THEPSYCHOLOGYTURKEY

A new bioluminescence imaging technique has created highly detailed, and visually striking, images of the movement of oxygen in the brains of mice. The method, which can be easily replicated by other labs, will enable researchers to more precisely study forms of hypoxia in the brain, such as the denial of oxygen to the brain that occurs during a stroke or heart attack. The new research tool is already providing insight into why a sedentary lifestyle may increase risk for diseases like Alzheimer's. http://dlvr.it/T4r62Q

Younger women are generally thought to have a low risk of heart disease, but new research urges clinicians to revisit that assumption, especially for women who suffer from certain mental health conditions. A new study found that having anxiety or depression could accelerate the development of cardiovascular risk factors among young and middle-aged women. http://dlvr.it/T4mjpC

Neuroscientists have established in recent decades the idea that some of each day's experiences are converted by the brain into permanent memories during sleep the same night. Now, a new study proposes a mechanism that determines which memories are tagged as important enough to linger in the brain until sleep makes them permanent. http://dlvr.it/T4mTyP

Researchers have introduced a new, refined method for analyzing brain signals, enhancing our understanding of brain functionality. This research has the potential to improve treatments for neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, pain, epilepsy and depression. http://dlvr.it/T4lMqw

Artificial intelligence (AI) may serve as a future tool for neurologists to help locate where in the brain a stroke occurred. In a new study, AI processed text from health histories and neurologic examinations to locate lesions in the brain. The study looked specifically at the large language model called generative pre-trained transformer 4 (GPT-4). http://dlvr.it/T4lMXm

Just as you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs, scientists have found that you can't make long-term memories without DNA damage and brain inflammation. http://dlvr.it/T4k0DY

Researchers have used data from UK Biobank participants to reveal that diabetes, traffic-related air pollution and alcohol intake are the most harmful out of 15 modifiable risk factors for dementia. http://dlvr.it/T4jzxF

What makes us human? According to neurobiologists it is our neocortex. This outer layer of the brain is rich in neurons and lets us do abstract thinking, create art, and speak complex languages. An international team has identified a new factor that might have contributed to neocortex expansion in humans. http://dlvr.it/T4jlyl

A new analysis involving over 13,000 people has found changes to blood vessels in the brain that can increase the risk of stroke and dementia are common in people with a range of heart conditions, regardless of whether they have experienced a stroke. http://dlvr.it/T4gJFy

The International Brain pH Project Consortium unveils groundbreaking findings in a large-scale animal model study, indicating altered brain pH and lactate levels as a transdiagnostic endophenotype in neuropsychiatric disorders with cognitive impairment. This collaborative effort, involving 131 researchers across six countries, challenges existing notions and may pave the way for novel strategies in understanding and addressing biologically diverse and debilitating disorders impacting cognitive function. http://dlvr.it/T4fVN6

A new study has found human brains are getting bigger. The increased size may lead to a brain reserve, potentially reducing the risk of dementia. http://dlvr.it/T4cSxM

For the neurons in the brain to work smoothly and be able to process information, the central nervous system needs a strictly regulated environment. This is maintained by the blood-brain barrier, whereby specialized brain endothelial cells lining the inner walls of blood vessels regulate the exchange of molecules between the circulatory and nervous systems. Earlier studies have shown that various functions that are dependent on these cells, such as the integrity of the blood-brain barrier or the regulation of blood supply to the brain, decline over the course of a person's life. This dysregulation leads to a dysfunction of the brain vasculature and is therefore a major contributor to medical conditions such as strokes and dementia. http://dlvr.it/T4cChz

The development of anxiety in girls and young women may stem from an imbalance between two crucial brain chemicals, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, according to a new study. This discovery offers promising insights into potential treatment avenues for girls and women dealing with anxiety. http://dlvr.it/T4cCQ6

