Category: mental health

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Persistent effects of air pollutants (main effects) from a multi-pollutant model. Credit: Environmental Research (2026)

Scientists warn that exposure to air pollution may have serious implications for a child’s developing brain.

A new study shows that merely imagining a positive encounter with someone can make you like them better by engaging brain regions involved with learning and preference. The findings could have implications for psychotherapy, sports performance and more.

For the first time, a team of researchers has reconstructed how the cerebellum establishes its connections with the rest of the brain during the earliest stages of life.

Social isolation directly causes cognitive function to decline more quickly in later life, independent of whether someone feels lonely. By analysing more than 137,000 cognitive tests from over 30,000 older adults, a new study found that reduced social contact consistently predicted faster cognitive decline across all demographic groups.

Researchers have developed an AI-driven brain model that can track fear as it unfolds in real-world situations, offering a major shift from traditional lab-based approaches.

A new study is challenging a popular theory about how dopamine drives movement, a discovery that could shift how scientists think about Parkinson’s disease treatments. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the research found dopamine does not set the speed or force of each movement, as had been thought. Instead, it appears to serve as the underlying support system that enables movement.

Improvising music could help to improve older people’s cognitive skills, such as learning and memory, according to a new study.

Depression and anxiety may heighten cardiovascular disease risk through chronic stress pathways in the brain and body. In a large analysis of more than 85,000 adults, those with depression or anxiety — especially both — were significantly more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke or heart failure.

A new study has found that people who microdose psychedelics feel better on the days they take them—but those boosts don’t seem to last.

A team of researchers has uncovered, for the first time, how genes linked to autism and intellectual disability may influence early brain development. Their work helps clarify how differences in early brain development contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and could identify more targeted therapies for these conditions.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Credit: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (2025)

A new review highlights five major ways microplastics can harm the brain, raising concerns that they may worsen neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These tiny particles can trigger inflammation, disrupt the blood–brain barrier, generate oxidative stress, impair mitochondria, and damage neurons.

Researchers have mapped how brain networks differ in individuals at Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis, providing a new perspective on the mechanisms underlying the disease onset.

A new study found that variations in the brain’s insulin receptor network affect how women respond to early-life adversity. This effect has a lesser impact in men, suggesting there is a sex-specific process at play.

Dopamine neurons—the cells that drive reward and motivation while we’re awake—become surprisingly active during nonrapid eye movement sleep right after we learn something new.

The human brain processes spoken language in a step-by-step sequence that closely matches how large language models transform text. Using electrocorticography recordings from people listening to a podcast, researchers found that early brain responses aligned with early AI layers, while deeper layers corresponded to later neural activity in regions such as Broca’s area.

In a new leap for neurobiology and bioelectronics, scientists have developed a wireless device that uses light to send information directly to the brain—bypassing the body’s natural sensory pathways.

Young children exposed to unusually high temperatures are less likely to reach basic developmental milestones in literacy and numeracy. Analyzing data from over 19,000 children across multiple countries, the study found that average maximum temperatures above 86 °F were associated with measurable declines in early learning outcomes.

A new study shows that dance can be beneficial in halting the cognitive decline associated with Parkinson’s disease and, for some participants, they even showed signs of improvement.

A research team has developed a new AI foundation model that creatively solved the problem of the “label data shortage,” regarded as the biggest challenge in deep learning-based brain signal analysis. This technology is designed to self-learn brain signals and is gaining attention for its ability to deliver high accuracy with very small amounts of labels.

Semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can help lower the risk of heart and metabolic diseases in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, according to a new study.

A newly discovered biological signal in the blood could help health care teams and researchers better understand how children respond to brain injuries at the cellular level, according to research in the Journal of Neurotrauma.

Neuroscientists have developed a first-of-its-kind method to rapidly produce synchronized, human brain wave-like activity in lab-grown neural networks that can communicate over long distances. 

A new analysis shows that anti-inflammatory medications may help reduce symptoms for a subset of people with depression who also have chronic, low-grade inflammation. By reviewing randomized controlled trials that specifically enrolled individuals with elevated inflammatory markers, researchers found that anti-inflammatory treatments significantly reduced both overall depressive symptoms and anhedonia.

