Category: dementia

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Temporally removed goals activated the left anterior hippocampus and current goals activated the left posterior hippocampus. a Activation maps for the contrasts comparing the remote (distant future + near future + distant past + near past) > current are overlaid in yellow. b Activation maps for the contrasts comparing the current > remote are overlaid in green. c Activation for the temporally removed goals (yellow) and the current goals (green) shown concurrently on the brain. d The same goal, for instance fixing the space helmet, was anatomically dissociated along the longitudinal axis based on whether it was currently relevant, or relevant at a point removed in time. The left hippocampal region of interest (ROI) is displayed in white. Credit: Nature Communications (2024).

How does our brain distinguish between urgent and less urgent goals? Researchers have explored how our brain remembers and adjusts the goals we set for ourselves on a daily basis.

Ever heard just a snippet of a song and instantly known what comes next? Or picked up the rhythm of a chorus after just a few notes? New research has uncovered what happens in our brain when we recognize and predict musical sequences.

A new study provides the first anatomical, functional representation of the ocular surface in the central nervous system.

In a small study, researchers have discovered how a set of genes could cause neurons to die in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The results, published in Nature Aging, provide insight into the root causes of ALS and may lead to new ways to halt disease progression.

New research shows that the brains of sighted and blind people adapt in a similar way when they learn to use sound echoes to understand the world without vision.

People with type 2 diabetes who are treated with GLP-1 agonists, like Ozempic have a decreased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

A class of drugs already on the market to lower blood pressure appears to reduce adults’ risk of developing epilepsy, a team of researchers has discovered.

In a recent study, a Yale-led research team described for the first time a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome that begins affecting patients during infancy and typically causes developmental delays, severe seizures, cardiac dysrhythmia, and recurring infection.

Using sound to stimulate certain brain waves has the potential to help those with dementia or cognitive decline sleep better, reveals a new study.

Not all patients with depression respond to medication. Two recently published studies provide additional information on how an alternative treatment, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), could be further enhanced. TMS differs from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which is also used to treat depression.

New research provides insights into the brain regions involved in paranoia.

A new study reveals variations of the visual saltation illusion, where rapid light flashes in peripheral vision create perceptual errors. The study shows that our brains misplace the second flash near the midpoint, regardless of its actual position. This finding challenges our understanding of visual processing and questions the reliability of eyewitness testimony. The research opens doors for further studies on visual perception and attention.

Researchers worldwide can now create highly realistic brain cortical organoids—essentially miniature artificial brains with functioning neural networks—thanks to a newly released proprietary protocol.

A new study reveals that a balanced ratio of neural excitation (E) and inhibition (I) is crucial for brain development and cognitive performance. Researchers found that lower E/I ratios in children correlate with better memory and intelligence. This balance is vital for preventing brain disorders and was measured using a novel AI and MRI technique. The findings could inform personalized treatments for mental health conditions.

A new ultra-high-performance brain PET system allows for the direct measurement of brain nuclei as never before seen or quantified.

Tau positron emission tomography (PET) has the best performance as a standalone marker for prediction of progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia, according to a study published online in JAMA Neurology.

Murdoch University’s Center for Healthy Aging is identifying new interventions to treat resting tremor in people with Parkinson’s disease.

New research reveals that sildenafil (Viagra) enhances brain blood flow and improves blood vessel function in patients at risk of vascular dementia. This study marks a significant advancement in addressing this condition.

Finally, this week, do our brains process natural voices and deepfake voices differently? Research conducted at the University of Zurich indicates that this is the case.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Reading Pleasure and Pain from the Brain

Functional brain networks that are connected to the affective intensity and valence information. Left: The affective valence information is connected to the limbic and default mode networks, and the affective intensity information is connected to the ventral attention network. Right: The probability that the affective intensity and valence is connected to each of seven functional brain networks. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024).

A team of researchers has revealed how the brain processes emotional information of sustained pain and pleasure.

Scientists have uncovered the inner relay of a molecular switch that protects the brain against the development of Parkinson’s disease. The research provides new potential strategies to develop drugs that may benefit patients with Parkinson’s.

