A new study shows that both chimpanzees and young children are drawn to watching social interactions—sometimes even at a cost. When given a choice between viewing videos of social behavior or solo individuals, both species consistently chose the social scenes.
GLP-1 Drug Cuts Migraine Days in Half
A new study finds that the diabetes drug liraglutide significantly reduced monthly migraine days in patients with obesity and chronic migraine. Participants reported an average of 11 fewer headache days per month, alongside improved disability scores and quality of life.
PET Imaging Maps Brain Inflammation in Progressive Speech Disorder
A novel PET imaging study has identified unique patterns of neuroinflammation in patients with progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS), a rare disorder that impairs the brain’s ability to plan speech. Using TSPO PET scans, researchers found elevated inflammation in brain regions involved in movement and speech, particularly in patients who also showed signs of Parkinson-plus […]
Older Motherhood Linked to Higher Birth Risks, Especially After 45
A study analyzing over 300,000 births in Sweden found that babies born to mothers over 40—especially those aged 45 and older—face higher risks of complications at birth. These include stillbirth, premature delivery, low birth weight for gestational age, and neonatal low blood sugar.
Rare Mutation Shields Brain from Alzheimer’s by Silencing Inflammation
A rare genetic mutation known as APOE3-R136S, or the “Christchurch mutation,” appears to protect against Alzheimer’s disease by suppressing inflammatory signaling in the brain’s immune cells. Researchers found that this mutation dampens the cGAS-STING pathway, a key innate immune mechanism that is abnormally activated in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Neuroimaging Pinpoints Brain Inflammation
A newly developed PET radiotracer, ¹⁸F-PDE-1905, offers high-resolution imaging of neuroinflammation by targeting a key enzyme inside microglia, the brain’s immune cells. Unlike traditional tracers that target general downstream markers, this novel tracer hones in on PDE4B, a critical regulator of inflammatory signaling.
Choose Your Battles: Identity Shapes Displaced Aggression
Displaced aggression—redirecting frustration onto an uninvolved target—has now been studied in mice, revealing that identity and social history play key roles in shaping aggressive behavior. Male mice primed by seeing a rival behind a barrier showed increased aggression only when the rival was unfamiliar or lacked a clear social hierarchy.
How PTSD Disrupts Brain Cell Communication
A new study has examined brains affected by PTSD at the single-cell level, uncovering distinct genetic alterations that may drive the disorder. Researchers focused on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region tied to emotional regulation, analyzing individual cell nuclei to map communication differences across PTSD, major depression, and control brains. They found impaired signaling […]
Why Some People Struggle to Recognize Faces of Other Races
New research reveals that some individuals may experience selective difficulty recognizing faces from racial groups different from their own, a phenomenon known as category-selective face blindness. While general face blindness (prosopagnosia) is well-documented, this study shows that many people perform well with own-race faces but poorly with others.
Facial Expressions Reveal Hidden Cognitive States
New research shows that facial expressions can reveal internal cognitive states, accurately predicting task performance across both macaques and mice. By analyzing facial features during a foraging task in a virtual reality setup, researchers identified patterns linked to motivation, focus, and responsiveness.