An international study has found that wearable technology could help detect Parkinson’s disease (PD) up to nine years before clinical diagnosis simply by monitoring how people turn when they walk.

Researchers have identified a distinct immuno-inflammatory biomarker across major psychiatric disorders that can be detected using noninvasive brain imaging. Patients exhibiting this brain signature showed systemic inflammation and poorer response to standard treatments.

A preliminary study of people with diabetes suggests that use of glucose-lowering GLP-1 drugs may be linked to a lower risk of developing epilepsy.

A new study proposes that autism arises when genetic vulnerability, an early environmental trigger, and prolonged activation of the cellular stress response align during critical developmental windows. This “three-hit” metabolic model reframes autism as a disorder of disrupted cellular communication and energy metabolism rather than an inevitable genetic outcome.

Finally this week, researchers have discovered how a neural circuit drives relapse after opioid use, a finding that could lead to more effective treatments for opioid use disorders.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Illustration depicting a model of how DA and serotonin cotransmission shapes behaviour through frequency-dependent filtering of D1-MSN axons. Credit: Science Advances (2025)

Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which dopamine, a key brain chemical vital for movement and motivation, can affect brain activity indirectly by boosting serotonin.

New brain imaging research shows that structural damage in schizophrenia spectrum disorders may begin in specific “epicenter” regions before spreading across connected brain networks. Individuals with the condition showed widespread reductions in structural similarity between key cognitive and emotional brain regions.

Researchers have uncovered new insights into how brain wiring differs in children and young adults with autism, offering more precise ways to understand the condition.

There is new hope for people who have lost their smell. Scientists have successfully tested a breakthrough device that lets people detect the presence of certain odors. This innovative system helps them “smell” again by translating odors into feelings (like touch) inside the nose.

Lockdown and social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with increased developmental concerns about young children in Scotland, research suggests.

Researchers have identified two receptors in the brain that control the breakdown of amyloid beta, a substance that accumulates in Alzheimer’s disease. The study could pave the way for future drugs that are both safer and cheaper than current antibody treatments.

Patients with major depressive disorder, including non-responders to first-line antidepressants, may benefit from short-term nitrous oxide treatment.

A new study has achieved a long-standing goal in neuroscience: showing how the brain’s smallest components build the systems that shape thought, emotion and behaviour. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, could transform how scientists understand cognition and aging, as well as mental health disorders like depression and schizophrenia.

Neuroscientists have identified five “major epochs” of brain structure over the course of a human life, as our brains rewire to support different ways of thinking.

New longitudinal research shows that Alzheimer’s disease blood biomarkers rise up to 95 percent faster in people with obesity than in those without. While baseline tests initially appeared lower due to blood dilution, long-term tracking revealed a significantly accelerated build-up of neurodegeneration and amyloid pathology.

Using in-vehicle driving data may be a new way to identify people who are at risk of cognitive decline, according to a study published on November 26, 2025, in Neurology.

Researchers have developed an AI system that can reconstruct fine hand muscle activity using only standard video footage. Traditionally, this type of measurement required intrusive electrodes attached to the skin, but the new method eliminates that need entirely.

A large population analysis found that older adults who received the shingles vaccine were significantly less likely to develop dementia over the following seven years.

A new review explores how episodic memories are formed, stored, and reshaped over time, revealing why our recollections of past events often change. Rather than functioning like fixed files, memories consist of multiple components that can lie dormant until triggered by environmental cues.

Finally this week, a multi-institutional team of researchers report that extensive musical training can steady the body in space, both with and without guiding sounds, during a blindfolded stepping test.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Mesoscale neural mechanisms of binocular rivalry in humans. Credit: Zhang Peng’s group

A research group has revealed how the human brain resolves perceptual conflicts and generates conscious perception through local inhibition in the sensory cortex and feedback integration from the parietal cortex.

A new clinical trial shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) improved symptoms in half of adults with treatment-resistant depression, with one-third reaching remission.

A large-scale analysis of nearly 1,900 children found that those with a family history of substance use disorder show early differences in how their brains transition between activity states, long before any drug exposure. Girls with a family history showed increased transition energy in introspective networks, suggesting greater difficulty shifting out of internal, stress-linked states.

