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Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Cinematic neuroscience laboratory with illuminated brain scan

A new study by neuroscientists at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory shows how the brain encodes information throughout the decision-making process to keep options clearly in mind and ensure that chosen and unchosen options are remembered.

A clinical trial has shows that high-frequency spinal cord stimulation can reduce pain and improve sensory function in people with treatment-resistant diabetic neuropathy.

Education, intellectually stimulating work and an active lifestyle help preserve cognitive abilities in adults over 65 and lead to more effective verbal expression and stronger cognitive performance. But there is another important factor: emotions. The way we recognize and interpret them can significantly influence the efficiency of cognitive processes as we age.

A new UCLA study has found a connection between how quickly the brain ages and the bacteria and chemical byproducts found in the gut, offering a clue to what drives brain aging long before symptoms appear.

Scientists have identified over 830,000 brain immune cells, including a protective subtype of microglia that increases during Alzheimer’s disease. These cells, influenced by the TREM2 pathway, assist in removing harmful substances from the brain, offering a new approach for therapies that aim to enhance the brain’s innate immune defences instead of just targeting amyloid plaques.

A recent study suggests that slow electrical rhythms traveling along individual nerve fibres may do more than reflect brain activity: They may help coordinate communication between key memory centres in the hippocampus.

New research from Carnegie Mellon University reveals that dendritic spines—the tiny structures that help brain cells communicate and form memories—don’t fit neatly into a few categories. Instead, they display a continuous range of shapes, offering new insight into learning, development and neurological disease.

People living with a severe form of asthma show subtle differences in the structure of their brains compared with people whose asthma is well controlled, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress.

Researchers have discovered that sitting on Japanese Igusa mats, made from rush grass, enhance concentration and engagement in the brain while reducing tension and anxiety in users. With centuries of use in Japan, the research aims to validate its health benefits and highlight the value of this traditional material.

New research indicates that people with invasive cancer face an elevated risk of experiencing a stroke, especially in the first few months after diagnosis and if they have certain types of cancer. The findings are published in Cancer.

A recent study compared eye-tracking data from 368 adult readers with predictions from over 400 neural network models, revealing that large language models (LLMs) struggle to predict human cognitive challenges in contextualizing words, despite being accurate in word recognition speed.

Researchers have found a method to predict the onset of symptoms in individuals at high risk for Alzheimer’s, aiding physicians in determining the appropriate timing for preventive treatments.

A study of more than half a million adults has found that higher levels of exhaled carbon monoxide were associated with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. The findings, published in JAMA Neurology, uncover a possible new explanation for the consistently lower rates of Parkinson’s among smokers that have long puzzled scientists.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Researchers examined changes in brain activity during cognitive tasks before and after acute aerobic exercise in healthy young and older adults. The study is published in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

A new study indicates that the brain’s response to breathing is not uniform; instead, the unique characteristics of each breath correlate with neural activity related to cognition, emotion, and memory. This suggests that the brain monitors subtle variations in breathing, with changes in inhale and exhale timing and intensity reflected in distinct neural patterns, highlighting a more nuanced link between breathing and brain function than previously understood.

Early initiation of statins after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was associated with a lower risk of dementia, according to a study presented at ESC Congress 2026 and published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.

Immune cells that normally protect the body from damage by attacking foreign or infected cells are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders at much higher levels than in healthy brains. The cells appear to contribute to neurodegeneration, but where they come from and how they are primed to accumulate in the brain was not known.

A new study has used a type of machine learning called a neural network to reveal how different kinds of training can change how learning happens—both in machines and in living brains.

The influence of the hormone progesterone on mood is well known. Now, researchers have shown how higher levels of progesterone during the menstrual cycle are linked to less distinct patterns of activity in areas of the brain involved in controlling emotions.

Regular aerobic exercise—the kind that gets your heart pumping—can improve important thinking skills called executive functions, and the benefits appear especially strong for women after menopause, according to Rutgers researchers.

