THEPSYCHOLOGYTURKEY

Crossword puzzles are widely used but have not been studied systematically in mild cognitive impairment, which is associated with high risk for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.The new study has documented short- and longer-term benefits for web-crossword puzzle training compared to another intervention. http://dlvr.it/Sc0jML

Researchers have confirmed a pathway in the brain that governs how animals, including humans, respond to stress. The findings could yield better understanding of the physical- and mental-health impacts of chronic stress in humans. http://dlvr.it/Sbv6cF

Oppressive, frightening, nerve-wracking: nightmares are particularly disturbing dreams. They are considered pathological when they occur frequently (>1 episode per week) and cause daytime fatigue, mood alteration and anxiety. Although Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) has shown some effectiveness, some patients do not respond to this treatment. A team has now developed a promising new technique combining this classic therapy with the Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) method. Thanks to this new therapy, the patients'nightmares decreased significantly and their positive dreams increased. http://dlvr.it/SbrGfD

Alzheimer's disease is associated with a reduction of insulin receptors in brain microvessels, which may contribute to brain insulin resistance and the formation of amyloid plaques, one of the disease's hallmarks. The findings could affect the search for new Alzheimer's drugs. http://dlvr.it/Sbn8nh

Just like the famous lyrics suggest, if you put on a happy face you will feel a little brighter, according to a new study. http://dlvr.it/SblymL

How do people decide whether to intervene and help others in danger? Researchers now show that the same system in the brain that enables us to avoid danger is also activated during selfless, helping behavior. http://dlvr.it/Sbk5J6

Whether it's a car door not properly closed, a shanked kick in football, or a misplaced note in music, our ears tell us when something doesn't sound right. A team of neuroscientists has recently uncovered how the brain works to make distinctions between 'right' and 'wrong' sounds -- research that provides a deeper understanding of how we learn complex audio-motor tasks like speaking or playing music. http://dlvr.it/Sbg0yl

Medical researchers have identified a new type of microglia associated with stroke in the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injured brain. http://dlvr.it/SbdqCp

Scientists have successfully placed a bioinspired steerable catheter into the brain of an animal. http://dlvr.it/SbWNf6

Researchers discovered unexpected mechanisms by which animals make and destroy serotonin, a chemical central to depression and eating disorders. The findings could ultimately lead to more effective treatments for a wide range of mental health disorders. http://dlvr.it/SbSNCq

Researchers have mapped in detail how the immune system acts against pathogens invading the brain. The results show that the first line of defense is formed by brain-resident macrophages. These macrophages then recruit a large number of blood-derived macrophages that help to control the disease. These 'recruited macrophages' disappear again just as quickly once the infection is resolved. http://dlvr.it/SbSMyw

A team measured how levels of various proteins in brain cells change in response to brain activity. http://dlvr.it/SbP8Bn

In a series of experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity across networks in the brain, researchers looked at how stress might increase appetite in obese and lean adults. http://dlvr.it/SbNDWQ

A team of scientists believe our brains could use quantum computation, after adapting an idea developed to prove the existence of quantum gravity to explore the human brain and its workings. The brain functions measured were also correlated to short-term memory performance and conscious awareness, suggesting quantum processes are also part of cognitive and conscious brain functions. Quantum brain processes could explain why we can still outperform supercomputers when it comes to unforeseen circumstances, decision making, or learning something new, while the discovery may also shed light on consciousness, the workings of which remain scientifically difficult to understand and explain. http://dlvr.it/SbMqzw

A team led by researchers has developed a powerful computational tool for understanding brain health and disease, providing an enhanced way of characterizing the activity of the brain during sleep. http://dlvr.it/SbJwPw

Researchers have discovered a molecule in the brain responsible for orchestrating the immune system's responses to Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially allowing doctors to supercharge the body's ability to fight those and other devastating neurological diseases. http://dlvr.it/SbFfFr

Study shows that not only are loud vehicles flying overhead a cause of noise pollution-related stress, the effect of that stress remains on the body even after noise levels have decreased. http://dlvr.it/SbDG75

