A new AI tool identified long COVID in 22.8% of patients, a much higher rate than previously diagnosed. By analyzing extensive health records from nearly 300,000 patients, the algorithm identifies long COVID by distinguishing symptoms linked specifically to SARS-CoV-2 infection rather than pre-existing conditions. This AI approach, known as "precision phenotyping," helps clinicians differentiate long COVID symptoms from other health issues and may improve diagnostic accuracy by about 3%.

A new study highlights how signals from the liver to the brain influence eating patterns tied to our circadian rhythms. This liver-brain communication can become disrupted in people working night shifts or irregular hours, leading to weight gain and metabolic issues.

A new study proposes that human culture’s unique power lies not in its ability to accumulate knowledge, as once thought, but in its "open-endedness." Unlike animal cultures that reach limits in evolution, human culture continuously expands, adapting without bounds.

New research links childhood adversity with later attention deficits, sleep disruptions, and specific dopamine imbalances in the brain. Focusing on critical developmental windows, scientists found that disrupted care early in life affected males more than females.

Dogs and their owners show synchronized heart rate variability (HRV), reflecting shared emotional states during relaxed interactions, a new study reveals. Researchers observed that both heart rate and physical activity levels adapt between dogs and owners, but the strongest emotional connection appears during restful moments, indicating shared relaxation.

Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that may trigger ALS’s earliest stages, identifying proteins that mislocalize, causing neuron degeneration. By targeting the RNA-binding protein SmD1, scientists were able to prevent key ALS proteins from leaving their protective cellular zones, preserving neuron function. The findings may lead to ALS therapies capable of halting progression before significant neurodegeneration occurs, offering potential new strategies against the disease.

A new study finds that chimpanzees, like humans, are affected by being watched: their performance on computer tasks improved on difficult tasks with larger human audiences but declined on simpler ones. This phenomenon, known as the "audience effect," was previously thought to be unique to humans and linked to reputation management. The results suggest that sensitivity to being observed may have evolved before human society developed its complex reputation-based social structures.

A groundbreaking 25-year study has shown that childhood cognitive ability significantly impacts intelligence in older age, with nearly half of cognitive variance persisting across decades. The research tracked participants from childhood through their eighties, linking higher childhood intelligence to improved longevity. This study also revealed significant differences in brain aging, suggesting that genetics and early-life factors profoundly shape cognitive health.

Certain gut bacteria may play crucial roles in aging, with implications for promoting healthier aging. Research conducted on over 200 octogenarians found a decline in key bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and a compensatory increase in other species that help maintain gut health.

A novel vaccine can mobilize the immune system to precisely target and attack cancerous brain tumors, specifically gliomas, one of the deadliest brain tumor types. This groundbreaking work demonstrates that the body’s immune system can be directed to target proteins with cancer-driving mutations in tumors, marking a significant advance in immunotherapy.

A new study reveals how the brain compensates for rapid eye movements, maintaining a stable visual perception despite dynamic visual input. Researchers found that this stability mechanism breaks down for non-rigid motion like rotating vortices, leading to visual instability.

Researchers have developed a potential diagnostic tool for schizophrenia by observing how patients process conflicting information. By analyzing neural activity between the cortex and thalamus, they found distinct patterns that make schizophrenia patients more sensitive to uncertainty.

Researchers have developed a promising nasal spray therapy targeting neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease, potentially delaying its progression by over a decade. Using extracellular vesicles derived from neural stem cells, the treatment reduced inflammation and protein build-up in the brain in early-stage Alzheimer’s animal models.

A recent study questions if large language models (LLMs) truly form coherent world models, despite their accurate outputs in complex tasks like generating directions or playing games. Researchers found that while LLMs provide nearly flawless driving directions, they fail with unexpected changes, suggesting the models don't grasp underlying rules.

Scientists have uncovered a new neuron type, BNC2, which acts quickly to counter hunger-promoting neurons, potentially leading to more effective appetite regulation. These BNC2 neurons, located in the brain’s arcuate nucleus, respond rapidly to hunger cues by inhibiting AGRP neurons responsible for driving appetite. This discovery adds a crucial layer to our understanding of the neural circuits controlling hunger and opens the door for novel treatments for obesity and metabolic conditions.

Ultra-processed foods are linked to accelerated biological aging, as confirmed in a study analyzing over 22,000 people. Researchers found that these foods, high in additives and preservatives, speed up the body’s internal aging clock, independently of nutritional quality.

Neuroscientists have identified specialized brain cells that form flexible "coordinate systems" to help us track where we are within a sequence of actions. These cells map our position in complex behaviors, making connections similar to a music box playing different tunes.

By analyzing fMRI scans of people watching films, neuroscientists have created a comprehensive functional map of the brain, showing how it activates in response to complex scenes. This study identified 24 distinct networks that process aspects like faces, speech, or movement, and revealed how executive functions shift between easy and challenging scenes.

Astrocytes, non-neuronal brain cells, have been shown to work alongside neurons to store and recall memories, reshaping our understanding of memory mechanisms. Researchers found that specific astrocytes express the c-Fos gene during memory formation, influencing neuron communication to store memories.