Depression Genes in Women Linked to Higher Heart Disease Risk

Summary: A new study analyzing genetic data from over 300,000 people revealed that women with a high genetic risk for depression also face a higher likelihood of developing heart disease,…

Leaded Gas Exposure Linked to Mental Illness

Summary: A new study estimates that childhood lead exposure, peaking between 1960 and 1990 due to leaded gasoline, caused 151 million excess cases of mental illness by 2015. Researchers linked…

How We Filter Out Background Sounds When Speaking

Summary: Researchers have traced how the brain filters out background noise during speech using signals between the motor and auditory cortices. These milliseconds-long electrical signals, called auditory corollary discharge, originate…

Empathy Loss in Dementia Linked to Brain Activity Changes

Summary: Frontotemporal dementia, affecting about 3% of dementia patients in Sweden, is characterized by a loss of empathy that challenges patients and their families. Using functional MRI, researchers found that…

How Alcohol Increases Pain Tolerance, and Aggression

Summary: Alcohol not only raises pain tolerance but also amplifies aggression, according to a new study. Researchers found that participants who drank alcohol had higher pain thresholds and were more…

Masculine Ideals Double Suicide Risk in Men

Summary: Men who strongly adhere to traditional masculine ideologies, such as suppressing emotions and valuing independence, are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those with more…

Flexibility demands influence motor cortex’s involvement in execution of motor sequences, rat study finds

Simplified schematic representation of the motor control system considered in this study, and the hypotheses about how it is used in response to different challenges. Credit: Mizes et al. The…

Spike Protein Lingers in Brain, Fuels Long COVID

Summary: A new study reveals that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein remains in brain-protective tissues and skull bone marrow for years after infection, potentially driving long COVID’s neurological symptoms. Using advanced…

Family History of Mental Illness Increases Aggression Risk in CTE

Summary: A new study reveals that individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and a family history of mental illness have a heightened risk of aggression during adulthood, particularly between ages…

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein accumulation linked to long-lasting brain effects

Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 viral tropism in whole mouse bodies and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein persistency in skull marrow and brain. (A–E) SARS-CoV-2-GFP aerosol infection in K18-hACE2 mice. (A) Illustration of SARS-CoV-2-GFP…