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Neuroplasticity

All articles tagged with #neuroplasticity

Giggles as Brain Builders: Laughter Reshapes Early Learning and Resilience
science20 hours ago

Giggles as Brain Builders: Laughter Reshapes Early Learning and Resilience

New research argues laughter is a complex brain mechanism that precedes speech, lowers stress hormones, increases happiness chemicals, and drives neuroplastic changes across a distributed brain network. When shared between parent and child, it boosts oxytocin and neural synchrony, strengthening emotional bonds and reducing burnout, while also making learning easier by lowering cognitive load. The findings suggest humor should be a central tool in early education and parenting to support resilience and lasting memory.

via Neuroscience News|
#brain-development#cognitive-load#laughter
Neuroplasticity Reframes You as a Living System, Not a Fixed Identity
science2 days ago

Neuroplasticity Reframes You as a Living System, Not a Fixed Identity

Neuroplasticity shows the adult brain continually reorganizes itself based on what we practice and attend to, meaning personality is not fixed. By treating anxious patterns as habits rather than identities, the author shifts from a maintenance mindset toward managing a living system in progress, where deliberate attention and repetition can reshape behavior and self-understanding.

via Space Daily|
#behavior#brain#habits
Psychedelic single-dose therapy boosts cocaine abstinence in small trial
health8 days ago

Psychedelic single-dose therapy boosts cocaine abstinence in small trial

A randomized JAMA Network Open trial found that a single psilocybin dose, paired with psychotherapy, increased cocaine abstinence versus placebo among 36 participants, highlighting a potential new treatment since there are no FDA-approved cocaine-use meds. Experts say psilocybin may act as a catalyst for behavioral change via neuroplasticity, not as a maintenance drug. However, the small size, specific exclusions (no comorbid depression/anxiety), and recruitment nuances limit generalizability, and larger trials are needed. Notably, the study included a majority of Black participants, a first for psychedelic trials.

via The Guardian|
#clinical-trial#cocaine-addiction#health
Pinky Time Goes Viral as a Tiny Brain-Boosting Trend
health24 days ago

Pinky Time Goes Viral as a Tiny Brain-Boosting Trend

TikTok’s viral “pinky time” shows people wiggling their pinkies as a quick daily exercise claimed to support brain health. While fine-motor tasks and learning new skills can help cognitive function, a 10-second movement isn’t a cure for dementia, and experts caution against diagnosing brain health from a single task. The broader message is that challenging, novel activities—like juggling or other complex moves—can promote neuroplasticity and cognitive resilience with ongoing practice. The piece also notes that dementia affects about 1 in 10 older adults today, with future risk rising to an estimated 42% of Americans over 55 by 2060 and around 1 million new dementia diagnoses annually, underscoring the value of regular brain-healthy activities.

via New York Post|
#brain-health#cognitive-decline#fine-motor
Psilocybin-assisted therapy shows potential to help people quit smoking
health25 days ago

Psilocybin-assisted therapy shows potential to help people quit smoking

A BBC Health report describes a randomized trial where a single high dose of psilocybin (about 30 mg, with 10 CBT sessions) plus talk therapy led to significantly higher smoking cessation than nicotine patches: 52% abstinent at six months in 82 participants vs 25% in the patch group. These findings, echoing earlier smaller studies, suggest psychedelics can trigger neuroplastic changes and a shift in priorities that support quitting, and are driving a larger NIH-funded, multi-site follow-up study to confirm efficacy and understand mechanisms. However, experts caution the sample was small and not highly diverse, so results may not generalize, and long-term safety and durability remain to be seen.

via BBC|
#clinical-trials#health#neuroplasticity
One-Shot Learning in the Brain: A New Dendritic Plasticity Mechanism
science1 month ago

One-Shot Learning in the Brain: A New Dendritic Plasticity Mechanism

A newly described mechanism, behavioral time scale synaptic plasticity (BTSP), occurs in hippocampal dendrites and can strengthen active synapses during a single experience over seconds, enabling rapid one-shot learning and memory formation alongside Hebbian plasticity, though the full molecular details and extent across brain regions remain under study.

