Summary: Why does the memory of a comforting hug last a lifetime while the sensation of a handshake vanishes instantly? A new paper introduces the first comprehensive neurobiological model of…
Tag: Memory
Estrogen Levels at the Moment of Trauma Predict PTSD
Summary: Why do two people experience the same traumatic event, yet only one develops PTSD? A new study suggests the answer lies in the brain’s “biological state” at the exact…
Exhaustion Loophole: How Sleep Deprivation Compromises Justice
Summary: The U.S. criminal justice system has long accounted for intellectual disabilities and intoxication when weighing the validity of statements, but a new research synthesis suggests it is ignoring a…
Using Imagination to Disrupt Negative Memory Traces
Summary: Childhood memories of harsh criticism or neglect often manifest in adulthood as a paralyzing fear of failure. However, a new clinical trial reveals that we can “rewrite” these internal…
Less Experience Leads to Faster Neural Adaptation
Summary: For over a century, the cornerstone of psychology has been the Pavlovian idea that we learn through repetition—the more a bell rings before food, the stronger the association. However,…
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,…
Memory Rewritten: Study Finds No Clear Line Between Episodic and Semantic Retrieval
Summary: A new study into how different parts of memory work in the brain has shown that the same brain areas are involved in retrieving different types of information. The…
Brain Stimulation Method Can Evaluate Consciousness in Alzheimer’s Disease
Summary: A new study reports that a brain complexity measure, calculated by recording EEG signals after a magnetic stimulation pulse, is significantly reduced in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This method,…
Daily Light and Sound Therapy May Slow Alzheimer’s Decline
Summary: A long-term study found that daily 40Hz light and sound stimulation may help slow cognitive decline in people with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. After two years of treatment, participants maintained…
Why Teenage Songs Define Us: The Science of Musical Memory
Summary: A global study reveals that our most emotionally resonant music tends to come from our teenage years—typically peaking around age 17. This “reminiscence bump” marks the period when our…