Musicians don’t just learn movement sequences faster; they predict what’s coming next sooner, according to new research that also found newly formed motor memories can be disrupted by seeing different visual sequences shortly after learning. The work is published in the journal Psychological Research.

A study by the University of Eastern Finland found that quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is strongly associated with walking performance and functional capacity.

The neuroactive potential of bacteria living in the human gut is associated with levels of key chemicals in the brain, according to a new study published in Molecular Psychiatry. The research team found that microbial pathways involved in producing and breaking down neuroactive compounds were associated with levels of GABA and glutamate in specific regions of the human brain.

A study conducted at the University of Helsinki indicates that the total number of people with dementia will grow significantly in the coming years, and the number of those living at home may even more than double after 2018.

A new study reveals that migraine may leave a biological pattern throughout the body, traces of which can be identified by artificial intelligence. Researchers used AI to analyze information gathered from more than 43,000 participants during a countywide health survey.

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 Credit: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (2026).

Researchers studied how autism manifests in the brain by examining the dopamine system, energy use, and communication between brain regions in 60 adults, using three advanced brain-scanning techniques. They found a higher number of dopamine D2 receptors in autistic individuals compared to neurotypical individuals, indicating a significant role of the dopamine system in autism.

Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, may help improve speech and swallowing problems caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a new study published in Nature Communications.

As people age, cognitive functions generally decline, but language skills often remain intact or even improve unless affected by conditions like stroke or dementia. A recent study has found that older adults exhibit similar neural activity in the language-processing network as younger adults during language tasks, although activation patterns in the executive control tasks network differ significantly between the two age groups.

Research from the University of East Anglia shows how our memories change with age and why specific details associated with past events can fade over time.

Scientists have identified a previously unknown aspect of schizophrenia that offers a new way to understand how the disorder affects large-scale brain coordination. In a new study, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, researchers introduced a method for measuring how brain networks maintain balanced activity and recover when that balance is disrupted.

Findings from a new study suggest that the trickle of neurons created in the adult hippocampus could be instrumental in preventing depression. Most of the brain’s 100 billion neurons are created before birth.

A short workout or a nap can help protect memory after a sleepless night, a recent study has found. Researchers found people who either completed 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise or took a 90-minute nap performed about 22% better on memory tests after 30 hours without sleep than those who did neither. 

A study published in Neuron has identified the brain mechanisms that help us work out whether the consequences we experience are caused by our own actions or by circumstances beyond our control.

A new study suggests that gut bacteria may send different biological signals in Parkinson’s disease. The findings add to growing evidence that changes in the gut could be linked to Parkinson’s disease and may eventually help researchers identify new underlying mechanisms for the condition.

Scientists have found that a pattern of brain atrophy visible on MRI could help predict how quickly people with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

Some people with epilepsy experience delusions, hallucinations, paranoia and confusion after a seizure. While these episodes usually last only days, a new study led by researchers suggests they may place patients at significantly higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders later.

The brain may “tag” experiences during learning to better consolidate memories of them during sleep, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Biology by Dan Denis from the University of York, United Kingdom, and colleagues.

Weekly Neuroscience Update

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Microwire locations, task, ripple characteristics and increased co-firing during co-ripples at all recording separations. Credit: Nature Neuroscience (2026).

Researchers have discovered that high-frequency brain waves, known as ripples, may facilitate synchronization between distant brain regions during working memory tasks, highlighting their potential role in coordinating neural activity across long distances during cognitive processes.

Having normal blood pressure, no diabetes, and not smoking from age 48 to 68, are associated with nearly 13 additional years on average of dementia-free life, a new study shows.

Childhood epilepsy is linked to significantly poorer exam grades and long-term educational attainment, with the lowest levels of academic achievement among those whose neurological disorder started when they were very young, finds a large, long-term Danish study published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

In a paper appearing in Nature Communications, researchers show how music produces distinct patterns in the regions of the brain associated with imagination and meaning, similar to those prompted by spoken narratives.

