New Atlas

Biology Audio available

Mental compass: New evidence suggests humans can sense Earth's magnetic field

Michael Irving March 18, 2019

Magnetoreception, or the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field, pops up throughout the animal kingdom, but it’s generally thought to be something humans missed out on. But new research has found changes in human brain wave activity that seems to be in response to a changing magnetic field.

A new study has found evidence that humans can detect changes in the geomagnetic field

Biology Audio available

Researchers home in on the brain’s taste-sensing "sweet spot"

Rich Haridy March 14, 2019

The subjective nature of taste has made pinning down where this sense is processed in the brain difficult. But now researchers have finally homed in on the brain's "sweet spot," revealing the center responsible for processing different types of tastes.

A new study presents the best evidence to date of the exact location in the brain ...

Science Audio available

It takes more brain power to forget something than to remember it

Anthony Wood March 12, 2019

An important part of the human brain has to work harder to actively forget a memory than it does to remember it, according to the results of a newly-published study. The research could one day lead to a treatment designed to remove painful memories.

The team used fMRI and machine learning to track brain function

Medical Audio available

Electrically syncing up brain regions improves depression in first-of-its-kind study

Rich Haridy March 11, 2019

In a first-of-its-kind study a new kind of non-invasive electrical brain stimulation has been trialed in patients with major depression. The results show this new technique to be promising in reducing depressive symptoms, with larger trials set to explore this novel treatment in greater detail.

Electrode netting and custom-made technology allows the Frohlich lab at the UNC School of Medicine to ...

Science Audio available

Novel mechanism explains how sleep repairs damaged DNA in the brain

Rich Haridy March 5, 2019

A team from Israel’s Bar-Ilan University has uncovered a previously unknown function of sleep that may explain why the behavior is so fundamental to all complex organisms with a brain.

Using zebrafish as a model scientists have discovered repairing DNA damage in neurons may be one ...

Science Audio available

Deep sleep may be crucial in clearing toxic Alzheimer’s proteins from the brain

Rich Haridy February 28, 2019

For the first time scientists have demonstrated how the brain washes away toxic proteins during a specific phase of deep sleep. The study builds on a growing body of evidence suggesting chronic sleep disruption could play a role in the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

For the first time scientists have shown a particular deep sleep phase is fundamental to activating ...

Science

Two massive genetic studies home in on the origins of insomnia

Rich Haridy February 25, 2019

Two massive new studies have homed in on the genetic foundations of insomnia. The rigorous analyses reveal novel links between insomnia and certain brain regions, while paving the way for personalized treatments.

The research examined over a million people finding hundreds of genes that could be associated with ...

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

Sleep study finds pros and cons to afternoon nap for teenage brain health

Rich Haridy February 24, 2019

New research has revealed that a short night sleep with an afternoon nap is better for a teenager's mood and cognition than a longer, continuous night’s sleep. On the other hand, the split sleep students reported higher glucose levels, a marker that points to increased diabetes risk.

The study found 5 hours sleep plus a 90 minute afternoon nap was better for a ...

Science

Association between Alzheimer’s and high brain iron to be tested in new clinical trial

Rich Haridy February 20, 2019

A study is suggesting high iron levels in the brain may fundamentally trigger the progressive neurodegeneration associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A clinical trial is now underway exploring whether Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline can be slowed by lowering brain iron levels.

No causal connection has been proven, but evidence is suggesting high brain iron levels may play ...

Biology Audio available

DNA tags in the brain found to help erase fear memories

Michael Irving February 19, 2019

New research from the University of Queensland (UQ) has now found a chemical pathway that helps the brain wipe fear memories, which could lead to new potential treatments for phobias and other fear-related anxiety disorders.

A new study has found DNA modifications related to how we unlearn fears, which could be ...