Brain-to-brain technology boosts brain-computer interface performance, a new study demonstrates.

Researchers have identified, for the first time, disease-specific reduction in emotional expressivity in Lewy body dementia by quantifying vocal expression of emotions using deep neural network techniques. This reduction in vocal emotional expressions was associated with cognitive impairment and specific brain region atrophy and could serve as a distinguishing factor for individuals with Lewy body dementia.

A new study finds the timing of brain waves shapes the words we hear.

New research has given a precise picture of young children’s developing brains, using a wearable brain scanner to map electrical brain activity. The work opens up new possibilities for tracking how critical developmental milestones, like walking and talking, are underpinned by changing brain function, and how neurodevelopmental conditions like autism emerge.

A new AI technique can identify seizure types, including rare forms of epilepsy.

A new study reveals that a poor quality diet may lead to brain changes associated with depression and anxiety. Researchers found that unhealthy eating habits reduce grey matter and alter neurotransmitter levels in the brain.

Research sheds new light on the contribution of dopamine to reinforcement learning.

A new study uncovered neural mechanisms used in planning, revealing an interplay between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The study shows how the brain imagines future outcomes to guide decisions.

Losing the ability to smell properly—a common sensory deficit as people age—may help predict or even contribute to the development of heart failure, new research suggests.

A new study reveals that the main psychoactive component in cannabis or marijuana disrupts the normal connections and activity of the brain’s prefrontal cortex, a region that is crucial for decision-making and self-control.

Finally this week, people tend to underutilize their visual working memory rather than maxing out its capabilities according to new research.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Credit: Nature Neuroscience(2024).

Researchers at University of Cambridge and other institutes worldwide recently carried out a study that linked gene expression in healthy brains to the imaging, transcriptomics and genetics of autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Their paper, published in Nature Neuroscience, unveiled three distinct spatial patterns of cortical gene expression each with specific associations to autism and schizophrenia

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that physical activity may reduce cardiovascular disease risk by lowering stress-related brain activity.

A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Yale University incorporated generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create a foundational model for brain activity. The Brain Language Model (BrainLM) was developed to model the brain in silico and to determine how brain activities are related to human behavior and brain diseases.

Using MRI, engineers have found a way to detect light deep in the brain.

Stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one or divorce, put a person at greater risk of developing dementia in later life, a recent study has found. But only if the stressful event happened in childhood or midlife.

Our brains process odours differently depending on the names assigned to them, according to new research. 

People with neurological disease have a greater chance of death after contracting COVID-19, according to a new study. The research also confirms a higher risk of developing new neurological disorders after COVID infection.

Children who experience chronic lack of sleep from infancy may be at increased risk of developing psychosis in early adulthood, new research shows. 

A team of brain specialists at the California Institute of Technology has developed a brain–computer interface approach to decode words “spoken” entirely in the brain by recording signals from individual neurons in real time.

A new study shows that the cerebellum is involved in processing emotions, with implications for ataxia care.

A research team has revealed the link between the frequency of sleep apnea events during the rapid-eye-movement stage and the severity of verbal memory impairment in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Verbal memory refers to the cognitive ability to retain and recall information presented through spoken words or written text and is particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.

Results from a recent neuroplasticity study show how singing rehabilitates speech production in post-stroke aphasia.

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in explaining the propagation of traveling waves of activity in the human brain using a computer simulation. Previous studies indicate that these waves are important for various cognitive functions such as memory.

A new publication in Scientific Reports unveils a promising non-opioid pain treatment.

Repeated blows to the heads of football players can damage the small blood vessels of the brain, according to research by scientists who believe this damage may contribute to brain dysfunction in some athletes years after play has ended.

New research has shed light in the complex interplay between cell proteins, and how they impact on neurons in neurodevelopmental disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.

Artificial intelligence (AI) computer programs that process MRI results show differences in how the brains of men and women are organized at a cellular level, a new study shows. These variations were spotted in white matter, tissue primarily located in the human brain’s innermost layer, which fosters communication between regions.

Finally, this week, climate change, and its effects on weather patterns and adverse weather events is likely to negatively affect the health of people with brain conditions.