New research shows that spontaneous eye blinks naturally sync to the beat of music, revealing a hidden form of auditory-motor synchronisation that occurs even without conscious movement.

An extensive, two-year study of nearly 12,000 children found that higher screen time at ages 9–10 predicts an increase in ADHD symptoms, independent of a child’s starting symptom level. Brain imaging revealed that heavy screen use is associated with smaller cortical volume and disrupted development in regions critical for attention, cognition, and reward processing.

Researchers have identified five major phases of human brain wiring that unfold from birth to old age, marked by four major turning points at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83.

A new study shows that when two people work together toward a shared goal, their brains begin to process information in increasingly similar ways. Using EEG recordings, researchers found that while all participants showed similar early responses to visual patterns, only collaborating pairs developed sustained neural alignment linked to the rules they agreed upon.

A large analysis of more than 11 million medical records found that people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea face a substantially higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease over time.

New research has revealed that Parkinson’s disease causes significant and progressive changes to blood vessels in the brain, changing our understanding of the disease which may lead to new treatment methods.

Diesel exhaust particles disrupt the function of the brain’s immune cells, a new study shows.

Researchers have developed a “virtual clinical trial” exploring a unique pharmacological treatment in patients who do not fully regain consciousness after a coma. The proposed treatment involves employing psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) that have intense, consciousness-altering effects in healthy volunteers.

A new meta-analysis shows that lithium supplementation does not significantly slow cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.

New research shows that young adults with obesity already display biological patterns associated with liver stress, chronic inflammation, and early neural injury—changes typically seen in older adults with cognitive impairment. Participants with obesity also had unusually low blood choline levels, a nutrient critical for liver function, inflammation control, and long-term brain health.

A new study demonstrates that an AI assistant can conduct psychiatric assessment interviews with greater diagnostic accuracy than widely used mental health rating scales.

New brain imaging research shows that structural damage in schizophrenia spectrum disorders may begin in specific “epicenter” regions before spreading across connected brain networks. Individuals with the condition showed widespread reductions in structural similarity between key cognitive and emotional brain regions.

Finally, this week, researchers are exploring whether a person’s genetic risk for depression can help predict how multiple sclerosis (MS) progresses.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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A non-invasive imaging technique, 1H-MRS, can detect chemicals in different parts of the brain. Choline is represented by “Cho” in the above graph. Credit: UC Regents

A new study shows that people with anxiety disorders tend to have lower levels of a chemical called choline in their brains compared to people without anxiety. Choline is a nutrient that plays an important role in brain function. It helps produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, mood regulation, and muscle control. It’s also a component of cell membranes, helping brain cells communicate efficiently.

Researchers have developed a highly sensitive diagnostic that predicts a person’s stage of dementia based on neurovascular and metabolic changes.

The way we speak in everyday conversation may hold important clues about brain health, according to a new study that found that subtle features of speech timing, such as pauses, fillers (‘uh,’ ‘um’) and word-finding difficulty, are strongly linked to executive function, the set of mental skills that support memory, planning and flexible thinking. 

ADHD symptoms are influenced by socioeconomic factors in regions affected by conflict and resource limitations, a new study focusing on non-Western populations has found.

Infants born deaf or hard of hearing show adverse changes in how their brains organise and specialise, which can significantly affect their cognitive and linguistic development. However, recent studies indicate that timely exposure to sound and language, even in modified forms, can considerably help these children develop more normally and bridge the gap in their learning processes.

A research team has discovered extensive genetic links between neurological disorders like migraine, stroke and epilepsy, and psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression.

New research reveals that trait shyness is linked to reduced spontaneous neural activity in the cerebellum, a brain region traditionally associated with motor control but increasingly recognised for its role in emotion and social cognition.

Scientists have developed the most detailed molecular map yet of how the brain develops and reacts to inflammation, revealing that disease processes can “reawaken” genes from early life.

A new brain decoding method called mind captioning can generate accurate text descriptions of what a person is seeing or recalling—without relying on the brain’s language system. Instead, it uses semantic features from vision-related brain activity and deep learning models to translate nonverbal thoughts into structured sentences.

