Neuropathic pain, caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, is a major clinical challenge and often evolves into a chronic condition. Importantly, up to 80% of patients with long-term pain also experience anxiety or depression. This creates a vicious cycle that not only worsens prognosis and quality of life but also poses … Read more
Despite decades of research, the mechanisms behind fast flashes of insight that change how a person perceives their world, termed “one-shot learning,” have remained unknown. A mysterious type of one-shot learning is perceptual learning, in which seeing something once dramatically alters our ability to recognize it again. A new study, led by researchers at NYU … Read more
A mechanism involving potassium channels in the brain that control brain cell activity could provide a new and fundamentally different way of treating depression symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder, according to two complementary papers published recently by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In two new research articles, published … Read more
New research reveals that larger cities see lower rates of both obesity and impulsivity, uncovering how lifestyle, education, and mental healthcare shape healthier urban populations. Study: Investigating the link between impulsivity and obesity through urban scaling laws. Image Credit: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock In a recent article published in the journal PLOS Complex Systems, researchers explored the … Read more
New research from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience maps the similarities and differences between the three most common brain disorders. Insomnia, depression, and anxiety are the most common mental disorders. Treatments are often only moderately effective, with many people experiencing returning symptoms. This is why it is crucial to find new leads for treatments. Notably, … Read more
New research links high-fructose diets, especially from processed foods, to disrupted appetite signals and long-term brain changes, raising concerns for developing brains. Review: Mindful Eating: A Deep Insight Into Fructose Metabolism and Its Effects on Appetite Regulation and Brain Function. Image Credit: Oleksandra Naumenko / Shutterstock A recent review study published in the Journal of Nutrition and … Read more
New UCLA research conducted using mouse models and human genetic data has uncovered a critical factor that determines how much scarring occurs following kidney injury, leading scientists to identify a potential precision medicine approach to prevent chronic kidney disease progression. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, highlights the role of type 5 collagen – … Read more
A novel PET imaging approach can effectively quantify a key enzyme associated with brain inflammation, according to research published in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The first-in-human study, which imaged the COX-2 enzyme, offers a never-before-seen view of inflammation in the brain, opening the door for COX-2 PET imaging to be used in … Read more
The high comorbidity of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders points to a need for understanding what links these diseases. A potential link is the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ACC supports behaviors related to cognition and emotions and is involved in some T2D-associated diseases, like mood disorders and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). … Read more
If you’ve ever noticed how memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate, a new study reveals the reason: Our brains physically link memories that occur close in time not in the cell bodies of neurons, but rather in their spiny extensions called dendrites. This discovery stems from studies … Read more