Field: Memory
How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice
Study finds stimulating a brain rhythm with light and sound increases peptide release from interneurons, possibly slowing Alzheimer's progression.
How frontotemporal dementia, the syndrome affecting Wendy Williams, changes the brain
In contrast to Alzheimer’s, in which the major initial symptom is memory loss, FTD typically involves changes in behavior.
How cognition changes before dementia hits
Language-processing difficulties are an indicator of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a risk factor for dementia.
“Resilience”: How a genocide scholar faces history’s darkest moments
Genocide historian Omer Bartov says studying his particularly challenging subject has made him more mentally resilient.
How a mutation in microglia elevates Alzheimer’s risk
A study finds that microglia with mutant TREM2 protein reduce brain circuit connections, promote inflammation, and contribute to Alzheimer’s.
How does Alzheimer’s disease erode memory? New findings on risk gene offer insights
The strongest genetic predictor of Alzheimer's disease is a variant of a gene called apolipoprotein E. Researchers are discovering why.
Bioengineered protein could enhance memory
Memory-related conditions are notoriously hard to treat, but there may be a way to boost recall in the brain.
Memory champion explains how she memorizes 1,080 numbers in 30 minutes
Katie Kermode — a memory athlete with four world records — tells Big Think about her unique spin on an ancient technique to memorize unfathomably long lists of information.
Drug for MS may be able to treat Alzheimer’s, too
A drug approved to treat multiple sclerosis reduced neuroinflammation and improved memory in mouse models of Alzheimer’s.
Study discovers how one sleep stage reactivates memories
New research suggests that during NREM sleep, our brain is more likely to store positive memories.
One shot of the klotho protein boosted memory in old monkeys
A single shot of klotho, a protein linked to longevity, improved the working memory of older rhesus macaques.
Study finds CPR patients may frequently have near-death experiences
In a study of CPR patients across the US and UK, researchers found new evidence about near-death experiences.
Will “The Singularity” rescue us from death?
In transhumanism, "The Singularity" promises possibility of uploading your consciousness into silicon, guaranteeing a kind of immortality.
Good and bad memories are stored in different neurons, study finds
Positive and negative memories are stored in different parts of the brain, raising the possibility of therapeutic memory manipulation.
Three reasons “you” won’t return after this life
Entire religions are constructed around theories of an afterlife, but former monk Stephen Batchelor lists three reasons you won't come back.
Brain-zapping tech improves memory by more than 50%
A brain-zapping "memory prosthesis" funded by DARPA improved trial participants' ability to retain new information by more than 50%.
Smartphones might actually be improving your memory
Rather than causing “digital dementia,” storing important information in a digital device can actually improve memory.
HIV drug could improve memory
The common HIV drug maraviroc improved memory linking in aging mice and might be able to help people experiencing memory loss, too.
Mammals dream about the world they are entering even before birth
A study finds that baby mammals dream about the world they are about to experience to prepare their senses.
Newly discovered types of brain cells may hold the key to memory
Researchers believe they have discovered two new types of brain cells that play a key role in memory.
Fecal transplants reverse aging in brains of old mice
Fecal transplants from younger to older mice appear to reverse aging in the brains of the seniors, improving their memories and cognition.
Hungry mice show why you should take study breaks
The spacing effect — a strange phenomenon by which you retain information more readily if you take study breaks — is now less of a mystery.
Neck-zapping device helps sleep-deprived soldiers think
A handheld device that delivers vagus nerve stimulation was shown to combat the effect of sleep deprivation in soldiers.
New PTSD therapy dulls the sting of painful memories
A Canadian researcher’s reconsolidation therapy is helping people overcome PTSD by allowing them to edit painful memories to be less emotionally impactful.
Scientists are developing brain implants that improve memory
New research sheds hope for sufferers of traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s, and for all of us, old age.
Do bigger brains have better memories?
Scientists may be one step closer to putting the age-old question to rest on whether brain size impacts cognitive function.