Cognition

Singing Mouse Orofacial Motor Cortex Showed 2.8-Fold and 3.3-Fold Expansion of Projections to Auditory Cortex and PAG

June 7, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 mouse study in Nature mapped more than 76,000 single-neuron projections from the orofacial motor cortex (OMC) and found that Alston’s singing mouse, which produces audible song, has 2.8-fold higher OMC connectivity to an auditory cortical region and 3.3-fold higher OMC connectivity to the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG) than the laboratory mouse. Key …

A Specific Serotonergic Brain Circuit Produced Tinnitus-Like Behavior in Mice and Explains SSRI-Tinnitus Reports

June 7, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 study in PNAS from Oregon Health & Science University and Anhui University used optogenetics in mice to map a specific serotonin-producing brain circuit that runs straight to the auditory system, showed that activating this circuit produced tinnitus-like behavior, and traced a likely mechanism for why some patients on SSRI antidepressants report worsened …

SenseCheQ Home Nerve Testing Tracked Chemotherapy Neuropathy Signals

June 6, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 preprint in medRxiv reported that SenseCheQ, a home quantitative sensory testing device, produced reliable vibration and temperature-threshold measurements in 30 healthy adults and tracked early sensory changes in 3 breast cancer patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy. Key Findings 30-person home study: Healthy adults completed one familiarization session and three self-administered home sessions using …

Seasonal Circadian Disruption May Increase Driver Drowsiness and Crash Risk

June 6, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 scoping review in Sleep Science linked seasonal timing, daylight exposure, daylight saving time (DST), sleep-wake rhythm disruption, and driver drowsiness to traffic-crash risk, but found that few studies directly integrate seasonality with chronobiology in one model. Key Findings 1,758 records screened: The scoping review used PRISMA-ScR methods and screened 1,758 records before …

Post-Stroke Aphasia Theory of Mind Performance Tracked Vascular Brain Health

June 6, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint found that nonverbal Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to infer another person’s beliefs or perspective, varied in 44 adults with post-stroke aphasia and was more closely tied to vascular brain-health markers than to aphasia severity. Key Findings Study group: 44 adults with aphasia after mostly left-hemisphere stroke completed 2 …

New Audio Cue Improved Depth Perception Only for Some Adults

June 6, 2026June 5, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 iScience study found that after 1 hour of training, adults could use a new audio cue for depth judgments, but only about half combined it with a familiar visual cue well enough to improve perceptual precision. Key Findings A total of 78 adults completed the depth task after training on an artificial …

Natural Images and White Noise Changed What People Saw in Pareidolia

June 4, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 Scientific Reports study found that natural images and white noise images produced similar amounts of pareidolia, but they shifted what people thought they saw. Key Findings Healthy adult sample: The study included 81 participants who viewed ambiguous images and drew every illusory object, face, figure, or pattern they perceived. Equal quantity: The …

Cognitive Reserve in First-Episode Psychosis Linked to Genetics and Onset

June 3, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 study in Psychological Medicine found that cognitive reserve in non-affective first-episode psychosis was higher with greater genetic predisposition to educational attainment and lower with earlier psychosis onset or family history of psychosis. Key Findings 174 first-episode patients: Researchers analyzed people with non-affective first-episode psychosis, with a mean age of 25.5 years. Educational-attainment …

Autistic Children Rated Navigation Lower Despite Similar Task Performance

June 2, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 preprint in medRxiv found that 26 autistic children and 25 typically developing peers performed similarly on iPad-based navigation tasks, but the autistic group rated its own sense of direction lower. Key Findings Objective navigation performance did not differ between autistic and typically developing children across path integration, egocentric pointing, mapping, or perspective …

AD8 Dementia Screening Items Tracked Psychosocial Risk in Chinese Older Adults

June 2, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint found that specific AD8 dementia-screening items, especially judgment, repetition, finances, tool use, and daily memory problems, tracked functional and psychosocial vulnerability in 144 Chinese-speaking older adults. Key Findings Small community sample: The cross-sectional study included 144 Chinese-speaking adults with a mean age of 73.1 years. Three AD8 domains: Exploratory factor …

+ Load more