A new study that links the location of brain injury to levels of depression in patients following the injury has identified two distinct brain networks; one associated with increased depression symptoms and one associated with decreased depression symptoms. The large-scale study expands on previous findings and suggests that these brain networks might be potential targets for neuromodulation therapies to treat depression. http://dlvr.it/Sb3Xd8

High rates of depression and anxiety reported by adolescent athletes whose sports were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic improved significantly a year later when they were able to resume playing sports, according to new research. http://dlvr.it/Sb2wCN

Researchers demonstrate the relationship between the rate of cognitive fatigue in MS and microstructural brain changes. The findings promise to advance development of clinical interventions for disabling fatigue. http://dlvr.it/SZzdf3

Human and mouse neurons in a dish learned to play the video game Pong, researchers report. The experiments are evidence that even brain cells in a dish can exhibit inherent intelligence, modifying their behavior over time. http://dlvr.it/SZzLL4

The gut microbiome may play a role in how diet and exercise affect brain health and dementia risk, suggests a recent study. This knowledge could help scientists and clinicians optimize strategies to prevent dementia. http://dlvr.it/SZw4t4

A clinical study found that, for children who had a major stroke to the left hemisphere of their brain within days of their birth, the infant's brain was 'plastic' enough for the right hemisphere to acquire the language abilities ordinarily handled by the left side while also maintaining its own language abilities as well. http://dlvr.it/SZvj26

Researchers have developed a method to detect build-up of amyloid beta in the brain, a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, from biomarkers in blood samples. http://dlvr.it/SZjwyQ

A team of scientists has brought together more than forty existing brain maps in one place. The database, called neuromaps, will help scientists find correlations between patterns across different brain regions, spatial scales, modalities and brain functions. It provides a standardized space to view each map in comparison to each other, and assesses the statistical significance of these comparisons, to help researchers distinguish a meaningful correlation from a random pattern. http://dlvr.it/SZfrk7

Researchers have pioneered the CMU Array -- a customizable, 3D nano-printed, ultra-high-density microelectrode array platform for next generation brain-computer interfaces. This technology can transform the way doctors are able to treat neurological disorders. http://dlvr.it/SZd29f

Healthy study volunteers whose red blood cells contained higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids were found to have better brain structure and cognitive function in middle age. http://dlvr.it/SZbYfm

According to a new study, third-trimester fetuses with in utero opioid exposure exhibited multiple smaller 2D biometric measurements of the brain, as well as altered fetal physiology, on investigational MRI. http://dlvr.it/SZZHz2

Researchers discover that the phosphorylation of a newly identified protein kinase substrate downstream of the dopamine signaling pathway regulates the brain reward behavior. http://dlvr.it/SZXK4D

Newly discovered biological changes in mothers who suffer postpartum depression may help explain the condition, yield long-sought treatments and let doctors identify those at risk even before their babies are born. http://dlvr.it/SZW255

You may not realize it, but each time you recall a memory -- like your first time riding a bike or walking into your high school prom -- your brain changes the memory ever so slightly. It's almost like adding a filter, with details being filled in and information being updated or lost with each recall. http://dlvr.it/SZRh1S

New research in animal models show it's possible to create a compound that hits the same exact target as psychedelic drugs hit -- the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors on the surface of specific neurons -- but does not cause the same psychedelic effects when given to mice. http://dlvr.it/SZPDXS

Researchers developed a novel fluorescent sensor to detect and monitor levels of the neuropeptide oxytocin, also known as the 'happy hormone.' The OT sensor facilitated the successful measurement of OT dynamics in the brains of living animals and may serve as a foundation for the development of therapeutics for the treatment of neurological disorders. http://dlvr.it/SZLxCK

Brain injury in extremely premature babies may be treatable even well after birth, new research finds. Over a third of cases of cerebral palsy are still linked to being born extremely prematurely. http://dlvr.it/SZLPs6

Supporting emotional connection between a premature baby and mother during the intensive care unit treatment effectively improves the baby's brain development. The effects are clearly visible in the baby's brain network function and later neurocognitive development. http://dlvr.it/SZK2FH