ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

A new brain imaging study shows that infants as young as three months are already enlisting the hippocampus to recognize and learn patterns.

Countries and US states more predisposed to collectivist behavior have more people following mask guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.

New research shows that activation of distinct human endogenous retroviruses, which are part of our genome, impair brain development dramatically. The finding could help to advance research into therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

Specialized immune cells that accumulate in the brain in the days and weeks after a stroke promote neural functions in mice, pointing to a potential immunotherapy that may boost recovery after the acute injury is over, neurologists found.

A key protein must be cut to create amyloid beta. Groundbreaking work identifies the 'lipid raft' in nerve cells where this process occurs, which could offer new targets for drug therapy.

Though obesity in midlife is linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests that a high body mass index later in life doesn't necessarily translate to greater chances of developing the brain disease.

The nerve cells, also called neurons, in our brain control all the basic processes of our body. For this reason, there are different types of neurons distributed over specific regions of the brain. Researchers have now developed an approach that allows them to show that neurons that are supposedly the same are actually very different: they not only sense different hormones for the body's energy state, but also have a different influence on food intake. This can have a direct effect on our metabolism, for example by differentially restraining our appetite.

Eye experts have made a breakthrough that could potentially change the way cataracts are treated - with potential for drug therapy to replace surgery.

Employer COVID-19 safety measures influenced worker precautions even when they were not on the clock. Researchers found that workplaces that adopted measures, such as daily health checks and encouraging sick workers to stay home, resulted in less 'sickness presenteeism' or going places when feeling ill. The effect was found both inside and outside of work -- meaning fewer employees with COVID-19 symptoms showed up to work and other public places like grocery stores, gyms and restaurants.