cognitive-neuroscience

Two different comparisons sit inside the result, and a third prediction failed. The blink-video effect appeared only when the face on screen was the dog's owner; the direct owner-versus-stranger comparison separated only for female owners; and the prediction that dogs would time their blinks to a human's was not confirmed.

Cognitive similarities between biological and digital systems are often treated with suspicion. When an artificial system exhibits attention, memory integration, salience, self-modeling, recursive interpretation, or persistent relational organization, resemblance to biological cognition is frequently dismissed as anthropomorphism. This paper argues that such dismissal may overlook a more general …

Researchers have identified a specific brain circuit that drives increased alcohol intake following social isolation. The findings provide a biological mechanism for how a negative social environment changes what the brain treats as a valuable reward.

Damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex hinders a person's ability to let their mind wander. A new small study suggests this brain region is necessary for generating the internal thoughts and memories that distract us from the present.

The longer we stay awake, the more certain brain cells appear to turn up the pressure to sleep, eventually making rest nearly impossible to resist. Sleep drive is the biological pressure to rest that builds during waking hours, making it increasingly difficult to stay alert. After prolonged wakefulness, it typically produces longer, deeper recovery sleep, [...]

Creative experts had younger-looking functional-connectivity patterns, and a small controlled gaming experiment moved the same modelled measure. Neither result shows that biological ageing was reversed.

Conventional wisdom holds that younger brains are better equipped to recover from injury. Their greater flexibility allows them to adapt, rebuild connections and compensate for damage in ways older brains often cannot.

This review examines how diet-driven changes in the gut microbiota and microbial metabolites may influence cognitive aging through immune, metabolic, neural, endocrine, and barrier-related pathways. It highlights SCFAs, tryptophan-derived metabolites, and bile acids as key signaling mediators while emphasizing that much of the mechanistic evidence remains preclinical and human evidence is largely…

A conversation with a neuroscientist about how nature can fortify the strong and support resilience The post Can Nature Benefit You If You’re Already Well? appeared first on Nautilus .

Understanding ‘Brain Fog’ Defining and Impacting  ‘Brain Fog’ with Nutrition Chronic neuroinflammation is implicated in the propagation of “brain fog”, a colloquial term used to describe a heterogeneous set of cognitive issues, including brain-based fatigue, effortful cognition, poor focus, and forgetfulness. Complaints of brain fog and other cognitive inefficiencies have increased in frequency i…

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02442-6 Why some skills are easier to learn than others remains a central question in neuroscience. Busch and colleagues demonstrate that the intrinsic geometry of human brain activity shapes learning, thereby facilitating adaptation that remains within existing neural manifolds while limiting learning beyond them.

Nature Communications, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77400-8 Memory and perception both require selecting behaviorally relevant information. Here, the authors show that more distinct hippocampal memories are linked to precise anticipatory signals in visual cortex that prioritize perceptual targets over competitors.

Nature Communications, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77319-0 The authors find that the PI3Kα pathway links metabolism to hippocampal synaptic plasticity by sustaining astrocyte glycolysis and ensuring L-serine/D-serine supply to neurons. Loss of astrocytic PI3Kα impairs memory in mice, an effect rescued by serine supplementation.

Australian researchers have uncovered what happens behind the scenes in our brain when we’re faced with a predictable

Scientific Reports, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-67289-0 Perception aware priority augmentation for age based scheduling in capacity limited cognitive radar networks

BackgroundTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique that can enhance motor function. The striatum is a central hub for motor control and β-band oscillations, and its tyrosine hydroxylase-positive interneurons (THINs) are modulated by dopamine. However, whether THINs are associated with motor changes following tACS through β-band synchrony has n…

They are moving too fast for the normal mind to keep up, but elite drivers have more densely packed brain cells where it counts and use their minds more efficiently.

Two small MRI studies linked introversion to particular prefrontal measurements. Larger studies and a meta-analysis found little that replicated, and none tested career success.

IntroductionGPR55 has attracted attention for its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and neurotransmitter-modulating properties, suggesting a role in mood regulation. Here, we aimed to clarify the contribution of GPR55 to emotional responses.MethodsMale and female GPR55 knockout (GPR55KO) and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice were evaluated in the light-dark box, elevated plus maze, social interactio…

What’s the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory — and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.