Rare Brain Cells Offer Clues to Aging and Rejuvenation

Summary: A study reveals how brain cell interactions influence aging, showing that rare cell types either accelerate or slow brain aging. Neural stem cells provide a rejuvenating effect on neighboring…

70 Is the New 60: Age Related Declines Slowing in Older People

Summary: A study highlights significant improvements in the physical and mental functioning of older adults in England compared to previous generations. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging,…

Open-World Video Games Boost Relaxation and Mental Well-Being

Summary: Open-world video games can significantly improve relaxation and mental health, especially for postgraduate students. These games, offering expansive environments and player autonomy, provide a form of cognitive escapism that…

Study Ties Visual Errors to Paranoid Beliefs

Summary: A new study suggests complex beliefs like paranoia may have roots in visual misperception. Participants prone to paranoia or teleological thinking were more likely to wrongly identify one moving…

Targeted or Broadcast? How the Brain Processes Visual Information

Summary: Researchers have uncovered how visual information is processed across the brain’s complex and flexible networks. One study showed visual signals are selectively targeted or broadly broadcast, challenging the idea…

Teen Brain’s Blunted Reward Response Predicts Depression Onset

Summary: A new study reveals that a reduced neural response to rewards in teens predicts the first onset of depression, but not anxiety or suicidality. Researchers used EEG scans to…

Ketamine Reduces “Giving Up” by Targeting Brain Support Cells

Summary: Researchers have found that ketamine’s antidepressant effects target astroglia, a type of brain support cell, rather than neurons, challenging conventional views. Using zebrafish, scientists observed that ketamine suppressed the…

AI Tweaks Personality Tests to Appear More Likable

Summary: Large language models (LLMs) can identify when they are being given personality tests and adjust their responses to appear more socially desirable. Researchers found that LLMs, like GPT-4, showed…

Being Watched Changes How Your Brain Processes Faces

Summary: A new study shows that knowing you’re under surveillance triggers a faster, automatic brain response to detect faces and gaze direction. Researchers found that participants monitored via CCTV became…

Twin Dynamics: How Developmental Differences Shape Dominance Roles

Summary: A new study reveals that developmental differences strongly influence dominance roles in twin relationships, with typically developing twins perceived as dominant over their nontypically developing siblings. This dominance imbalance…