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People who use both cannabis and tobacco show unique brain chemistry linked to higher anxiety, depression, and difficulty quitting. Brain scans revealed increased levels of FAAH, an enzyme that breaks down the brain’s “bliss molecule,” anandamide.​ 

When you picture a map in your mind, your brain uses different pathways than when you actually look at one. In a study on spatial attention, participants recalled the map of France and judged which city was closer to Paris.​ 

Learning new information about the world—like details from a fantasy realm—engages brain regions distinct from those used to recall personal experiences. In a new study, participants learned fictional facts about imaginary civilizations and were later tested on what they remembered.​ 

The way an event is described—through feelings or sensory detail—changes how the brain stores and recalls it. In this study, participants listened to stories that emphasized either conceptual details (thoughts and emotions) or perceptual details (sights and sounds).​ 

New research shows that the brain’s ability to detect subtle visual changes—like spotting an anomaly on a security monitor—depends on theta-frequency brain waves (3–6 Hz) that rhythmically sweep across the cortex. These traveling waves act like a radar, scanning different parts of the visual field and influencing when and where attention peaks.​ 

Researchers have traced the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), showing that the immune system begins attacking the brain up to seven years before diagnosis. By analyzing over 5,000 blood proteins, they identified molecular signs of damage to myelin—the protective sheath around nerve fibers—long before symptoms emerge.​ 

A global study reveals that our most emotionally resonant music tends to come from our teenage years—typically peaking around age 17. This “reminiscence bump” marks the period when our developing brains most strongly imprint musical memories that help form identity.​ 

A new study reveals that sleep-like slow-wave brain activity can persist for years in surgically disconnected brain hemispheres of awake epilepsy patients. Using EEG recordings, researchers found that the isolated cortex exhibits patterns similar to deep sleep, anesthesia, or vegetative states—suggesting absent or reduced awareness.​ 

A new study reveals that most people fail to recognize racial bias embedded in AI systems, even when it is visible in the training data. The research shows that artificial intelligence trained on imbalanced datasets—such as happy white faces and sad Black faces—learns to associate race with emotion, perpetuating biased performance.​ 

A new study has identified a mutation in the TREM2 gene that disrupts the brain’s ability to clear toxic amyloid plaques, increasing Alzheimer’s disease risk. The mutation, called T96K, keeps the TREM2 gene in an overactive state that paradoxically weakens microglial “cleanup” activity, especially in females.​