When the brain’s wiring breaks
From the University of North Carolina Health Care press release: Among all the bad things that can happen to the brain when it is severely jolted — in a car accident, for example — one of…
Study identifies new mechanism for the development of schizophrenia
From the Trinity College Dublin press release: Scientists from Trinity College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have discovered that abnormalities of blood vessels in the brain may play a major…
Study suggests brain wiring affects how people perform specific tasks
From the Rice University press release: The way a person’s brain is “wired” directly impacts how well they perform simple and complex tasks, according to a new study from researchers at Rice University. The brain is…
Human brain recalls visual features in reverse order than it detects them
From the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University press release: Scientists at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute have contributed to solving a paradox of perception, literally upending models of how the brain constructs interpretations of the outside world. When…
Mental training changes brain structure and reduces social stress
From the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences press release: Meditation is beneficial for our well-being. This ancient wisdom has been supported by scientific studies focusing on the practice of mindfulness. However, the…
Study suggests it is easier for bilinguals to pick up new languages
From the Georgetown University Medical Center press release: It is often claimed that people who are bilingual are better than monolinguals at learning languages. Now, the first study to examine bilingual and monolingual brains as they…
Study suggests role of inflammation in Alzheimer’s is complicated
From the Washington University School of Medicine press release: Scientists drilling down to the molecular roots of Alzheimer’s disease have encountered a good news/bad news scenario. A major player is a gene called TREM2, mutations of…
Study suggests something universal occurs in the brain when it processes stories, regardless of language
From the University of Southern California press release: New brain research by USC scientists shows that reading stories is a universal experience that may result in people feeling greater empathy for each other, regardless of cultural…
Predicting when a sound will occur relies on the brain’s motor system
From the McGill University press release: Whether it is dancing or just tapping one foot to the beat, we all experience how auditory signals like music can induce movement. Now new research suggests that motor…
Study suggests synchronizing specific brain oscillations enhances executive function
From the Boston University press release: Two brain regions — the medial frontal and lateral prefrontal cortices — control most executive function. Researchers used high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) to synchronize oscillations between them, improving…