Moving with precision to a musical beat was considered a skill inherently unique to humans. However, new research now shows that rats have this ability too. The optimal rhythm for nodding depended on the time constant in the brain (the speed at which our brain can respond to something), which is similar for all species. … Read more
Preliminary research tested the delivery and safety of the new implantable catheter design in two sheep to determine its potential for use in the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases. If proven effective and safe for use in humans, the platform could simplify and reduce the risks associated with diagnosing and treating diseases in the … Read more
According to a national study, the number of Americans with cardiovascular disease and food insecurity — with limited or uncertain access to adequate food — has exploded over the past 20 years. A Michigan medicine team analyzed National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data representing 312 million American adults between 1999 and 2018, finding that … Read more
A new study suggests that therapeutic interventions to treat neurodevelopmental disorders may be more effective if performed during the early stages of brain development. “In order to stop the progression of neurodevelopmental disorders, it is important to identify how and when brain circuits change during development. Our study identifies when circuits are altered in addition … Read more
Life is full of processes to be learned and then relearned as they become more elaborate. One day you log into an app with just a password, then the next day you also need a code texted to you. One day, you might just microwave your favorite lunch in the oven for six straight minutes, … Read more
There is a common perception that people with autism cannot recognize the emotions of others and have little idea how effectively they do so. But autistic adults are only slightly less accurate at reading people’s facial emotions compared to their non-autistic peers, new research from Australia has found. Recent research published in two articles in … Read more
The octopus is an exceptional organism with an extremely complex brain and unique cognitive abilities among invertebrates. So much so that in some ways it has more in common with vertebrates than with invertebrates. The neural and cognitive complexity of these animals could come from a molecular analogy with the human brain, as discovered in … Read more
According to the authors of a new study, a founding economic principle that everyone is driven by “unlimited desires,” stuck on a consumerist treadmill and striving to accumulate as much wealth as possible, is wrong. The long-held economic belief that people have unlimited desires has permeated economic thought and government policy and shaped much of … Read more
It’s often said that “the eyes say it all,” but regardless of their outward expression, the eyes may also be able to signal neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD and ADHD, according to new research from Flinders University and the University of South Australia. In the first study of its kind, researchers found that retinal recordings … Read more
In the workplace, even subtle differences in language choice can influence gender perception, for better or for worse. These choices fall into two main categories: minimizing the role of gender by using gender-neutral terms or emphasizing an individual’s gender through ‘gender marking’. In a newspaper comment Trends in cognitive sciencebehavioral scientist Stav Atir says that … Read more