron / Zada et al.

When two individuals interact, their brain activities tend to synchronize. Previously, it was uncertain how much of this “brain-to-brain coupling” resulted from linguistic information versus other factors like body language or tone of voice. However, researchers reported in the journal Neuron that this coupling during conversation could be modeled by considering the words used and the context of their use.

Worsening air quality and temperature extremes are linked to increased stroke burden, according to a new study.

A team of scientists has pinpointed how different areas of the neuron age differently, with a potential knock-on effect on healthy cell function and the development of neurodegenerative conditions. The paper is published in the journal Aging Cell.

The inflammatory activity in the body caused by rheumatoid arthritis is linked to specific cognitive impairments, finds a small comparative study.

An interdisciplinary team of scientists has found changes in the strength of neural pathways in an area of the brain involved in reward processing and movement coordination when someone has Parkinson’s disease.

New research links diets rich in vitamins and minerals, with low added sugar, to younger biological age.

For patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), seizure duration of 60 to 69 seconds induced by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is associated with the highest remission rates compared with seizure duration of less than 20 seconds, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

A new study reveals that the part of the brain that receives and processes visual information in sighted people develops a unique connectivity pattern in people born blind.

New research finds that specialized MRI scans can detect early brain changes that indicate a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) before significant cognitive decline occurs. Researchers discovered that cortical microstructural changes in the brain closely resemble patterns seen in AD pathology.

A recent study reveals that certain genetic factors may protect against ALS, enabling partial or full recovery. 

A new report highlights that addressing 14 modifiable risk factors from childhood could prevent or delay nearly half of dementia cases. The study identifies high LDL cholesterol and untreated vision loss as new significant risks.

The general anesthetic propofol may hold the keys to developing new treatment strategies for epilepsy and other neurological disorders, according to a new study.

Researchers have developed a computer model that mimics how the hippocampus stores new episodic memories without erasing old ones. The findings reveal insights into how the brain organizes personal experiences and maintains stability despite constant updates. The model shows promise for enhancing our understanding of memory retention and cognitive processing.

Finally this week, new research highlights the critical role of healthy blood vessels in maintaining brain health and addressing age-related cognitive decline.

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Mapping network connectivity to cycles of seizure likelihood. Credit: Nature Medicine (2024)

A team of epilepsy specialists has developed a method to forecast the risk of a seizure within 24 hours. The researchers demonstrated that the surge of brain activity indicative of a seizure is preceded by unusual communication among certain brain regions. By examining a mere 90 seconds of these atypical brain signals, the researchers were able to predict the likelihood of a seizure.

A significant discovery by Australian scientists has the potential to improve the effectiveness of drugs currently used to manage cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study reveals that quick learners of motor skills have distinct brain activity patterns. Using brain-monitoring electrodes, they found that visual processing plays a crucial role in learning new movements. Fast learners showed higher activity in brain regions linked to visual information and muscle movement planning. These findings highlight the importance of vision in acquiring motor skills and its implications for older adults.

Exercising our brains with daily habits like naps and memory workouts, instead of relying on smartphones, can reduce the risk of age-related dementia. 

Star-shaped glial cells, so-called astrocytes, are more than just a supporting cell of the brain. They are actively involved in learning processes and interact with nerve cells. Now scientists are using a biophysical model to clarify how astrocytes interact with nerve cells to regulate rapid adaptation to new information. The results of the study have now been published in Communications Biology.

New research shows that inflammation outside the brain, such as that caused by common infections such as colds and urine infections, is linked to the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Recent advances in the study of proteomes (i.e., the entire range of proteins expressed by human cells and tissues) have opened new opportunities for identifying the biological markers of specific diseases or mental disorders. This could in turn inform the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these medical conditions.

A new experimental cancer drug could ease cognitive difficulties for those with Rett syndrome, a rare autism-linked disorder, by enhancing brain cell functions. 

An MIT study published in Nature provides new evidence for how specific cells and circuits become vulnerable in Alzheimer’s disease, and hones in on other factors that may help some people show resilience to cognitive decline, even amid clear signs of disease pathology.

Neuroscientists have discovered the brain circuitry of placebo effect for pain relief.

A new study demonstrates how the external representation of physiological signals (interoception) can affect our perception of them and teach us how to improve them in order to balance the body in stressful situations, for example. The study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

An interdisciplinary team of scientists has found differences between male and female brain structure in areas associated with decision-making, memory processing and handling emotions.

A new study proposes a novel approach to studying consciousness through behavioural observations and learning curves, highlighting that learning often occurs in sudden leaps, suggesting these “eureka moments” are preceded by conscious cognitive processes.

Finally this week, there is a potential connection between a diagnosis of certain gastrointestinal (GI) syndromes and the formation and rupture of intracranial (brain) aneurysms according to new research.