Early-Life Adversity Reshapes Brain Development and Behavior

Summary: Early-life adversity affects over half of children worldwide, increasing the risk of cognitive and mental health issues later in life. A new review highlights how unpredictable sensory experiences, beyond…

Rubber Hand Illusion Reduces Pain Perception

Summary: A new study shows that the rubber hand illusion can reduce the intensity of pain caused by heat. Researchers found that when participants viewed a rubber hand being illuminated…

Do small trees in the understory of tropical forest gain additional carbon from fungi?  – Functional Ecologists

Franziska Zahn, postdoc at University of Bayreuth (Germany), presents her work “Stable isotope analysis indicates partial mycoheterotrophy in arbuscular mycorrhizal woody seedlings in tropical forests”. She discusses the collaborative network…

Bystander PTSD Alters Brain Differently Than Direct Trauma

Summary: New research reveals that witnessing trauma triggers unique brain changes, distinct from those caused by experiencing trauma firsthand. The study found that indirect trauma leads to different protein degradation…

Verbal Fluency Might Predict Human Longevity

Summary: A recent study reveals a surprising link between longevity and verbal fluency—the ability to effectively recall and utilize vocabulary. Researchers analyzed cognitive data from the Berlin Aging Study, involving…

Some of Sydney’s koalas are chlamydia-free, but still at risk

Some of Sydney’s koalas are facing an uncompromising dilemma. The koalas living in one corner of Australia’s largest city are perilously inbred, researchers report February 26 in Conservation Genetics. But…

Viewpoint: Fact checking controversial eight claims by Dr. Oz — Health science often left behind

Over 13 seasons of “The Dr. Oz Show,” from 2009 to 2022, [Mehmet Oz] told viewers what to eat, how to exercise, what supplements to take and when to worry…

The mystery of how iguanas crossed the Pacific Ocean may be solved

Scaly sailors may have made a record-setting oceanic voyage. Tens of millions of years ago, iguanas in North America floated across the Pacific Ocean. Clinging to vegetation washed into the…

Herpes Virus Linked to Long-Term Brain and Neurological Problems

Summary: A new study reveals that herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), commonly known for causing cold sores, can travel through the nasal cavity directly to the brain, causing severe and lasting…

Nature’s Painkiller: How Virtual Scenes Ease Pain in the Brain

Summary: Viewing natural scenes can significantly reduce how people perceive pain, a new neuroimaging study has found. Researchers discovered that participants reported less pain and exhibited altered brain activity associated…