A new study suggests that Alzheimer’s disease may be detected by brain imaging more than seven years earlier than previously assumed. The study suggests that the gold standard for imaging in Alzheimer’s disease (amyloid-PET) has not been sensitive enough to detect early brain processes associated with the disease, such as the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain. The researchers found signs of Alzheimer’s at least seven years before plaques became visible.

A person’s sleep patterns could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says. A greater number of micro-awakenings during sleep is linked to a greater genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, researchers report in the journal Sleep.

People living with severe mental illness face a substantially higher risk of dementia throughout adulthood, as well as a significantly elevated risk of stroke in early and middle adulthood, according to a large new study based on health records from Catalonia, Spain. The findings, published in European Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest that physical health risks linked to severe psychiatric conditions emerge much earlier than many clinicians may expect, underscoring the need for general health care to be more integrated into mental health care.

A new study published in Brain Stimulation shows that the brain’s ongoing activity before stimulation can predict much of this variability, offering a path toward more reliable neuromodulation therapies.

A new AI model analyzes routine sleep study data to reveal patients’ long-term health risks, such as heart disease and cognitive decline. The study indicates that standard medical tests hold more physiologic information than typically recognized, with AI uncovering significant patterns in sleep data that traditional measures miss.

Published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, a new study found six one-minute bouts of stair climbing improved people’s cognitive health.

Researchers have identified a possible biological marker linked to severe suicidal thoughts. The finding, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry, may also help explain why some people recover from these thoughts, opening a new path for research into resilience and suicide prevention.

A research team has demonstrated that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) significantly improves depression and apathy in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

A recent study suggests that a single 20-minute session of noninvasive deep brain stimulation, paired with mindful breathing, may strengthen the brain’s response to reward and reduce anxiety. Changes in reward-related brain activity remained detectable for approximately one week after the session.

Researchers have created an AI-based method to produce detailed maps revealing how different brain areas age and their correlation with cognitive function over a lifetime.

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Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026)

Scientists have developed a computer model of the human cortex that links its microscopic chemistry to its brain-wide patterns of activity, providing new evidence that regional differences in receptor density help shape how activity and information move across the brain.

An international consortium has established the first consensus-based framework and standardized taxonomy for vocal biomarkers.

A novel AI model can use information collected during routine sleep studies to identify patients’ long-term health risks, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. Developed by a multidisciplinary research team, the model uncovered hidden sleep patterns linked to risks including heart disease, cognitive decline and death.

Experiencing severe stress during childhood can make a person more vulnerable to anxiety, depression and other mood disorders when faced with hardships as an adult.

A new study reveals that during deep REM sleep, the human brain shifts its sensory processing focus from external sounds to internal cardiac signals. As responsiveness to outside noise decreases, the processing of these internal signals increases. The researchers created an audio-cardio index to measure this neural shift, providing a new physiological marker for evaluating altered states of consciousness.

Researchers have created an energy-efficient AI model that mimics hippocampal brain mechanisms, enabling it to construct cognitive maps, perform stochastic computations, and solve complex planning tasks efficiently.

A new mathematical model that reproduces the relapsing-remitting pattern of multiple sclerosis (MS) offers scientists a tool to better understand how the disease progresses. The model, developed by QUT researchers from the School of Mathematical Sciences, is published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

The first U.S. clinical trial evaluating psilocybin-assisted therapy in military veterans with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has demonstrated significant safety and clinical efficacy.

A new study in Nature Genetics reveals a detailed map of brain immune cells involved in Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting a protective subtype that grows as the disease advances and identifying the molecular pathway that helps these cells defend the brain, with potential implications for future therapies.

