Researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Columbia University have discovered a previously unknown map within the mouse secondary motor cortex (M2) that organizes body movements. Published in Nature Communications, the findings reveal how the brain coordinates distinct body regions during both rest and activity. The team utilized high-speed optical brain imaging to observe … Read more
Motor Cortex Neuron Stimulation Triggers Learned Movements in Mice University of California San Diego researchers activated approximately 20 specific neurons in the motor cortex of mice to trigger larger brain activity patterns and produce learned movements. Published in the journal Nature, the study demonstrates that small-scale neural stimulation can directly drive specific large-scale behavior. Optical … Read more
According to a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers discovered that subtle differences in prefrontal brain activity appear before stress even begins, leading them to examine how sleep-related neuronal silence changes as mice face repeated social defeat. Led by tracking prelimbic cortex (PrL) activity, the findings offer new insight into why some individuals … Read more
Researchers at the University of Freiburg’s BrainLinks-BrainTools research centre have identified how neurons in the premotor and primary motor cortices coordinate movement planning and execution, according to a study published in Cell Reports. The findings reveal that premotor neurons communicate with both inhibitory and excitatory populations in the primary motor cortex during planning, a mechanism … Read more
Neural stem cells in the cerebral cortex split into two independent lineages early in development to produce different types of neurons, according to a study by Irene Varela-Martínez published in Science Advances. This finding, led by the postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), challenges the long-held “inside-out” model of brain … Read more
A 24-year analysis of 1,712 adults from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study reveals that the impact of sedentary behavior on brain health depends heavily on the activity performed. Research published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia indicates that while television watching is associated with reduced brain volumes and increased vascular markers, occupational sitting … Read more
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) symptoms, including cognitive decline, may stem from remote brain network disruptions rather than just local tau protein accumulation. Research published in Science Advances by the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) indicates that tau deposits in deep brain regions can impair distant cortical areas, such as the prefrontal cortex, … Read more
Women who have used hormonal birth control or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) show structural brain differences associated with healthier aging, according to research published in the journal NeuroImage. A study of 459 women aged 65 to 80 found that lifetime exposure to these hormones correlates with greater gray matter volume and cortical thickness in brain … Read more
Researchers at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine have identified the hypoglossal nucleus (12N) as the primary brainstem motor node responsible for the swallowing improvements observed after electroacupuncture at the “Lianquan” (CV23) acupoint. Published in Acupuncture Research on August 25, 2025 (DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250444), the study confirms that this neural pathway is essential for restoring swallowing function … Read more
Long-standing psychological traits, including neuroticism and a lack of purpose, track distinct molecular pathways in Alzheimer’s dementia, according to a multi-omics study published in Translational Psychiatry. Researchers from the Religious Orders Study (ROS) and the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) found that while traditional pathology and genetic risk factors identify overall disease susceptibility, these … Read more