Find Exercise You Enjoy: Personality Shapes Fitness Success
Summary: A new study shows matching your personality to the type of exercise you enjoy may help you stick with it and reduce stress. Researchers found extroverts preferred high-intensity workouts, while people high in neuroticism favored short bursts of activity and saw greater stress reduction from exercise. Conscientious individuals were generally fitter but less driven […]
Masks Don’t Muffle Word Learning: Toddlers Learn Without Seeing Mouths
Summary: Toddlers as young as two can successfully learn new words even when a speaker’s mouth or eyes are covered, a study shows. Researchers found that children’s ability to follow the speaker’s gaze and link words to objects drives vocabulary learning, not reliance on seeing mouth movements. These findings ease concerns about face masks hampering […]
One Neuron, Two Behaviors – Neuroscience News
Summary: New research shows a single neuron in fruit flies can trigger two distinct behaviors in response to the same smell. When detecting rotting fruit, one downstream pathway drives the flies toward the source, while another pathway controls their walking speed. This multifunctional signaling challenges the long-held idea that each neuron serves just one purpose. […]
Why Your Baby Cries: It’s Largely Written in Their Genes
Summary: A new twin study reveals that how much an infant cries is strongly influenced by genetics, leaving parents with limited control over this behavior. Researchers found that at two months, genetics accounted for around 50% of crying duration, rising to 70% by five months. In contrast, night awakenings and time to settle were more […]
Side of Parkinson’s Onset Shapes Cognitive and Emotional Decline
Summary: Parkinson’s disease often starts on one side of the body, and new research shows this asymmetry influences how non-motor symptoms progress. Patients whose symptoms begin on the right side tend to experience greater cognitive decline and higher dementia risk. Those with left-side onset are more prone to psychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and difficulty […]
Timing of Prozac Treatment Shapes Lasting Mood, Brain Changes
Summary: New research reveals that the developmental timing of fluoxetine (Prozac) treatment profoundly influences long-term mood and brain function. In a rodent model, early postnatal treatment in males led to persistent anxiety and depression-like behaviors, while adolescent treatment reduced these behaviors. The study also showed opposite effects on neuron structure, gene expression, and brain energy […]
Emotional Neglect in Childhood Undermines Trust in One’s Own Body
Summary: A new meta-analysis links childhood emotional abuse and neglect to reduced trust in one’s bodily signals, highlighting the long-term mental health risks. Researchers analyzed 17 studies with 3,705 participants, finding that while maltreatment did not generally impair interoception, emotional maltreatment was strongly tied to lower body trust. This diminished trust may impair emotional regulation, […]
Astrocytes in Obesity: Brain Cells That Control Metabolism & Cognition
Summary: A new study reveals that astrocytes, star-shaped brain cells in the striatum, are key players in how obesity alters brain function and metabolism. Researchers showed that manipulating astrocyte activity in obese mice improved their cognitive flexibility and metabolic regulation. These findings highlight astrocytes’ overlooked role in maintaining brain health and energy balance. The results […]
Stem Cell Grafts Show Promise in Repairing Myelin in MS
Summary: A new study reveals that neural stem cell grafts can generate new myelin in the central nervous system, offering hope for treating progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers showed that induced neural stem cells matured into myelin-producing oligodendrocytes and safely integrated into damaged regions in a mouse model. The findings suggest stem cell therapies could […]
Early Meals Boost Health, but Genetic Clock Shapes When We Eat
Summary: Our bodies process food differently depending on the time of day, and eating later has been linked to poorer metabolic health. A study of twins found that those who consumed most of their daily calories earlier had better insulin sensitivity and lower risk factors for diabetes and obesity. However, researchers also found that up […]