A clinical trial, has found that oral semaglutide significantly reduces heavy drinking days, daily cravings, and alcohol-related problems in adults with moderate-to-severe Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Scientists have found that the human brain processes low-frequency infrasound through a unique mechanism where acoustic waves bypass auditory hair cells and activate inner ear support cells, generating electric fields that stimulate different nerve pathways, causing infrasound to be felt more as a physical sensation than an audible sound.

Scientists have uncovered how a major Parkinson’s disease gene disrupts the brain’s most vulnerable dopamine-producing neurons before detectable neuronal loss. The study findings are published in Nature Communications.

A compound produced by bacteria in many people’s digestive tracts increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and speeds cognitive decline in dementia patients, making it a potential target for a treatment that could reduce Alzheimer’s risk, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.

Researchers have found that depression is associated with smaller volume in a specific part of the hippocampus, a brain region essential for learning and memory.

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Experimental design, ripple detection, and ripple properties. Credit: Nature Communications (2025)

A research team has identified, for the first time in humans a key neurophysiological mechanism in memory formation: ripple-type brain waves—high-frequency electrical oscillations that mark and organize the different episodes or fragments of information that the brain stores as memories.

Scientists have discovered how a key protein helps maintain strong connections between brain cells that are crucial for learning and memory.

New research shows that signs of Alzheimer’s disease can already be detected in the blood of people as young as their 40s. Finnish scientists found elevated Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers in middle-aged adults, especially among those with maternal history or kidney disease.

A new study questions whether playing youth football leads to harmful protein buildup in the brain.

Receiving six or more prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain is associated with significantly increased risks of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment, finds a large medical records study.

A large genetic study reveals that cannabis use disorder is strongly linked to increased risk for multiple psychiatric disorders, including depression, PTSD, ADHD, and schizophrenia.

A common sugar substitute, erythritol, widely used in “sugar-free” and low-carb products, may increase stroke risk by damaging brain blood vessel cells. A new study found that erythritol exposure reduced nitric oxide, increased vessel constrictors, impaired clot-busting abilities, and boosted free radical production in these cells.

Finally, this week, neuroscientists have discovered a signature ‘wave’ of activity as the brain awakens from sleep.

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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.

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Credit: Brain Communications (2025)

The parts of the brain that are needed to remember words, and how these are affected by a common form of epilepsy, have been identified by a team of neurologists and neurosurgeons.

New research published in PLOS ONE, reveals that witnessing trauma triggers unique brain changes, distinct from those caused by experiencing trauma firsthand. The study is the first to shed light on the molecular differences between directly acquired PTSD and bystander PTSD and could pave the way for changes in how the disorders are treated.

Scientists have discovered that neural changes in teens may predict how decision-making and behavioural control develop.

A new study shows that the rubber hand illusion can reduce the intensity of pain caused by heat. Researchers found that when participants viewed a rubber hand being illuminated while their hidden hand received a heat stimulus, they reported feeling less pain. This suggests that integrating visual and sensory cues can influence pain perception. The findings may one day help develop new treatments for chronic pain conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome.

Verbal fluency, the ability to recall and use vocabulary, is the strongest cognitive predictor of longevity in a 20-year study of elderly adults. This suggests a link between linguistic ability and overall health.

Neuroscientists have discovered a way to control how much zinc is released to specific locations in the brain. The essential mineral plays a major role in the brain’s function, including improving memory and lessening symptoms of some neurological disorders, but getting the right amount to the right place is key.

According to new research, inflammation inside and outside the brain may contribute to neurological complications in COVID-19.

A study published  in the British Journal of Psychiatry has found that nearly half of people diagnosed with depression don’t respond to multiple antidepressant medications and are considered “treatment-resistant.” The study found that 48% of patients whose electronic health care records reported a diagnosis of depression had tried at least two antidepressants, and 37% had tried four or more different options.

Scientists have developed a computational framework that maps how the brain processes speech during real-world conversations.

For children with autism who severely injure themselves, a pilot study suggests that deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the brain’s reward centre (nucleus accumbens) is a safe and possible treatment that could be beneficial, especially when behavioural therapies don’t work.