A researcher has developed a new model that provides a holistic view on how our brain manages to learn quickly and forms stable, long-lasting memories. Their study sheds light on the crucial role of interactions among neighboring contact sites of nerve cells for brain plasticity -- the brain's ability to adapt to new experiences. http://dlvr.it/T4btwT

A new study shows how neurochemicals can influence blood vessels. The findings may change how researchers interpret results from functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. http://dlvr.it/T4TqT9

A new study in people undergoing surgery to treat seizures related to epilepsy shows that pauses in speech reveal information about how people's brains plan and produce speech. http://dlvr.it/T4TqKc

Single-cell gene expression patterns in the brain motor and frontal cortex, and evidence from follow-up experiments, reveal many shared cellular and molecular similarities that could be targeted for potential treatment. http://dlvr.it/T4TZpw

Researchers make the case that five 'Thrive Factors' are a key element of healthy human brain, behavioral and cognitive development. http://dlvr.it/T4SRcd

Researchers have identified a mechanism that causes neurological problems in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19. The researchers also found a treatment that helped prevent these changes. http://dlvr.it/T4R4q1

A rigorous analysis of numerous studies concludes that a part of the brain traditionally associated with movement is abnormal in children with developmental language impairments. The discovery has the potential to improve both the diagnosis and treatment of the language difficulties. http://dlvr.it/T4NFn3

With the rise in gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders during pregnancy, metformin is also being prescribed more frequently. Although it is known that the oral antidiabetic agent can cross the placental barrier, the impacts on the brain development of the child are largely unknown. Researchers have now been able to demonstrate in a mouse model that although metformin has positive effects in pregnant animals, it does not in the offspring. http://dlvr.it/T4N0yW

When small hierarchical groups bond, neural activity between leaders and followers aligns, promoting quicker and more frequent communication, according to a new study. http://dlvr.it/T4N0lH

The middle-aged brain could provide a window into future cognitive health. A team reviewed evidence from human and animal studies suggesting that middle age -- commonly considered as the period between 40 and 60 or 65 years of age -- marks a shift in brain aging. They argue that more research should be dedicated to middle age, a period of life that is historically understudied. http://dlvr.it/T4N0cb

Researchers show that non-invasive brain stimulation can change a specific brain mechanism that is directly related to human behavior. http://dlvr.it/T4N0Pw

Scientists find that adolescents who grapple with the bigger meaning of social situations experience greater brain growth, which predicts stronger identity development and life satisfaction years later. http://dlvr.it/T4K02T

Eating fatty food in the days leading up to surgery may prompt a heightened inflammatory response in the brain that interferes for weeks with memory-related cognitive function in older adults -- and, new research in animals suggests, even in young adults. http://dlvr.it/T4FwDZ

Researchers have discovered that symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are tied to atypical interactions between the brain's frontal cortex and information processing centers deep in the brain. The researchers examined more than 10,000 functional brain images of youth with ADHD. http://dlvr.it/T47M07

The stress-induced mechanisms that cause our brain to produce feelings of fear in the absence of threats -- such as in PTSD -- have been mostly a mystery. Now, neurobiologists have identified the changes in brain biochemistry and mapped the neural circuitry that cause generalized fear experiences. http://dlvr.it/T44zb4

Spending quality time with dogs reduces stress and increases the power of brain waves associated with relaxation and concentration, according to a new study. http://dlvr.it/T44fQm

U.S. veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who suffered mild traumatic brain injury from exposure to explosive blasts were found to have changes in cerebrospinal fluid proteins that are typically seen in people who develop Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers. http://dlvr.it/T43rTh

These wide-ranging waves quickly link the specific constellations of brain regions that work in harmony to perform a task. http://dlvr.it/T43r2g

Living in neighborhoods with high levels of violence can affect children's development by changing the way that a part of the brain detects and responds to potential threats, potentially leading to poorer mental health and other negative outcomes, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. http://dlvr.it/T3z5Q3

