Weekly Neuroscience Update

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.

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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.

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*Diagram outlining the model procedures for one domain and one region. This process was repeated for all 33 domains and 82 regions. Credit: Network Neuroscience (2025).*

A new study provides the best evidence to date that the connection patterns between various parts of the human brain can tell scientists the specialized functions of each region.

Researchers have discovered that problems with the brain’s waste-clearing system—the glymphatic system—may significantly raise the risk of developing dementia. In one of the most extensive studies to date, MRI data from 40,000 adults revealed that impaired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow predicts dementia risk years before symptoms appear.

Statins might help protect the brain function of breast and lymphoma cancer patients for up to 2 years after their cancer treatment, according to a report in JAMA Network Open.

A study published in the journal Music and Medicine demonstrates that intraoperative music therapy significantly reduces the amount of propofol and fentanyl required during laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed under general anaesthesia. Patients exposed to therapeutic music also experienced smoother awakenings and lower physiological stress, as measured by decreased perioperative cortisol levels.

Scientists have used next-generation imaging technology to discover that when the brain is falling asleep, it shows a coordinated shift in activity.

A research team has conducted one of the most comprehensive studies on dopamine and decision-making in humans so far, providing evidence for effects of the former on the latter. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in several functions, including motivation and reward.

Newly decoded brain circuits make memories more stable as part of learning, according to a new study.

Brain scans from American football players reveal subtle differences in the brain’s outer grooves when compared to scans from otherwise healthy men who never played contact or collision sports, a new study shows. Its authors say the findings could potentially predict which people are more at risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Researchers have uncovered an unexpected molecular partnership that reshapes understanding of how brain inflammation arises in Alzheimer’s disease.

Even when blood pressure is well controlled, older adults whose blood pressure fluctuates widely from one heartbeat to the next may be at greater risk for brain shrinkage and nerve cell injury, according to a recent study.

Finally, this week, new research suggests that a child’s gut microbiome at age 2 may influence their emotional health years later.

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Credit: *Neuroscience* (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.032

Memory loss may not simply be a symptom of getting older. New research shows that it’s tied to specific molecular changes in the brain and that adjusting those processes can improve memory.

An international consortium of researchers has created the largest-ever database compiling records of brain activity during sleep and dream reports. One of the first analyses of the database confirmed that dreams do not occur only during REM sleep, but also during deeper and calmer NREM stages. In these cases, brain activity resembles wakefulness more than deep sleep, as if the brain were “partially awake.”

A smartphone app for muscle relaxation significantly reduced migraine-related disability in patients visiting the emergency department.

A new study reveals that sleep-like slow-wave brain activity can persist for years in surgically disconnected brain hemispheres of awake epilepsy patients. Using EEG recordings, researchers found that the isolated cortex exhibits patterns similar to deep sleep, anesthesia, or vegetative states—suggesting absent or reduced awareness.

People 60 and older who are excessively sleepy during the day may have more problems with memory and thinking after surgery, suggests a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2025 annual meeting.

Doctors and researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC have developed a new treatment for epilepsy patients who don’t respond to medication and aren’t candidates for surgery. Their approach, published in Nature Communications, uses deep brain stimulation (DBS) that is tailored to each patient’s unique brain wiring.

A new computational tool has uncovered genetic evidence directly linking Alzheimer’s disease to the loss of memory-making neurons, helping to resolve a decades-long mystery in dementia research.

While studies have linked brain areas to remembering personal experiences, brain areas involved in learning more impersonal information about the world remain unclear. In a new JNeurosci paper, researchers used fMRI on 29 human volunteers as they performed a learning task to shed light on how the brain acquires semantic, impersonal information.

Researchers have traced the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), showing that the immune system begins attacking the brain up to seven years before diagnosis.

New research has provided the strongest evidence yet that auditory verbal hallucinations—or hearing voices—in schizophrenia may stem from a disruption in the brain’s ability to recognise its own inner voice.

Adults with gum disease may be more likely to have signs of damage to the brain’s white matter than people without gum disease, according to a study published in Neurology Open Access.

A team of researchers has developed and tested a new virtual reality (VR) training task designed to help stroke survivors living with visuospatial neglect (VSN), a disabling condition that affects attention and awareness of one side of space. The exploratory case study is among the first to integrate audiovisual cues within a physiotherapy-based VR task to support rehabilitation.

Finally, this week, listening to music when you are over 70 years of age has been linked to a 39% reduction in the risk of dementia, according to a new study of over 10,800 older people.

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*Experimental tasks and behavioral results. Credit: Science Advances (2025)*

Musical people find it easier to focus their attention on the right sounds in noisy environments. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Science Advances. The results suggest that music training can be used to sharpen attention and cognition.

A major UK study has revealed that the early warning signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) may appear years before diagnosis and affect all communities in similar ways.

