Toddler Gut Bacteria Linked to Childhood Anxiety and Depression
Summary: A new study suggests that a child’s gut microbiome at age 2 may influence their emotional health years later. Researchers found that higher levels of bacteria from the Clostridiales order and Lachnospiraceae family were linked to stronger connectivity across emotion-related brain networks and a higher risk of anxiety and depression symptoms by age 7½. […]
$2 Saliva Test Could Help Detect Depression and Schizophrenia
Summary: Scientists have developed a portable biosensor that can detect levels of BDNF, a protein linked to mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The flexible, low-cost device analyzes a drop of saliva in under three minutes, offering a fast, affordable, and noninvasive diagnostic tool. Because low BDNF levels are associated with […]
How Chemotherapy Triggers Nerve Damage, and How to Stop It
Summary: A new study reveals that chemotherapy-induced nerve pain arises from a stress response in immune cells that triggers inflammation and neurotoxicity. Researchers found that activating a cellular stress sensor called IRE1α causes nerve damage and pain during chemotherapy, but blocking it prevents both in mice. Patients with higher IRE1α activity also experienced more severe […]
Epigenetic Switch to Turn Memories On and Off Created
Summary: Researchers have shown for the first time that flipping an epigenetic “switch” in specific memory-holding neurons can directly alter memory strength. By targeting the gene Arc—which helps neurons adjust their connections—scientists used CRISPR-based tools to either boost or silence its activity in engram cells within the hippocampus. Silencing Arc blocked memory formation, while activating […]
How Neurons Feel Force: Uncovering the Physics of Touch
Summary: A groundbreaking study reveals how neurons sense and transmit mechanical forces across their membranes—a key to understanding touch, movement, and development. Using precision laser-based optical tweezers, researchers discovered that tension travels faster in touch-sensing neurons than in movement-sensing ones. The findings show that the arrangement of membrane proteins dictates how far and fast these […]
How the Brain’s Ion Gates Open and Close
Summary: New research reveals how tiny electrical gates in the brain, known as NMDA receptors, control learning, memory, and neuron survival. Using cryo-electron microscopy, scientists captured atomic-level images showing how a natural neurosteroid, 24S-HC, holds these channels wide open, while a synthetic compound locks them partially shut. The team found that fully open channels allow […]
Your Brain “Zones Out” After Poor Sleep To Cleaning Itself
Summary: New research shows that during moments of lost focus after poor sleep, the brain releases a wave of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)—the same cleansing process that normally occurs during deep sleep. Using simultaneous EEG and fMRI scans, scientists found that these fluid pulses occur precisely when attention lapses, suggesting the brain is attempting to catch […]
Football Players Show Subtle Brain Differences Linked to CTE Risk
Summary: Brain scans of former football players revealed subtle differences in brain grooves compared to men who never played contact sports, possibly marking early signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Researchers found that players had shallower grooves in a key frontal region previously associated with CTE and that years of play correlated with structural changes […]
When Using AI, Users Fall for the Dunning-Kruger Trap in Reverse
Summary: A new study reveals that when interacting with AI tools like ChatGPT, everyone—regardless of skill level—overestimates their performance. Researchers found that the usual Dunning-Kruger Effect disappears, and instead, AI-literate users show even greater overconfidence in their abilities. The study suggests that reliance on AI encourages “cognitive offloading,” where users trust the system’s output without […]
Hunger Hormone and Blood Flow Team Up to Guide New Brain Cells
Summary: Scientists have discovered that blood flow helps direct the movement of newly formed neurons in the adult brain, revealing a surprising link between circulation and brain cell migration. Using advanced imaging, researchers found that neurons travel faster along high-flow blood vessels, and that the hunger hormone ghrelin boosts this migration by activating movement within […]