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This tiny brain molecule could hold the key to learning, memory—and Alzheimer’s treatment

A team of researchers has discovered that a protein called cypin plays a powerful role in helping brain cells connect and communicate, which is crucial for learning and memory. By uncovering how cypin tags certain proteins at synapses and interacts wit…

How a hidden brain circuit fuels fibromyalgia, migraines, and PTSD

What if your brain is the reason some pain feels unbearable? Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a hidden brain circuit that gives pain its emotional punch—essentially transforming ordinary discomfort into lasting misery. This breakthrou…

Your Brain’s Hidden Defenses Against Alzheimer’s

Scientists at UCSF combined advanced brain-network modeling, genetics, and imaging to reveal how tau protein travels through neural highways and how certain genes either accelerate its toxic journey or shield brain regions from damage. Their extended N…

Feeling mental exhaustion? These two areas of the brain may control whether people give up or persevere

When you’re mentally exhausted, your brain might be doing more behind the scenes than you think. In a new study using functional MRI, researchers uncovered two key brain regions that activate when people feel cognitively fatigued—regions that appear …

New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology

Feeling jittery as the week kicks off isn’t just a mood—it leaves a biochemical footprint. Researchers tracked thousands of older adults and found those who dread Mondays carry elevated cortisol in their hair for months, a stress echo that may help…

Multisensory VR forest reboots your brain and lifts mood—study confirms

Immersing stressed volunteers in a 360° virtual Douglas-fir forest complete with sights, sounds and scents boosted their mood, sharpened short-term memory and deepened their feeling of nature-connectedness—especially when all three senses were engag…

Scientists reverse Parkinson’s symptoms in mice — Could humans be next?

Scientists at the University of Sydney have uncovered a malfunctioning version of the SOD1 protein that clumps inside brain cells and fuels Parkinson’s disease. In mouse models, restoring the protein’s function with a targeted copper supplement dra…

The surprising link between hearing loss, loneliness, and lifespan

People who treat hearing loss with hearing aids or cochlear implants regain rich conversations, escape isolation, and may even protect their brains and lifespans—proof that better hearing translates into fuller living.

Scientists discovered how a scent can change your mind

Mice taught to link smells with tastes, and later fear, revealed how the amygdala teams up with cortical regions to let the brain draw powerful indirect connections. Disabling this circuit erased the links, hinting that similar pathways in humans could…

New research confirms that neurons form in the adult brain

Researchers from Sweden have discovered that the human brain continues to grow new cells in the memory region—called the hippocampus—even into old age. Using advanced tools to examine brain samples from people of all ages, the team identified the e…