Summary: A new study shows that the cerebral cortex acts as a “memory machine,” constantly detecting novel stimuli to refine its predictions of the future. By imaging the auditory cortex…
Tag: neurobiology
Ketogenic Diet May Stabilize Mood in Young People with Bipolar
Summary: Researchers are launching a multi-site pilot study to assess whether a ketogenic diet, alongside standard medications, can stabilize mood symptoms in young people with bipolar disorder. The 16-week trial…
How CBD Modulates THC’s Impact on the Brain
Summary: Researchers have identified how CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors to mitigate the negative effects of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis. Unlike THC, which fully activates the receptor and…
How the Brain Overcomes Instinctive Fear and Adapts to New Threats
Summary: Researchers have identified brain mechanisms that help animals suppress instinctive fear responses when threats prove harmless over time. Using a visual threat model in mice, they found that specific…
Ancient Ear Muscles Reactivate When We Struggle to Listen
Summary: Humans have vestigial ear muscles that once helped our ancestors focus on sounds. New research shows these muscles still activate when we strain to hear in noisy environments. Scientists…
Imaging Reveals Gut-Brain Connection in Alzheimer’s Disease
Summary: Scientists have used advanced X-ray phase-contrast tomography (XPCT) to uncover how gut health may influence Alzheimer’s disease. The study found structural changes in the gut of Alzheimer’s-affected mice, revealing…
Genetics, Not Maternal Sickness, Drives Autism Risk
Summary: A large study analyzing over 1.1 million pregnancies found no strong evidence that maternal health conditions during pregnancy cause autism. Instead, nearly all previously reported associations between maternal diagnoses…
Blood Test May Predict Postpartum Depression Through Hormone Levels
Summary: Women who develop postpartum depression (PPD) may have distinct neuroactive steroid levels during the third trimester of pregnancy. A study found that those with PPD had lower levels of…
