Summary: Schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders are often preceded by “silent” brain vulnerabilities long before symptoms like hallucinations emerge. A groundbreaking study has identified a potential culprit: the glymphatic system,…
Tag: hippocampus
Cocaine Addiction is a Biological Rewiring, Not a Choice
Summary: Relapse isn’t a failure of willpower—it’s a biological “rewiring” of the brain. A new study reveals how chronic cocaine use hijacks the connection between the brain’s reward center and…
Hippocampus Predicts Rewards by Reorganizing Memories
Summary: A new preclinical study reveals that the hippocampus does more than just store memories; it actively reorganizes them to predict future rewards. By tracking brain activity over several weeks,…
Stress-Like Behaviors Traced to a Single ATP Circuit in the Brain
Summary: New research reveals that reduced ATP signaling in the hippocampus plays a causal role in both depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. In stressed male mice, ATP levels and the ATP-releasing…
Do You Get Déjà Vu? Memory Glitches Make Time Feel Repeated
Summary: Déjà vu—the eerie feeling that a new moment has happened before—has puzzled scientists and philosophers for centuries. Neuroscientists now believe it’s a normal brain glitch tied to how memory…
Bipolar Mood Shifts Linked to Insulin Signaling in the Pancreas
Summary: A new study uncovers a pancreas–hippocampus feedback loop that may help explain mood swings in bipolar disorder. Using patient-derived pancreatic islets, researchers found reduced insulin secretion linked to elevated…
Distinctive Neural Wiring Enhances Memory Storage
Summary: A new study has revealed distinct features of the human hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory storage and retrieval, challenging the assumption that it functions like a scaled-up…
Environment and Hippocampal Size Impact Depression in Youth
Summary: Challenging social environments and the size of the left hippocampus in children aged 9-11 contribute to an increased risk of depression. Researchers found that children with larger hippocampal volumes…
Mapping Fear: Brain Circuit That Detects and Remembers Threats Revealed
Summary: A new study has mapped a brain circuit responsible for detecting threats and forming fear memories. The hippocampus, known for spatial navigation, also plays a role in recognizing dangers,…
