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A 500-million-year-old brain "radar" still shapes how you see

New research shows that the superior colliculus, a primitive brain region, can independently interpret visual information. This challenges long-held beliefs that only the cortex handles such complex computations. The discovery highlights how ancient ne…

Scientists may have found how to reverse memory loss in aging brains

Virginia Tech researchers have shown that memory loss in aging may be reversible. Using CRISPR tools, they corrected molecular disruptions in the hippocampus and amygdala, restoring memory in older rats. Another experiment revived a silenced memory gen…

MIT scientists discover how the brain spins back into focus

Researchers at MIT’s Picower Institute found that rotating waves of brain activity help restore focus after distractions. In animal tests, these rotations predicted performance: full rotations meant full recovery, while incomplete ones led to errors….

Scientists reverse anxiety by rebalancing the brain

Researchers have discovered a specific set of neurons in the amygdala that can trigger anxiety and social deficits when overactive. By restoring the excitability balance in this brain region, they successfully reversed these symptoms in mice. The resul…

Breakthrough brain discovery reveals a natural way to relieve pain

Using powerful 7-Tesla brain imaging, researchers mapped how the brainstem manages pain differently across the body. They discovered that distinct regions activate for facial versus limb pain, showing the brain’s built-in precision pain control syste…

Alarming surge in memory problems among young adults

Cognitive struggles are climbing across the U.S., especially among young and economically disadvantaged adults. Rates of self-reported cognitive disability nearly doubled in people under 40 between 2013 and 2023. Researchers suspect social and economic…

Your ZIP Code could reveal your risk of dementia

People living in socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods may face higher dementia risks, according to new research from Wake Forest University. Scientists found biological signs of Alzheimer’s and vascular brain disease in those from hi…

Gum disease may quietly damage the brain, scientists warn

People with gum disease may have higher levels of brain white matter damage, a new study finds. Researchers observed that participants with gum disease had significantly more white matter hyperintensities, even after accounting for other risk factors. …

Humans evolved faster than any other ape

UCL scientists found that human skulls evolved much faster than those of other apes, reflecting the powerful forces driving our brain growth and facial flattening. By comparing 3D models of ape skulls, they showed that humans changed about twice as muc…

Scientists discover a surprising way to quiet the anxious mind

Generalized anxiety disorder affects millions, often trapping sufferers in cycles of fear and isolation that conventional medications barely relieve. At UCSF, neuroscientist Jennifer Mitchell is testing a pharmaceutical form of LSD called MM120, which …