Summary: Researchers report that maternal immune activation during pregnancy reshapes the epigenome of developing fetal brain cells, interfering with the formation of deep-layer cortical neurons and raising the likelihood of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Key Facts: Epigenetic Alterations: Maternal immune activation (MIA) changes DNA methylation patterns in the fetal frontal cortex, producing hypermethylation at … Read more

Summary: New brain-imaging research shows that while many cognitive abilities, such as executive control and working memory, tend to decline with age, the neural network that supports language remains robust and functionally intact. The study indicates that brain systems specialized for language are more resistant to age-related change than broader, domain-general networks. Key Facts: Activity … Read more

Summary: Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report that the youth-associated protein TIMP2 is crucial for preserving healthy microglial function. In aged mice, systemic supplementation of TIMP2 reduced inflammatory signatures and restored microglia’s ability to clear cellular debris—findings that point to new therapeutic directions for age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Key Facts: TIMP2 … Read more

Summary: A large-scale study identifies the main obstacles that stop men from seeking help after experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Researchers found that treating the abuse as a private matter was the single most common barrier across Black, Latino, and White men. The study also highlights culturally specific and psychological challenges—such as shame among Latino … Read more

Summary: Researchers have mapped more than 830,000 immune cells of myeloid origin from human brain tissue and identified a disease-associated microglial subtype that expands as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. Driven by a TREM2-centered molecular signaling cascade that includes MITF and GPNMB, these microglia exhibit enhanced capacity to engulf and clear toxic material. The study offers a … Read more

Summary: Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which the adult mammalian brain can repair localized tissue damage. Using longitudinal in vivo two-photon imaging and spatial gene expression mapping in mouse models, the team at the University of Zurich identified a distinct population of “regenerative” astrocytes that repopulate lesions by transporting newly formed cell … Read more

Summary: A new study tested whether large language models (LLMs) can account for human reading dynamics. Researchers compared eye-tracking measurements from 368 adult readers with predictions from more than 400 neural language models, examining how both humans and models process syntactically challenging text, including so-called “garden-path” sentences. The results reveal a clear split between human … Read more

Summary: New research shows that dogs have specialized brain networks that process human facial expressions. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and machine-learning analyses, scientists monitored the brains of awake pet dogs as they viewed photos of human faces showing happiness, anger, fear, and sadness. The study found that happy human faces preferentially activate a … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified an unexpected role for the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Rather than always promoting behavioral flexibility, this brain region can sometimes hinder problem-solving by anchoring animals to a memory-driven default strategy — a “win-stay” habit that keeps mice returning to where they last found a pup instead of switching to a more … Read more

Summary: This review synthesizes evidence from 129 studies examining how exercise-induced muscle signaling protects against Parkinson’s disease (PD). It highlights the role of sarcopenia — the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, and function — in worsening PD outcomes and explains how muscle-derived signaling molecules released during exercise can support brain health and slow disease … Read more