via Quanta Magazine|
#btsp#dendrites#hippocampus
Brain’s Natural Repair Sets the Pace for Early Stroke Recovery
health2 months ago

Brain’s Natural Repair Sets the Pace for Early Stroke Recovery

A University of Auckland–led ESPRESSO trial with 64 stroke survivors found that adding 90 minutes of high‑intensity hand/arm therapy daily for 15 days, starting within two weeks of stroke, did not improve three‑month outcomes versus standard care, whether delivered via immersive video-game therapy or conventional methods. The results suggest early recovery is driven by the brain’s natural repair processes and that pushing more therapy in the acute phase may not enhance recovery, though digital therapy was engaging and as effective as traditional therapy. Implications point to exploring biological treatments early and reserving intensive physical therapy for a later stage when patients can engage more fully.

via Neuroscience News|
#clinical-trial#digital-therapy#health
Psilocybin’s 5-HT2A activation linked to lasting brain plasticity in mice
neuroscience2 months ago

Psilocybin’s 5-HT2A activation linked to lasting brain plasticity in mice

A mouse study shows psilocybin dose-dependently activates the brain’s 5-HT2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex, with an inverted-U relationship for acute behaviors. The following day, moderate doses reduced anxiety-like exploration and higher doses decreased depression-like immobility, coinciding with changes in microtubule dynamics and increased synaptic plasticity proteins—primarily in the prefrontal cortex, not the amygdala—suggesting a neural mechanism for lasting antidepressant effects, though results in animals may not directly translate to humans.

via PsyPost|
#5-ht2a#amygdala#neuroplasticity
Six habits the sharpest seniors quit to keep their brains agile
health2 months ago

Six habits the sharpest seniors quit to keep their brains agile

A Silicon Canals feature argues cognitive longevity comes less from more brain games and more from subtracting autopilot habits: diversify your mental diet, seek intellectual discomfort, surround yourself with varied minds, stay open to surprise and uncertainty, endure small physical challenges, and guard long stretches of unstructured thinking time while maintaining a growth-oriented view of aging.

via Silicon Canals|
#aging#brain-health#cognition
Three everyday habits to keep your brain sharp, says a neuropsychologist
health2 months ago

Three everyday habits to keep your brain sharp, says a neuropsychologist

A clinical neuropsychologist explains that the brain remains plastic across life and recommends three practical habits to boost cognitive resilience: regular moderate exercise, sufficient sleep, and maintaining social connections. It also cautions that brain-training apps offer little cognitive benefit, emphasizing that daily lifestyle choices drive neuroplasticity and brain health.

via Fit&Well|
#brain-health#exercise#health
Psychedelics Remodel Brain Myelin for Lasting PTSD Recovery
science2 months ago

Psychedelics Remodel Brain Myelin for Lasting PTSD Recovery

A rat study shows psilocybin and MDMA trigger adaptive myelination, repairing the brain’s insulation (myelin) in fear circuits and producing long-lasting reductions in anxiety-like behavior; blocking myelin repair abolishes the benefits, indicating myelin remodeling is a key mechanism for durable psychedelic-assisted PTSD therapy and should complement, not replace, psychotherapy.

via Neuroscience News|
#myelin#neuroplasticity#oligodendrocytes
Second Pregnancy Fine-Tunes the Brain Beyond the First
science2 months ago

Second Pregnancy Fine-Tunes the Brain Beyond the First

A Dutch-led study comparing brain scans before/after second pregnancies with first-time and never-pregnant women found that a second pregnancy induces distinctive brain changes—especially in networks processing sensory input and attention—and shows gray-matter reductions likely due to neuroplasticity, not degeneration; while some adaptations mirror the first pregnancy, the second brings additional refinements to support raising two children, with potential links to bonding and maternal mental health.

via ScienceAlert|
#brain#gray-matter#motherhood