Good communication is a matter of getting “in sync” with others, as you’ve probably noticed when you’ve seen people match their steps perfectly as they walk, and imitate each other’s gestures as they talk, and use each other’s phrases and grammar. Last week, this paper reported  this kind of coordination in the most important place of all:Continue reading “Our brain sync up during conversation”

Bacteria Found in Alzheimer’s Brains Summary: A new study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience provides new evidence that bacterial infection and inflammation could contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found a tenfold higher overall ratio of Actinobacteria to Proteobacteria in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients compared to those without the disease. Source: Frontiers. Brains fromContinue reading “Bacteria Found in Alzheimer’s Brains”

Patterns of Brain Activity Direct Specific Body Movements Summary: A new study sheds light on how neurons in the motor cortex communicate with muscles and drive motion. Using optogenetics, the researchers discovered the motor cortex communicates with muscles differently, depending on the type of movement an animal makes. Source: Zuckerman Institute. Study in mice answersContinue reading “Patterns of Brain Activity Direct Specific Body Movements”

Exposing Infants to Foreign Languages Ignites Learning Summary: Researchers from the University of Washington report that with special tuition, babies from monolingual homes can develop bilingual abilities that remain even after their training is complete. Source: University of Washington. For years, scientists and parents alike have touted the benefits of introducing babies to two languages:Continue reading “Exposing Infants to Foreign Languages Ignites Learning”

Daily Crosswords Linked to Sharper Brain in Later Life Summary: A new study from the University of Exeter adds to growing evidence that embarking on daily challenging puzzles can help protect brain function later in life. Researchers report older people who complete a daily crossword have brain function equivalent to people ten years their juniorContinue reading “Daily Crosswords Linked to Sharper Brain in Later Life”

Brief Interactions Spur Lasting Waves of Gene Activity in the Brain Summary: Researchers report they are able to see alterations in gene expression up to two hours after a stickleback fish interacts with an intruder. They speculate the changes in gene expression and chromatin modification could help set up the brain to respond to futureContinue reading “Brief Interactions Spur Lasting Waves of Gene Activity in the Brain”