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Category: neuroscience – Page 4

Homer1 gene calms the mind and improves attention in mice

Attention disorders such as ADHD involve a breakdown in our ability to separate signal from noise. The brain is constantly bombarded with information, and focus depends on its ability to filter out distractions and detect what matters.

Stimulant medications improve attention by boosting activity in circuits known to govern attention, such as the prefrontal cortex. But a new study reveals a surprising alternative: reduce background activity as a way of turning down extraneous noise.

In a paper published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers show that the Homer1 gene plays a critical role in shaping attention in just that way. Mice with lower levels of two specific versions of the gene enjoyed quieter brain activity and improved ability to focus.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Atrial Fibrillation Among Young Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Stra8 links neuronal activity to inhibitory circuit protection in the adult mouse brain.

Huang et al. show that Stra8, a gene previously thought to be germline specific, is expressed in the adult mouse hippocampus in an activity-dependent manner. Stra8 protects neuronal integrity and cognition by regulating neuromodulator genes and preserving inhibitory circuit function.

How common is Alzheimer’s? Blood-test study holds surprises

A Nature analysis of a major Norwegian study challenges existing estimates of Alzheimer’s prevalence, finding that 25% of people aged 85–89 have dementia with Alzheimer’s pathology — far higher than previous 7–13% estimates — while preclinical Alzheimer’s in younger seniors (70−74) occurs at only 8% versus earlier 22% estimates. Using blood biomarker pTau217 in 11,486 participants, researchers identified that 10% of over-70s had dementia, 10% had mild cognitive impairment, and 10% had preclinical Alzheimer’s, but warn that blood tests alone are insufficient for widespread screening due to potential harm from false positives. The discrepancies highlight how previous studies may have been skewed by selection bias, while demonstrating that blood-based biomarkers require careful interpretation and comprehensive clinical assessment.

A survey of Alzheimer’s disease prevalence in Norway confirms earlier estimates and might show how education level relates to risk.

Physical and Cognitive Activities and Trajectories of AD Neuroimaging BiomarkersLongitudinal Analysis in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging

Background and ObjectivesEngagement in physical and cognitive activities is associated with a decreased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, but the association with Alzheimer disease (AD) neuroimaging biomarkers is less clear. We thus…

Non-Opioid “Pain Sponge” Therapy Stops Cartilage Loss and Eases Chronic Pain

A new stem cell–based therapy challenges traditional pain treatment by using pain-sensing neurons to reduce inflammation and protect joints. Newly released preclinical data describes an unconventional strategy for managing chronic pain while helping preserve joint tissue. The findings focus on SN

Scientists Discover Neural Basis of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Using lab-grown brain tissue, researchers uncovered complex patterns of neural signaling that differ subtly between healthy brains and those linked to severe psychiatric disorders. For the first time, scientists have used pea-sized brain organoids grown in the laboratory to uncover how neurons ma

Could cheese protect your brain health? Study links high-fat cheese and cream to lower dementia risk

Eating more high-fat cheese and high-fat cream may be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in Neurology. This study does not prove that eating high-fat cheese and high-fat cream lowers the risk of dementia, it only shows an association.

High-fat cheeses contain more than 20% fat and include varieties such as cheddar, Brie and Gouda. High-fat creams typically contain 30–40% fat and include whipping cream, double cream and clotted cream. These are commonly labeled as “full-fat” or “regular” versions in stores.

“For decades, the debate over high-fat versus low-fat diets has shaped health advice, sometimes even categorizing cheese as an unhealthy food to limit,” said Emily Sonestedt, Ph.D., of Lund University, Sweden.

Surprise: Free Will Needs Quantum Physics to Fail, Physicists Show

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Some physicists believe that human consciousness is somehow linked to the indeterministic element of quantum physics. But according to a surprising new argument that just appeared on the arXiv, a world where everything is ruled by quantum physics is incompatible with the idea of free will. Let’s take a look.

Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.

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Rethinking recurrent brain activity: Core neurons provide an alternative explanation

Neuroscientists have been trying to understand how the human brain supports numerous advanced capabilities for centuries. The cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, is now known to be responsible for many of these capabilities, including reasoning, decision-making, the processing of sensory information and voluntary movement.

Neurons in the cerebral cortex often become active consecutively or simultaneously for brief periods of time, following recurrent patterns of activity. These recurring neuron firing patterns have been linked to sensorimotor coordination, the brain’s ability to link sensory inputs (i.e., the information collected via the senses) to movements.

For decades, repeating neuronal activity has been described in the context of attractor dynamics theory, a physics-based framework that frames recurring neuron firing patterns as so-called attractors. Attractors are stable states or activity patterns toward which a system naturally returns to.

Living cells may generate electricity from motion

Cells may generate their own electrical signals through microscopic membrane motions. Researchers show that active molecular processes can create voltage spikes similar to those used by neurons. These signals could help drive ion transport and explain key biological functions. The work may also guide the design of intelligent, bio-inspired materials.

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