An increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults may be predicted by low levels of ergothioneine in blood plasma, suggests a recent study. The results point to potential therapeutic or early detection methods for dementia and cognitive impairment in the elderly. More than a century ago, the French pharmacist Charles Joseph Tanret…
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors basketball team uses his brain’s motor memory each time he makes a free throw. As the brain processes the day’s learning to make the physical act of doing something subconscious, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) researchers have now demonstrated how this type of memory is consolidated…
Since the 1960s, researchers have postulated that major depression stems from disruptions in the serotonin neurotransmitter system, but the evidence for that idea, though plentiful, was indirect. A recent review of all the existing research found that the available evidence does not support the so-called serotonin hypothesis. In the aftermath, some researchers have called for…
We’re all familiar with the five senses that allow us to experience our surroundings: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Proprioception, or the sixth sense, is equally important but much less well-known. Proprioception is what allows the central nervous system to send the correct signals to muscles via motor neurons, allowing us to perform a…
Learning a new task, mastering a musical instrument, or adapting to a constantly changing environment are all made possible by the brain’s plasticity, or its ability to modify itself by rearranging existing neural networks and forming new ones in order to acquire new functional properties. This also aids neural circuit health, robustness, and stability. A…
A mechanism by which neurons can regulate their sensitivity to incoming signals autonomously has been discovered in a new study led by the University of Bonn. The researchers, including those from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior, investigated pyramidal neurons – nerve cells that also play…
Longer life expectancy, fewer mental health issues, and improved cognitive functioning are just a few of the many well-known health advantages of urban green space. The amount of green space required, however, to improve people’s health is still up for debate. The 3-30-300 green space rule and better mental health have been compared in a…
Attachment theory is almost everywhere. In magazines and books, in the news, on social media and in our conversations with each other. Originally rooted in developmental psychology, the theory explains how we form and maintain close relationships in order to survive and thrive in the environment we are born into. It was quickly picked up…
Reports of anxiety and depression in adults increased by more than 25% in 2020 compared to previous years. Recently published findings suggest that the pandemic’s neurological and mental health effects on adolescents may have been even worse. According to the research, pandemic-related stressors physically altered teenagers’ brains, making their brain structures appear several years older…