Pea-sized brains grown in a lab have, for the first time, revealed the unique way neurons might misfire due to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, psychiatric ailments that affect millions of people worldwide but are difficult to diagnose because of the lack of understanding of their molecular basis.

Researchers have developed a minimally invasive method for recording brain activity through blood vessels.

A long-term study tracking 475 children found that autistic children are far more likely to experience persistent gastrointestinal issues than their peers. These symptoms often co-occur, persist throughout childhood, and are strongly related to challenges with sleep, communication, behavior, and sensory processing.

Science and artificial intelligence have combined in a study that could lead to personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, for smokers who want to quit.

New research suggests that when people listen to speech at varying speeds, the auditory cortex does not adjust its timing but instead processes sound within a fixed time window. This discovery challenges the long-standing idea that the brain flexibly adapts its processing pace to match speech rhythms.

Neuroscientists are leveraging music’s ability to synchronize brain waves to enhance the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Fluctuations in brain activity, also known as neural variability, enable us to be flexible in adjusting our behavior to the current situation. A new study shows that neural variability increases throughout development before stabilizing in adolescence. And deviating from this trajectory is associated with worse executive functioning.

Scientists have identified a previously underexplored population of hypothalamic neurons that plays a pivotal role in regulating energy expenditure.

A new study reveals that our brain’s attention system first prepares broadly, then focuses on specific details within fractions of a second. Using EEG and machine learning, researchers tracked how people focused on either the colour or the movement of dots before they appeared.

The first major data release from the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study has provided researchers with a groundbreaking resource to study early childhood brain development.

A study published in The Cerebellum provides initial experimental evidence that a single session of cerebellar High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) may help to maintain anticipatory and consummatory pleasure and enhance reward sensitivity in healthy individuals.

New research finds that regional fat distribution exerts distinct effects on brain structure, connectivity and cognition, revealing patterns not explained by body mass index (BMI).

A new study reveals that fluoxetine, more commonly known as Prozac, does more than simply increase serotonin—it alters how brain cells utilize energy and form new connections. After two weeks of treatment, parvalbumin interneurons in the prefrontal cortex became less rigid, with mitochondrial energy genes reduced and plasticity genes upregulated.

Depression’s earliest signs can be hard to spot, but a new study shows AI can detect them in subtle facial movements.

A new five-year study explores how dopamine may drive changes in brain myelin during social isolation. Researchers will track how dopamine interacts with oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for producing myelin and supporting neuron function.

Scientists have revealed a key mechanism in how our brains change when we learn new information or form memories.

Humans excel at adapting to new situations, while machines often stumble. A new interdisciplinary study reveals that the root of the issue lies in how humans and AI approach “generalization,” the process of transferring knowledge to new problems.

Finally this week, according to new research, habit, rather than conscious choice, drives most of our actions.

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*The study design and data processing pipeline for SeeMe. Credit: Communications Medicine (2025).*

SeeMe, a computer vision tool, was able to detect low-amplitude, voluntary facial movements in comatose patients with acute brain injury days before clinicians could identify overt responses.

A new neuroimaging study reveals that child neglect alone, without other forms of abuse, can alter critical brain pathways. Researchers found abnormalities in white matter regions tied to movement, attention, language, and emotional regulation.

Scientists have identified a distinct neurochemical signature that distinguishes Parkinson’s disease from essential tremor.

A team of researchers has developed a simple, three-minute brainwave test called Fastball EEG that can detect early signs of memory impairment associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike traditional memory tests, it is passive and requires no active participation, making it more objective and accessible.

A large-scale study with 600 participants shows that music can genuinely evoke feelings of companionship by sparking social imagination.

A toxic protein forms dynamic pores in the membranes of brain cells—and that may be the key to understanding how Parkinson’s disease develops. This is the conclusion of a new study from Aarhus University, where researchers have developed an advanced method to track molecular attacks in real time.

A hormone produced by the brain, orexin, may play a central role in the functioning of the brain’s glymphatic system, which clears waste, according to a new study.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have revealed a possible molecular connection between air pollution and an increased risk of developing Lewy body dementia. The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that environmental factors may trigger harmful protein changes in the brain, leading to neurodegeneration.

A new treatment offers hope to end the pain of neuropathy.

Two new papers from Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Gastroenterology shed light on how gut-brain interactions, influenced by both biology and life circumstances, shape eating behaviors. Together, they highlight the importance of multidisciplinary, personalized approaches to digestive health and nutrition.

Neuroscientsts have shown for the first time the precise timing of nerve signals determines how the brain processes information.

A new large-scale study shows that Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the erosion of epigenomic control, where brain cells lose the ability to maintain stable gene expression. Using a multi-region atlas of 3.5 million cells, researchers found that vulnerable cells in key memory regions such as the hippocampus suffer breakdowns in nuclear compartmentalization and lose their “epigenomic information.”