Researchers have found that living in a socioeconomically deprived neighbourhood can harm brain health as early as midlife.

A new study reveals that autism symptom severity correlates with shared brain-connectivity patterns in children with autism or ADHD. Stronger autistic traits are linked to increased connectivity between frontoparietal and default-mode networks, which are vital for social cognition and executive functions.

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new tool that can estimate a person’s risk of developing memory and thinking problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms appear.

Using full-genome sequencing data from more than 347,000 individuals, researchers have quantified how much genetic variation explains human traits such as height, body mass index, fertility, and disease risk. The results show that genes account for roughly 30% of the variation between individuals, with higher estimates for traits like height and lower for fertility.

Finally this week, a large-scale study of more than 86,000 Europeans found that speaking multiple languages may help slow biological and cognitive aging. 

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.

Using Your Brain To Improve Your Own Mental Health #WorldMentalHealthDay

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The key to a happy life lies in transcending personal suffering, finding balance, and recognizing that the world has its own set of problems. Achieving this requires mental effort and self-awareness. Those who strive to better understand themselves and the world around them often emerge transformed—with greater peace of mind and a clearer way to live.

Fundamental or Accidental?

Our understanding of ourselves and the world is often limited by our perception of what is fundamental versus accidental. For example, the brain uses systematic thought patterns to create philosophy, science, mathematics, literature, and religious beliefs—guiding us toward new insights. Yet, these tools, essential as they seem, may not be as fundamental as we think. They are just methods our ancestors used to explore the unknown and push boundaries, all while acknowledging that our view of reality is just a fraction of what truly exists.

The Pitfall of Accidental Fundamentalism

In many cultures, particularly in the West, we tend to elevate truth as the highest value. While this pursuit is important, it pales in comparison to the power of belief. We are often born into religious or ideological systems that present themselves as the ultimate truth. However rigid adherence to these systems can stifle personal growth and impede the insights necessary for true peace of mind. Resisting the pull of these cultural norms is a crucial part of psychological growth, often referred to as self-actualization in psychology.

Recasting Reality

Self-actualizers—the people who achieve the highest levels of personal development—are those who challenge accepted cultural ‘truths’ and look beyond the norms of their time. Unlike most, who view life as a series of goals—acquiring material wealth, building a family, or advancing in a career—self-actualizers focus on personal growth and expression. They are ambitious, but only in the sense that they seek to fully develop and express their unique potential. Their freedom of mind and refusal to conform to societal pressures make them living examples of true autonomy.

Courage and Mental Health

Mental health requires courage—the courage to explore, adapt, and grow. Personal happiness is deeply tied to autonomy: the ability to break free from cultural expectations, guilt, or fear and embrace new ways of thinking and being. Achieving mental wellness is about mastering your own fate, learning what works for you, and being unafraid to change course when necessary.

What to Believe?

At its core, mental health is about two things: staying in touch with reality and being open to new experiences. However, it’s essential to remember that there is no one “reality”—only perception. Each of us views the world through a personal lens, shaped by our experiences, biases, and cultural conditioning. To achieve true mental clarity, we must recognize these filters and strive for a clearer understanding of the world.

Even in close relationships, the same action can be perceived differently. For example, one person may see paying the bills as a duty, while their partner views it as an act of love. Appreciating that your perspectives may be shaped by biases or cultural conditioning is crucial. Most importantly, ensure that the beliefs you choose to retain or adopt are grounded in verifiable facts and are open to scrutiny. Otherwise, any actions you take based on these beliefs may be built on shaky ground.

Ketamine: Lessons from the Death of Matthew Perry

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The entertainment world was recently shaken by the tragic passing of Matthew Perry, the beloved actor best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the iconic sitcom “Friends.” Perry’s death, linked to a ketamine overdose, has cast a spotlight on this complex drug, its therapeutic potential, and its inherent dangers. In this post, we’ll explore ketamine’s effects on the brain, its promise in mental health treatment, and the critical need for responsible use and regulation.

