New Atlas

Medical Audio available

Incredible study shows music can help build the brains of premature babies

Rich Haridy May 29, 2019

The vast majority of neural growth for a baby occurs during the last trimester of a pregnancy. An exciting new study has demonstrated how specially composed music can aid brain growth in premature babies, resulting in neural development similar to that of full-term infants.

Just a few eight-minute listening sessions a week were enough to significantly improve neural growth of ...

Biology Audio available

Provocative study shows how the herpes virus can speed up the onset of Alzheimer’s disease

Rich Haridy May 27, 2019

An intriguing new study has described a mechanism by which virus particles can interact with proteins in biological fluids and become more infectious, while also accelerating the formation of plaques often associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

New research suggests a mechanism by which certain virus particles may be accelerating the accumulation of ...

Medical Audio available

How virtual reality can help diagnose early Alzheimer’s disease

Rich Haridy May 26, 2019

An exciting new study from the University of Cambridge is demonstrating how a novel virtual reality navigation test can better predict which patients are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease compared to other currently used "gold standard" cognitive tests.

A VR navigation task can accurately distinguish patients with age-related mild cognitive impairment from patients with ...

Science Audio available

The incredible science exploring how to edit our memories

Rich Haridy May 23, 2019

Two remarkable new studies are suggesting sci-fi stories of memory manipulation may not be so far-fetched. The research describes early proof-of-concept experiments showing how negative emotional associations with traumatic memories can potentially be weakened or even entirely edited out.

Two new studies are suggesting neuroscientists may be able to suppress, or even completely erase, traumatic ...

Science Audio available

Biomarker study detects onset of Alzheimer’s up to 30 years before symptoms appear

Rich Haridy May 15, 2019

New research from Johns Hopkins University has identified a variety of biomarkers that can be used to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s years before symptoms appear. The study presents nine measures that can signal the onset of the disease up to 30 years before cognitive decline becomes apparent.

A new study has outlined nine different measures that can be used to identify Alzheimer's years ...

Medical Audio available

Promising new Alzheimer's drug passes first phase of human trials

Rich Haridy May 13, 2019

Scientists in Germany are reporting successful results from the first phase of human clinical testing of a new Alzheimer’s drug. Following promising animal experiments the drug has initially now proved safe in human subjects and will soon move into Phase II clinical trials testing efficacy.

A promising new Alzheimer's drug that works by breaking down toxic amyloid beta proteins has passed ...

Medical

Dual studies offer incredible insights into connection between depression and the gut

Rich Haridy May 7, 2019

Two new studies build on a growing body of evidence linking depression with mechanisms in our gut. While one team has uncovered a connection between serotonin and gut dysfunction, another team found microbiome transplants can transfer symptoms of depression from one animal to another.

One study has described a connection between serotonin and gut dysfunction, while another has revealed how ...

Science Audio available

Feelings trump taste when it comes to preferences for beer and coffee

Matt Kennedy May 2, 2019

According to a new study from Northwestern University, our preference for sweet or bitter beverages isn't so much about flavor, but about the psychoactive buttons these drinks push in our brains.

Our preference for sweet or bitter beverages may not be so much about flavor, but about ...

Medical

New form of dementia discovered, redefining mainstream Alzheimer’s science

Rich Haridy April 30, 2019

Dubbed by one scientist as, “the most important paper to be published in the field of dementia in the last five years,” a research team has described a newly defined neurodegenerative disease that closely mimics the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, but which has an entirely different pathological cause.

A newly defined neurodegenerative disease called LATE is characterized by entirely different protein aggregations in the ...

Medical Audio available

Synthetic peptides offer new hope in battle against Alzheimer’s disease

Rich Haridy April 22, 2019

Innovative new research led by a team from the University of Washington is suggesting a novel strategy to battle Alzheimer's disease. Synthetic peptides have been developed to inhibit the aggregation of the toxic proteins commonly associated with early stages of the disease.

In early tests newly developed synthetic peptides are proving to be a promising new potential weapon ...