Individuals with an increased risk of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease may have impaired spatial orientation skills.

UCLA engineers have developed a wearable, noninvasive brain-computer interface system that utilizes artificial intelligence as a co-pilot to help infer user intent and complete tasks by moving a robotic arm or a computer cursor.

Macquarie University hearing researchers have discovered how our brains learn to listen, and how this can help us understand speech in noisy, echo-filled spaces.

Some sugar substitutes may come with unexpected consequences for long-term brain health, according to a study published in Neurology. The study examined seven low- and no-calorie sweeteners and found that individuals who consumed the highest amounts experienced faster declines in cognitive function, specifically thinking and memory skills, compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts.

Finally this week, scientists studying ways of improving motion sickness have found that playing different types of music may help people recover more effectively.

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Researchers have used placebo pain relief to uncover a map-like system in the brainstem that controls pain differently depending on where it’s felt in the body. The findings may pave the way for safer, more targeted treatments for chronic pain that don’t rely on opioids.

New research reports an association between taking GLP-1 receptor agonists and lower overall cancer risk in adults with obesity, with a reduced risk for ovarian cancer.

Some regions of the brain in people with Alzheimer’s reorganize more often while at rest than in people without the disease–– and in healthy people, this frequent reshuffling sometimes predicts who will develop the condition later, according to a new study.

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that psychotherapy leads to measurable changes in brain structure by using cognitive behavioural therapy.

Listening to music while doing something can make that activity more enjoyable. But listening to music after an experience or activity can make it more memorable if you have the optimal emotional response while listening to it, according to new research.

A new study reveals that the brain employs two distinct mechanisms to drive exploration under conditions of uncertainty.

A team of scientists has discovered a built-in “brake” that controls when key brain cells mature. In multiple sclerosis (MS), this brake appears to stay on too long, leaving the cells unable to repair the damage the disease causes.

New research suggests a link between a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the risk of developing a malignant brain tumour.

Breathwork while listening to music may induce a blissful state in practitioners, accompanied by changes in blood flow to emotion-processing brain regions, according to a study published in the journal PLOS One.

The type of estradiol-based hormone therapy taken during and after menopause, such as patches or pills, may be associated with differences in memory performance, according to a new study.

Researchers have identified two specific types of brain cells that are altered in people with depression. The study, published in Nature Genetics, opens the door to developing new treatments that target these cells and deepens our understanding of depression.

Finally, this week, a new AI framework can detect neurological disorders by analyzing speech with over 90% accuracy.

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Brain activity maps for the hand (shown in red) and lips (blue) before the amputation (Pre1 and Pre2) and after amputation (three, six and 18 months post-amputation). Credit: Tamar Makin / Hunter Schone

The brain holds a “map” of the body that remains unchanged even after a limb has been amputated, contrary to the prevailing view that it rearranges itself to compensate for the loss, according to new research.

A fading sense of smell can be one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease even before cognitive impairments manifest.

Scientists have developed a computational framework that maps how the striosomal compartment of the striatum governs everyday decision-making. By integrating biology, decision theory, and mathematical modeling, different levels of striosomal activity can push individuals toward impulsive, balanced, or overly complex decisions.

A recent study has shown that the brain leaves subtle traces of creativity minutes before an “aha!” moment.

New research has raised concerns about the safety of acetaminophen use during pregnancy, linking prenatal exposure to higher risks of autism and ADHD. While the evidence does not prove causation, it highlights biological mechanisms such as oxidative stress and hormone disruption that may affect fetal brain development. Researchers recommend cautious, time-limited use under medical supervision and call for safer treatment alternatives.

A new study has found that people who lived in areas with high levels of leaded gasoline emissions in the 1960s and ’70s are more likely to report memory problems today.

A multi-institution research team reports that gaze patterns can serve as a sensitive marker of cognitive decline, with associated reductions in explorative, adaptive, and differentiated visual sampling of the environment.

New research reveals that different types of music shape the emotional tone of the memories they evoke.

A genetic study has identified more than 400 genes that drive different forms of unhealthy aging, from cognitive decline to metabolic problems. The findings show that frailty is not a single condition but multiple subtypes with distinct biological pathways.

Finally, this week, a new study suggests the brain may be a missing link in certain forms of high blood pressure or hypertension.

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Coloured regions show where brain volume was associated with deviant lifestyle and antisocial behavior in individuals with psychopathic traits. Credit: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (2025).

A recent study has shed light on the brain structure differences associated with psychopathy—a condition known to be one of the strongest predictors of persistent violent behaviour. The findings are published in the journal European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience.

Researchers are using a new approach to brain imaging that could improve how drugs are prescribed to treat Parkinson’s disease.