Ketamine: A Brief Overview

Ketamine, first synthesized in 1962, has a long history as an anesthetic and analgesic. During the late 1960s, ketamine was marketed as the dissociative (out-of-body experience) anesthetic, under the name Ketalar and was used to treat soldiers in the Vietnam War. The abuse potential of ketamine was recognized in the early 1970s, but reports of ketamine abuse in human and veterinary medicine did not appear until the early 1980s in Australia and in the early 1990s in the United States. In recent years, it has gained significant attention for its rapid antidepressant effects, particularly in cases of treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine’s primary mechanism of action involves blocking the NMDA receptor for glutamate in the brain, leading to a dissociative state and a cascade of neurochemical changes.

Ketamine’s Impact on the Brain

Findings from my own laboratory in 1997 showed that repeated ketamine intake alters the balance between the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Ketamine’s interaction with the NMDA receptor for glutamate triggers a surge in glutamate, a neurotransmitter vital for learning and memory. This glutamate surge is thought to promote the growth of new synapses and neural connections, particularly in brain regions associated with mood regulation. Additionally, ketamine disrupts the default mode network (DMN), a brain network linked to rumination and self-referential thinking, which may contribute to its antidepressant effects. Research also suggests that ketamine may stimulate neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons) and promote neuroplasticity (changes in neural connections).

Ketamine’s Impact on the Mind

Ketamine’s psychological actions have been characterized as similar to temporary schizophrenia. Healthy volunteers receiving ketamine in an experiment have experienced sensations reminiscent of LSD. Ketamine can prompt people to feel like they are becoming transparent, blending into nearby individuals, or becoming an animal or object. Users may feel like their bodies are transforming into harder or softer substances. Persons may think they remember experiences from a past life. Some users take the drug to enter a semi-paralytic state described as similar to near-death experiences in which people perceive their consciousness as floating above their bodies, sometimes accompanied by meaningful hallucinations and by insights about the user’s life and its proper place in the cosmos.

The Promise of Ketamine in Mental Health

When administered at a therapeutic dose ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects have revolutionized the field of mental health treatment. Studies have shown that a single therapeutic dose of ketamine can alleviate depressive symptoms within hours, offering hope to individuals who have not responded to traditional antidepressants. In fact, so effective is therapeutic ketamine that it has been proposed as a chemical replacement for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and it may eventually replace the need for ECT altogether. Beyond depression, ketamine is being investigated for its potential in treating anxiety disorders, PTSD, and addiction.

The Perils of Ketamine

While ketamine holds immense therapeutic promise, it is crucial to acknowledge its risks. Ketamine can cause dissociative effects, hallucinations, and other adverse reactions. Moreover, it has a potential for abuse and addiction, as tragically illustrated by Matthew Perry’s case. Long-term effects of ketamine use on brain function and cognition remain an area of ongoing research.

Lessons from the Death of Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry’s untimely death serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers of substance abuse, even with substances that have therapeutic potential. It underscores the critical need for responsible use, careful monitoring, and effective regulation of ketamine.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Vertex-wise comparisons between ADHD (N = 60) and controls (N = 23), and between ADHD responders (N = 42) and non-responders (N = 18). Credit: Nature Mental Health (2024).

New research has found that the effectiveness of ADHD medication may be associated with an individual’s neuroanatomy.

Although there are still some aspects pending confirmation for its use in the clinical setting, and its resolution needs to be improved slightly, a new study has shown that a method routinely used to carry out ophthalmological tests can also be used to monitor the neurodegeneration that occurs in Parkinson’s patients.

Scientists have uncovered a mechanism in the brain that allows cocaine and morphine to take over natural reward processing systems.

New research has identified a specific pattern of autoantibodies in the blood that precedes the clinical onset of multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way for early diagnosis and treatment. Their study found that 10% of MS patients displayed a unique set of autoantibodies against both human proteins and common pathogens like the Epstein-Barr Virus years before showing symptoms.

Researchers have identified a promising new approach to treating persistent neurological symptoms associated with Lyme disease.

A new study investigates why everyday actions like locking a door are often forgotten. The study revealed that while emotionally charged or unique events are initially memorable, even these can fade within 24 hours, particularly positive experiences. This research provides insight into the selective nature of memory and suggests that our brains prioritize and even forget information to manage cognitive load.

