A new study finds that drinking a small amount of caffeine in the morning may improve alertness, memory, and attention in healthy young men. The caffeine dose was equivalent to about one cup of coffee. Key Facts: 25 healthy young men drank either a placebo or 50 mg of caffeine (amount in a cup of …
Experiencing chronic stress or taking addictive drugs like cocaine can change your brain and behavior in similar ways, making you prone to anxiety or addiction. Key Facts: Chronic stress and chronic drug abuse both impair the striatum, which can make people become rigid in their thinking and unable to update information. This can promote anxiety, …
A new study found that taking a brief 15-minute walk outside provides more cognitive benefits compared to walking indoors. Specifically, the research showed that a short outdoor walk boosted attention, while an indoor walk did not. This highlights the importance of getting outside, even for quick exercise. Key Facts: Walking outside for 15 minutes improved …
A new study in mice shows how the immune system may play a role in the early gastrointestinal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, decades before movement problems develop. Researchers found that injecting a specific piece of the alpha-synuclein protein into genetically modified mice triggered inflammation and loss of nerve cells in the gut, leading to constipation …
Researchers did the largest analysis ever on how similar spouses and partners are for different traits. They found that partners tend to be positively correlated, meaning they are more alike than random pairs of people. However, how much partners resemble each other differs a lot depending on the trait. Additionally, they saw that couples from …
A new study looked at how having diabetes may impact brain health in Native Americans. The researchers found that the longer someone had diabetes, the more it affected their brain. But other health issues like obesity did not appear to impact the brain as much. Key facts: The study involved 51 Native Americans with type …
A new study investigates how certain “dark triad” personality traits relate to people’s happiness and life satisfaction. Key Findings: Narcissism has multiple dimensions – some linked to higher well-being, others to lower. Psychopathy overall relates to lower well-being, but one aspect called boldness predicts greater happiness. Machiavellianism consistently associates with reduced well-being. Age and gender …
Researchers have found that more intelligent narcissists are less likely to exhibit rivalry and aggression. This suggests higher intelligence may help mitigate some of the negative interpersonal behaviors associated with narcissism. Key Facts: Narcissism has two main dimensions – admiration and rivalry. Admiration involves self-promotion, while rivalry involves aggression and devaluation of others. These two …
Researchers have uncovered an important new mechanism that causes inflammation and damage to the brain’s white matter in Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery about how brain cells called microglia die could lead to new Alzheimer’s treatments. Key Facts: The study found that microglia, which are immune cells in the brain, die through a process called “ferroptosis” …
A new large genetics study has discovered new clues into how levels of a protein called apolipoprotein E (ApoE) in the blood may influence a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Key facts: Researchers found 9 new genetic variants that influence ApoE levels in the blood. Some raise levels, while others lower levels. People with …