Early stages of neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the accumulation of proteins in discrete populations of brain cells and degeneration of these cells. For most diseases, this selective vulnerability pattern is unexplained, yet it could yield major insight into pathological mechanisms. http://dlvr.it/T3yfwm

A study of polyglots found the brain's language network responds more strongly when hearing languages a speaker is more proficient in -- and much more weakly to the speaker's native language. http://dlvr.it/T3xf4T

We can learn to be happy, but only get lasting benefits if we keep practicing, a new study has revealed. http://dlvr.it/T3xdvb

Researchers have investigated brain development to understand how different areas of the brain become specialized in handling information such as vision, sound, touch and planning. http://dlvr.it/T3xRtL

People who have headaches after experiencing concussions may also be more likely to have higher levels of iron in areas of the brain, which is a sign of injury to brain cells, according to a preliminary study released today, March 5, 2024, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13--18, 2024, in person in Denver and online. http://dlvr.it/T3w8Zw

Combining two treatments could be a promising option for people, especially military veterans, whose lives are negatively affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, finds a new study. In a clinical trial conducted among U.S. military veterans, participants who received brain stimulation with a low electrical current during sessions of virtual reality exposure reported a significant reduction in PTSD symptom severity. http://dlvr.it/T3v7Vv

A noninvasive treatment may help to counter 'chemo brain' impairment often seen in chemotherapy patients: Exposure to light and sound with a frequency of 40 hertz protected brain cells from chemotherapy-induced damage in mice, researchers found. http://dlvr.it/T3txh8

Researchers discovered a brain circuit that drives vocalization and ensures that you talk only when you breathe out, and stop talking when you breathe in. This circuit is under control of a brainstem region called the pre-B tzinger complex. http://dlvr.it/T3q50W

A new tool captures data from an unprecedented 1 million neurons simultaneously, painting a much fuller picture of brain dynamics. http://dlvr.it/T3mm0L

Researchers have introduced a new method for in vivo brain imaging, enabling large-scale and long-term observation of neuronal structures and activities in awake mice. This method is called the 'nanosheet incorporated into light-curable resin' (NIRE) method, and it uses fluoropolymer nanosheets covered with light-curable resin to create larger cranial windows. http://dlvr.it/T3jxHz

Scientists have created a novel organoid model of the human brain that contains astrocytes -- which have been excluded from other models thus far -- to study inflammation in diseases like Alzheimer's. Using this model, they have already found a potentially druggable target to disrupt inflammation in the brain. http://dlvr.it/T3jx8h

Scientists have been examining the relationship between childhood adversity, and psychiatric decline as well as adult adversity and psychiatric and cognitive decline. http://dlvr.it/T3csSn

Researchers report that a single glial cell uses different molecules to communicate with different neurons. Careful clustering of these molecules ensures that the glial cell can conduct a distinct 'conversation' with each neuron. Through these molecular facilitators, glia can influence how neurons respond to environmental cues like temperature and smell. http://dlvr.it/T3cfGS

A new neuroimaging study reveals how the brain gets to the creative flow state. http://dlvr.it/T3cPD8

Researchers have discovered a network of neurons in the brain of mice that help them make right and left turns. In the future, the discovery may be used in treatment for Parkinson's disease. http://dlvr.it/T3YwH2

The activity of Snhg11, a gene found in the 'dark matter' of the genome, is critical for the function and formation of neurons in the hippocampus, specifically in an area critical for learning and memory. Researchers have discovered the gene is less active in brains with three copies of chromosome 21, which causes Down syndrome, potentially contributing to the condition's intellectual disabilities. The researchers plan on carrying out further research to discover the exact mechanisms of action involved, information that could open potential avenues for new therapeutic interventions. http://dlvr.it/T3VXpv

The human brain has the extraordinary ability to rapidly discern a stranger from someone familiar, even as it can simultaneously remember details about someone across decades of encounters. Now, in mouse studies, scientists have revealed how the brain elegantly performs both tasks. http://dlvr.it/T3VLZr