How Music Can Emotionally Reshape Your Memories

Summary: A new neuroscience study reveals that music can alter the emotional content of our memories when played during recollection. Participants who listened to emotionally charged music while recalling neutral…

Tiny Gene Fragment Key to Memory Revealed

Summary: Researchers have discovered that a nine–amino acid microexon spliced into the DAAM1 gene is critical for memory formation, functioning exclusively in neurons. Deleting this microexon in mice resulted in…

Verbal Abuse in Childhood Rewires the Developing Brain

Summary: New neuroscience research highlights how verbal abuse in childhood can alter brain development and increase the risk of mental health issues later in life. Children who are routinely shamed,…

Negative Distractions Most Disrupt Attention and Linger in Memory

Summary: A new study reveals that upsetting distractions significantly impair our ability to sustain attention and also linger more strongly in memory. Researchers tested this by having participants perform a…

How Sleep Rewrites the Brain to Strengthen and Optimize Memories

Summary: A new study reveals how the brain reprocesses and refines memories during sleep, particularly those related to spatial learning. Researchers tracked rats’ hippocampal neuron activity for up to 20…

Targeting Brain’s Drainage Pathways Rejuvenates Memory

Summary: Rejuvenating the brain’s lymphatic vessels can enhance memory in aging mice by improving the removal of waste products from the brain. This research suggests that targeting the meningeal lymphatics—vessels…

Dendrites Link Memories Formed Close in Time

Summary: A new study shows that our brains physically link memories formed close together in time through changes in the dendrites of neurons, rather than in the cell bodies. Using…

Why Some People Remember Dreams and Others Don’t

Summary: A new study explores why some people vividly recall dreams while others forget them. Researchers found that dream recall is influenced by personality traits, sleep patterns, and even seasonal…

Mitochondria’s Role in Social Memory May Offer Clues to Brain Disorder

Summary: Researchers have identified a unique mitochondrial process in CA2 neurons that supports learning, memory, and social recognition. Mitochondria in different parts of these neurons vary in structure and function,…

Cannabis Use Reduces Brain Activity in Key Memory Regions

Summary: A study of over 1,000 young adults reveals that both recent and heavy lifetime cannabis use reduce brain activity in regions critical for working memory, including the prefrontal cortex…