Creativity is notoriously difficult to study as it unfolds, but musical improvisation offers a rare chance to watch spontaneous idea-generation in action. In a new imaging study, researchers examined how 16 skilled jazz pianists’ brains reorganized while they played a familiar tune from memory, improvised around its melody, or freely improvised over its chord changes.
Music Improvisation Rewires the Brain in Real Time Read More »
A large 25-year study found that people who ate more high-fat cheese and high-fat cream had a lower risk of developing dementia, though the results only show an association—not proof of protection. Participants who consumed the highest amounts of high-fat cheese had a 13% lower dementia risk overall and a 29% lower risk of vascular
Dairy Consumption Linked to Lower Dementia Risk Read More »
A large 25-year study found that people who ate more high-fat cheese and high-fat cream had a lower risk of developing dementia, though the results only show an association—not proof of protection. Participants who consumed the highest amounts of high-fat cheese had a 13% lower dementia risk overall and a 29% lower risk of vascular
Dairy Consumption Linked to Lower Dementia Risk Read More »
Dopamine may not control the force or speed of movements as long believed. Instead, it appears to function as a foundational chemical that enables movement in the first place.
Dopamine Acts as a Movement Support System, Not a Speed Controller Read More »
Social isolation has a direct causal impact on how quickly cognitive function declines in later life, independent of whether someone feels lonely. By analyzing more than 137,000 cognitive tests from over 30,000 older adults, the study found that reduced social contact consistently predicted faster decline across every demographic group.
Social Isolation Directly Speeds Up Cognitive Decline Read More »
Social isolation has a direct causal impact on how quickly cognitive function declines in later life, independent of whether someone feels lonely. By analyzing more than 137,000 cognitive tests from over 30,000 older adults, the study found that reduced social contact consistently predicted faster decline across every demographic group. Read more at Cerebratech
Social Isolation Directly Speeds Up Cognitive Decline Read More »
fMRI signals don’t always match the brain’s true activity levels, overturning a core assumption used in tens of thousands of studies. In about 40% of cases, an increased fMRI signal appeared in regions where neural activity was actually reduced, while decreased signals sometimes showed up in areas with heightened activity.
fMRI Signals Often Misread Neural Activity Read More »
Closely related dopamine-releasing neurons in the olfactory bulb behave in fundamentally different ways depending on their physical structure. One subtype releases neurotransmitters from dendrites instead of axons—an unusual mechanism that allows the cells to act locally and even self-inhibit.
Two Dopamine Neuron Subtypes Process Smell in Different Ways Read More »
New work explores why consciousness evolved and what observing birds can teach us about its biological purpose. The findings outline three distinct forms of consciousness—basic arousal, general alertness, and reflexive self-awareness—each providing unique adaptive advantages.
Why Consciousness Evolved Read More »
Physical exercise triggers extracellular vesicles (EVs)—tiny particles in the blood—to act as temporary transport shuttles for key hormone precursors. During vigorous exercise, levels of the hormone precursor POMC attaching to EVs increase fourfold, suggesting a newly uncovered mechanism for how stress, energy balance, and mood may shift after movement.
Exercise Supercharges Hormone Transport to the Brain Read More »