Managing a stroke patient’s blood sugar levels after they receive powerful clot-busting drugs might help them survive their health crisis, a new trial finds.

Researchers have created a thin film that combines an electrode grid and LEDs that can both track and produce a visual representation of the brain’s activity in real time during surgery. The device is designed to provide neurosurgeons with visual information about a patient’s brain to monitor brain states during surgical interventions to remove brain lesions including tumors and epileptic tissue.

A new study identifies a new metric for diagnosing autism.

New research has found a significant association between participating in low to moderate intensity exercise and reduced rates of depression.  However, this was not strongly observed for high-intensity exercise. Physical activity was also significantly associated with reduced risk of severe mental health conditions, including a reduction in psychosis/schizophrenia by 27%.

An international collaborative research team has discovered a novel mechanism underlying memory involving rapid changes in a specific DNA structure.

People who take acid-reducing drugs may have a higher risk of migraine and other severe headache than people who do not take these medications, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology Clinical Practice. 

Finally this week, new research has highlighted the profound link between dietary choices and brain health.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Examples of inputs and outputs from the MADRC dataset. 

Researchers have developed a suite of free tools for analyzing vast amounts of brain dissection photographs at brain banks worldwide to enhance understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

A new study reveals a strong link between regular physical activity and enhanced brain health. Analyzing MRI scans from 10,125 individuals, researchers found that exercise, even moderate exercise like walking, is associated with increased brain volumes in crucial areas like gray matter, white matter, and the hippocampus. The study underscores exercise’s role in reducing dementia risk and maintaining brain size.

Scientists have discovered that a part of the brain associated with working memory and multisensory integration may also play an important role in how the brain processes social cues.

In a first-of-its-kind study published in Nature, researchers recorded activity from hundreds of individual neurons while participants listened to spoken sentences, giving us an unprecedented view into how the brain analyzes the sounds in words.

A new study has unveiled three distinct cognitive deficits contributing to reading difficulties in individuals with left-sided neglect dyslexia, a condition that often follows a right-hemisphere stroke.

Researchers have unveiled a significant similarity between AI memory processing and human hippocampal functions. This discovery, bridging AI and neuroscience, highlights a parallel in memory consolidation – a process crucial in transforming short-term to long-term memories – in both AI models and the human brain.

A new study highlights the significant role of imagination in evoking empathy and driving prosocial behaviour. 

A so-called pathological protein long associated with Parkinson’s disease has been found in a new study to trigger cells to increase protein synthesis, an event that eventually kills the subset of brain cells that die off in this neurodegenerative condition.

A new study presents a promising treatment for restoring the sense of smell in long-COVID patients.

Researchers have found that amyloid oligomers play a role in speeding up mitochondrial energetics during the early stages of Alzheimer’s, in contrast to what has been previously found in more advanced Alzheimer’s brain tissues. The results are published in Nature Communications.

Research led by the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, has found an increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with long-term ADHD medication use.

New research has uncovered a potential early marker for autism in infants: abnormally enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS) in the brain. The study found that infants with enlarged PVS had a 2.2 times greater chance of developing autism compared to those with the same genetic risk. The researchers followed infants with a higher likelihood of autism due to having an older sibling with the condition.

A pilot clinical trial has found electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is feasible, well-tolerated and shows therapeutic potential to treat depression.

Signs of injury to the brain’s white matter called white matter hyperintensities, as seen on brain scans, may be tied more strongly to vascular risk factors, brain shrinkage, and other markers of dementia in former tackle football players than in those who did not play football, according to a study published in Neurology.

Artificial intelligence, coupled with data from an iPad coloring game, could assist in early diagnosis of autism, a new study shows.

A review in the Journal of Internal Medicine explores the potential of non-invasive interventions such as light, sound, and magnets to stimulate gamma brain waves for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Such strategies may be beneficial because Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by reduced fast brain oscillations in the gamma range (30–100 Hz).

Finally this week, researchers have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the genetic basis of anxiety disorders (ADs), which affect over 280 million people globally.