An analysis of over 375 trials shows that structured exercise significantly reduces depression and anxiety in children and teens. Low-intensity resistance activities like light weights were most effective for easing anxiety, while moderate mixed-mode programmes worked best for depression, especially when lasting under 12 weeks.

A new technology that uses clinical MRI machines to image metabolic activity in the brain could give researchers and clinicians unique insight into brain function and disease.

Diets rich in phosphate additives, commonly found in processed foods, can increase blood pressure by triggering a brain signaling pathway and overactivating the sympathetic nervous system that regulates cardiovascular function, UT Southwestern researchers discovered. Their findings could lead to treatment strategies for patients with hypertension caused by overconsumption of foods containing high levels of phosphates.

The long-standing belief that left-handed people are more creative has been challenged by a new meta-analysis of over a century of research.

New research proposes a unified theory of brain function based on criticality—a state where the brain teeters between order and chaos, allowing it to learn, adapt, and process information optimally. When the brain strays from this delicate balance, cognitive performance weakens, and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s may begin to take hold.

A drug used for Parkinson’s disease has been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of difficult to treat depression, according to a study led by the University of Oxford.

A recent study shows that older adults may compensate for age-related cognitive decline by enhancing activity in a specific brain region linked to attention—the locus coeruleus (LC). In a brain imaging study, older participants showed stronger LC responses when interpreting ambiguous facial expressions, compared to younger adults.

Individuals with versus those without tinnitus have significantly lower scores on cognitive function tests, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in Neurology.

New research shows how the brain navigates emotional transitions, using music as a tool to map changing neural patterns. Scientists found that emotional responses in the brain depend heavily on the listener’s prior emotional state.

A clinical trial has revealed that Ambroxol, a common cough medicine in Europe, may help slow cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s disease dementia.

In a study of 200 former professional rugby players (aged 30–61 years old), researchers from Imperial College London, University College London and the UK Dementia Research Institute found no cases of early-onset dementia.

Finally this week, new research findings show how synaptic connections in the cerebral cortex can strengthen during sleep, offering insight into how the brain continues learning even while we rest.

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The analysis pipeline of the study, with select figures created using BioRender. Credit: *Nature Communications* (2025)

Scientists have developed a novel, detailed map at the subcellular level of a brain region frequently impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. This groundbreaking achievement represents a significant advancement in understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of this neurodegenerative condition.

New research shows that AI can identify complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) with over 90% accuracy by analyzing gut microbiome patterns.

Mindfulness exercises paired with music were found to engage both neural and cardiac systems, potentially reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. A recent study showed that live and virtual music mindfulness sessions lowered stress and altered states of consciousness, though only live sessions fostered social connection.

A long-term study shows that teenagers who maintain or increase physical activity levels are less likely to develop symptoms of depression.

Researchers have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) that enables computer cursor control and clicking, using neural signals from the speech motor cortex. One participant with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) used the interface for daily life activities, including independent control of a personal desktop computer and text entry.

New research shows that targeting emotional processing is key to treating and managing chronic pain.

In a first-of-its-kind clinical study, researchers have shown that patients with treatment-resistant PTSD were symptom-free up to six months after completing traditional therapy paired with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

Scientists using living human brain tissue have shown for the first time how a toxic form of a protein linked to Alzheimer’s can stick to and damage the connections between brain cells.

People whose biological age is higher than their chronological age may be more likely to develop dementia than people whose biological age matches or is lower than their chronological age, according to a study published online in Neurology. Biological age is based on biomarkers of aging such as lung function, blood pressure and cholesterol.

A recent study reveals that oxygen tension elevation during weeks four to six promotes neurogenesis in brain organoids, regulated by neuroglobin. The research is published in Science Advances.

Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes lower oxygen levels during sleep, is linked to degeneration of brain regions associated with memory through damage to the brain’s small blood vessels, according to a study published in Neurology.

A new theory suggests that psychedelics promote empathy, insight, and psychological flexibility by making the brain’s right hemisphere temporarily dominant over the left.

A revolutionary microscopy method called LICONN enables scientists to reconstruct brain tissue and map synaptic connections using standard light microscopes. By embedding brain tissue in hydrogel, expanding it, and imaging at nanoscale resolution, researchers achieve a detailed view of neuronal architecture previously only possible with electron microscopy.

A new music therapy-based tool called MuSICCA may transform how healthcare teams assess consciousness in children with severe brain injuries.

Research from Emory University has identified a biological connection between inflammation and deficits in motivation in individuals with schizophrenia, offering new hope for treating symptoms that have long been resistant to existing therapies.

A Yale-led study shows that the senses stimulate a region of the brain that controls consciousness—a finding that might inform treatment for disorders related to attention, arousal, and more.

Finally this week, a new study has debunked the common myth that autistic people are less effective communicators than non-autistic individuals. Researchers found no difference in how well information was shared between autistic-only, non-autistic-only, or mixed groups.