Neuroimaging

A new study reveals how a liver enzyme shores up the blood-brain barrier. Blocking a specific vessel protein replicated the cognitive benefits of exercise in aging mice and Alzheimer’s models.

New research shows that while impulsivity and neuroticism both increase the risk of teen alcohol use, they stem from almost entirely different brain networks. This highlights how multiple biological pathways can lead to risky behavior.

Researchers have identified a distinct structural signature for insight. The findings indicate that reduced connectivity in the brain's language networks may actually help facilitate sudden creative breakthroughs.

A new study reveals that mild electrical stimulation to the prefrontal cortex changes how lonely people rate negative social scenes. The findings suggest loneliness creates a mismatch between physiological reactions and conscious feelings.

New findings published in Translational Psychiatry show that responders to the drug escitalopram start with a larger left hippocampus. As symptoms improve, the volume of the right hippocampus increases.

Scientists have found evidence that LSD inhibits status epilepticus and mortality in mice. The preliminary research suggests the drug works by desynchronizing brain activity.

New research published in The Journal of Neuroscience suggests breathing acts as a pacemaker for memory. The study found that successful retrieval is linked to the respiratory cycle, synchronizing brain patterns needed to remember.

A new study finds that children exposed to violence show increased activity in the insula when seeing or hearing their parents. This suggests trauma changes how the developing brain processes caregiver signals.

A new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that individuals with a higher genetic predisposition for anhedonia show distinct patterns of brain activity when anticipating and receiving monetary rewards.

Researchers have found that blue light exposure lowers anxiety caused by chronic vibration. The study, using zebrafish, reveals that specific light wavelengths boost serotonin and reduce stress hormones like cortisol.

A new study published in Nature reveals the hippocampus does more than store memories. Researchers found that neural patterns in mice reorganize over time, shifting activity backward to anticipate rewards before they happen.

A new mega-analysis of 16 neuroimaging studies reveals that brain activity in reward and social processing regions can predict the success of persuasive messages across diverse contexts, from health campaigns to video advertisements.

A genetic screen of human neurons has identified a protein complex that tags toxic tau for destruction. The findings explain why some brain cells are resilient to Alzheimer’s disease while others succumb to degeneration.

A study in European Neuropsychopharmacology finds that ayahuasca helps rats learn that a previously dangerous environment is safe. This effect appears to rely on BDNF signaling within the infralimbic cortex, suggesting a potential biological pathway for treating trauma.

Researchers have created a detailed model of perinatal brain growth, revealing how white and gray matter trajectories shift during gestation. The study also identifies early sex-based differences in brain structure.