Research · Neuroscience · Safety
Follow developments in nootropics and brain research with their sources and limitations. We explain what a new finding says, and what it cannot establish.
128 published articles
Research
In an open-label 12-week Korean trial of 80 adults with MCI, both meal-provided MIND diet groups improved K-MMSE2 scores versus control; the abstract gives no effect size.
Research
In 34 adults, measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure, microbiome profiles and neurobehavioral groupings covaried. No individual microbial genus survived correction as associated with the behavior grouping, so candidate links remain exploratory.
Research
A coordinated analysis of six real-world studies found that higher-than-usual fatigue and faster processing speed each predicted stronger fatigue-performance coupling hours later, a marker of less fatigue override.
neuroscience
Mouse recordings, optogenetic perturbations and circuit models indicated that reciprocal V1–LM connections prolonged congruent visual activity while resolving inconsistent signals. The finding concerns a simple visual task and model-based interpretation.
Research
In a 60-person randomized stroke trial, a prism-adaptation and tablet-game device improved memory from three months and language at post-treatment checks versus standard rehabilitation.
Safety
The FDA added Niwali Tejocote Pieces, Niwali Tejocote Capsules and Easy Forte Natural Fiber to an existing safety alert after tests detected toxic yellow oleander. The agency advises stopping use and contacting a health care provider.
Research
A two-cohort study derived a 23-metabolite blood signature associated with Mediterranean-diet adherence and some cognitive measures. Transfer to the second cohort was weak until the model was recalibrated, and the study was observational.
Research
A 24-month study of 278 older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment found that lower recognition discriminability and early decline predicted conversion to Alzheimer’s dementia after adjustment for other measures.
neuroscience
Imaging in mice found compressed CA1 astrocyte calcium sequences during fear conditioning and their reappearance in the conditioned context. The recordings are correlational and do not show that astrocytes create or are necessary for memory.
neuroscience
In mice, cerebellar granule cells predicted delayed rewards from dopamine-neuron or medial forebrain bundle stimulation, while climbing fibers responded afterward. Perturbations supported a role in this task, without establishing effects on human cognition.
neuroscience
Longitudinal recordings and a neural-network model suggest that adaptive BCI decoders concentrated task information into fewer neural signals during practice, unlike fixed decoders.
Research
Across six waves of data from 14,938 Chinese adults aged 45 and older, accumulated social disadvantage was associated with persistently lower self-rated memory, which correlated weakly with objective cognition.