THEPSYCHOLOGYTURKEY

Researchers find that stem cells in the developing brain of modern humans take longer to divide and make fewer errors when distributing their chromosomes to their daughter cells, compared to those of Neanderthals. http://dlvr.it/SVl3lb

New research shows that a decline in a person's sense of smell over time predicts their loss of cognitive function and can foretell structural changes in regions of the brain that are important in Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The findings could lead to the development of smell-test screening to detect cognitive impairment earlier in patients. http://dlvr.it/SVkMrQ

Researchers have shown a direct link between vagus nerve stimulation and its connection to the learning centers of the brain. The discovery may lead to treatments that will improve cognitive retention in both healthy and injured nervous systems. http://dlvr.it/SVgbkd

To ensure a quick halt, brain circuit architecture avoids a slow process of integration in favor of quicker differentiation, a new neuroscience study finds. http://dlvr.it/SVg9ts

Neuroscientists have investigated the reciprocal interactions between two brain regions that represent visual working memory in mice. The team found that communication between these two loci of working memory, parietal cortex and premotor cortex, was co-dependent on instantaneous timescales. http://dlvr.it/SVcJWq

Non-invasive brain stimulation can restore optimal motor skill acquisition in people with diminished learning capabilities, e.g. due to age, according to a new study. http://dlvr.it/SVbtVS

Results from the largest prospective study of its kind indicate that in the initial days and weeks after experiencing trauma, individuals facing potentially threatening situations who had less activity in their hippocampus developed more severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. http://dlvr.it/SVYgK6

New research shows that the majority of gene changes in the brain caused by lead can be reversed by raising animals in stimulating environments. http://dlvr.it/SVY4Gn

Scientists conducted a study to image the neural activity analogues to cognitive flexibility and discover differences in the brain activity of children with ADHD and those without. http://dlvr.it/SVVJHD

Researchers have identified the brain regions responsible for the increased aggression that occurs when male mice spend time with other male mice before an aggressive encounter -- a concept known as social instigation. When social instigation occurs, cells in the lateral habenula signal to the dorsal raphe nucleus, which then communicates with the ventral tegmental area, leading to heightened aggression. These findings may have applications for socially provoked anger or violence. http://dlvr.it/SVV0BF

Individuals with no dementia risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or hearing loss, have similar brain health as people who are 10 to 20 years younger than them, according to a new study. The study found that a single dementia risk factor could reduce cognition by the equivalent of up to three years of aging. http://dlvr.it/STrXFs

While the overall experience is stored in the hippocampus, the brain structure long considered the seat of memory, individual details are parsed and stored elsewhere, in the prefrontal cortex. This separation ensures that, in the future, exposure to any individual cue is sufficient to activate the prefrontal cortex, which then accesses the hippocampus for recall of the whole memory. http://dlvr.it/STrXCn

Researchers have uncovered how post-viral fatigue syndromes, including Long COVID, become life-changing diseases and why patients suffer frequent relapses. http://dlvr.it/STng9R

New research may provide a key to a scientific enigma: How does the awake brain transform sensory input into a conscious experience? The groundbreaking study relied on data collected from electrodes implanted, for medical purposes, deep in the human brain. The information was utilized to examine differences between the response of the cerebral cortex to sounds in sleep vs. wakefulness, at a resolution of single neurons. http://dlvr.it/STng60

New research demonstrates that inhibitory and excitatory neuronal circuits of the visual system develop through different processes, even if the organization of the mature circuit is similar. These findings highlight the importance of the continued study of the development of these two systems, the understanding of which is fundamental to comprehending neurodevelopmental disorders. http://dlvr.it/STnKq1

Scientists have shown that a brain-penetrating candidate drug currently in development as a cancer therapy can foster regeneration of damaged nerves after spinal trauma. The announcement comes weeks after the same research team showed a different investigational drug can reduce damage after spinal cord injury, by blocking the inflammatory response. http://dlvr.it/STmwtS

A novel molecular pathway involving cell signalling proteins in the brain may explain how stress affects neuropsychiatric lupus with diffuse neuropsychological manifestations. http://dlvr.it/STjlsB

New research shows that fatty foods may not only be adding to your waistline but may also be aggravating Alzheimer's disease, and causing depression and anxiety. http://dlvr.it/STZcQr

When words fail, gestures can help to get the message across -- especially for people who have a language disorder. An international research team has now shown that listeners attend the gestures of people with aphasia more often and for much longer than previously thought. This has implications for the use of gestures in speech therapy. http://dlvr.it/STZcLg

Scientists have identified the neural mechanisms through which sound blunts pain in mice. The findings could inform development of safer methods to treat pain. http://dlvr.it/STWsxl

Improved understanding of a neural pathway connecting light-sensitive cells in the retina with the cortical brain regions involved in mood and cognition has implications for the development of treatments for mood disorders. http://dlvr.it/STWSNF

Research in psychological and brain sciences shows a link in older adults between social interactions and having a sense of purpose. http://dlvr.it/STWSKH

New research suggests that many people may indeed reap mental health benefits from working with plants -- even if they've never gardened before. http://dlvr.it/STT12s

Scientists have developed a new technique for imaging mRNA molecules in the brains of living mice. The research reveals new insights into how memories are formed and stored in the brain and could allow scientists to learn more about diseases such as Alzheimer's in the future. http://dlvr.it/STShN6

A new study measures changes in the human brain's response to a perceived threat following non-invasive stimulation of the nervous system via the vagus nerve. The results have implications for the development of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions, as well as for increasing alertness and attention during learning. http://dlvr.it/STPpR3

The gene defect underlying Krabbe disease causes degeneration of neurons directly, independent of its effects on other cell types, according to a new study. The discovery represents a new mechanism of action for the mutant gene, presenting a more accurate picture of the disease process that may help in the development of therapies. http://dlvr.it/STPpFF

Neuroscientists have gained new insight into how our brain evolved into a language-ready brain. Compared to chimpanzee brains, the pattern of connections of language areas in our brain has expanded more than previously thought. http://dlvr.it/STPpDX

A new study describes the immune response triggered by COVID-19 infection that damages the brain's blood vessels and may lead to short- and long-term neurological symptoms. The study examined brain changes in nine people who died suddenly after contracting the virus. http://dlvr.it/STPTwR

Scientists have shown how our brain's response to watching emotional and social stimuli in a movie changes between infancy and adulthood. http://dlvr.it/STP4qs

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently listed a new sibling diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), termed complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). An international team has now summarized the symptoms of the long-awaited new diagnosis and issued guidelines for clinical assessment and treatment. http://dlvr.it/STBpKm

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are defined by pathogenic accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain. Now, however, scientists have established that the p62 protein, which is involved in cellular protein degradation, can prevent the accumulation of toxic oligomeric tau species in mouse brains, proving the 'neuroprotective' function of p62 in a living model. http://dlvr.it/STBp5B

Research on the effects of exercise in low-oxygen environments on the brain demonstrated that cognitive performance worsens when lower-than-usual amounts of oxygen are carried by the blood. Consequently, tissue in brain regions with less critical functions may receive inadequate oxygen supply to maintain normal activity levels. http://dlvr.it/STBp06