New research suggests that factors present in the placenta during pregnancy might play a role in increasing the risk of a child developing schizophrenia.

Scientists at Peking University have used a new method to discover that dopamine helps protect and control the function of a protein called Tau. This finding helps us better understand how dopamine works normally and in diseases of the brain.

A research team has uncovered the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of pain and itch in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).

A new study finds that women in their 80s who develop increasing daytime sleepiness over five years are twice as likely to develop dementia. Researchers tracked 733 women without cognitive impairment, using wrist devices to monitor sleep and circadian rhythms. Those who showed stable sleep patterns had the lowest dementia risk, while those with increasing sleepiness faced the highest risk. Surprisingly, declining nighttime sleep was not significantly linked to dementia risk.

A research team has developed an electrode capable of safely encasing nerves without causing damage.

Finally this week, new research shows that even 12-month-old babies can form memories, as indicated by activity in the hippocampus. This challenges the idea that infants can’t remember and suggests that infantile amnesia (not remembering early childhood) might be because we can’t access those memories later, rather than not forming them in the first place.

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A new way of mapping activity and connections between different regions of the brain has revealed fresh insights into how higher-order functions like language, thought and attention, are organized.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have demonstrated that the brain’s ability to learn certain skills can be significantly enhanced if both the brain and nervous system are primed by carefully-calibrated, precisely-timed electrical and magnetic stimulations. This new research has the potential to open entirely new perspectives in rehabilitation and possibly elite sports.

A study of patients with epilepsy shows how making new neurons benefits cognition.

New AI software can read the brain scans of patients who have had a stroke to more accurately pinpoint when it happened and help doctors work out whether it can be successfully treated. It is hoped that the new technology will ultimately enable faster and more accurate emergency treatment of patients in a hospital setting.

Researchers have discovered the structural details of a brain receptor called GPR6, which could lead to new treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

Living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods is associated with higher blood pressure and lower cognitive performance, even in individuals without mild cognitive impairment. Researchers analyzed over 500 adults, finding that poor social and economic resources in neighborhoods exacerbate cardiometabolic health issues and reduce brain function.

Scientists have developed a new approach to learning through noninvasive manipulation of brain activity patterns.

A new study is helping solve the mystery as to why the brain shrinks in a unique pattern, known as atrophy, in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Published in Acta Neuropathologica, this research provides novel evidence that cumulative repetitive head impacts are driving the specific patterns of brain degeneration found at the base of the folds of the surface of the brain, known as the cortical sulcus.

A global research collaboration has revealed a hidden cause of a rare intellectual disorder associated with severe language delay, epileptic seizures, motor impairment and brain abnormalities.

A multi-sensory digital treatment protocol, incorporating sensory integration, sensory substitution, and sensory masking (e.g., blindfolding), significantly improved participants’ performance on spatial memory tasks. Resting-state fMRI analysis showed that these improvements were associated with enhanced connectivity between memory-related brain regions, executive frontal areas, and the default mode network (DMN).

People with high blood pressure who also lack sleep may be at increased risk of reduced cognitive performance and greater brain injury, new research has found.

Researchers have uncovered a groundbreaking mechanism called Electro-Calcium (E-Ca) coupling that integrates electrical and calcium signaling in brain capillaries. This process ensures precise blood flow delivery to active neurons, crucial for brain health and cognitive function.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have made a breakthrough in understanding what neural mechanisms allow the extreme sensitivity of human vision in darkness. 

New research reveals that music can do more than trigger memories—it can alter their emotional tone. When participants recalled neutral stories while listening to emotionally charged music, they later remembered the stories as matching the music’s mood. These findings hint at music’s potential for therapeutic interventions, like reframing negative memories in depression or PTSD.

Finally this week a recent study has found that high blood sugar may impair brain health even in people without diabetes. 

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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.