Hippocampus News and Research

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The hippocampus is a part of the forebrain, located in the medial temporal lobe. It belongs to the limbic system and plays major roles in short term memory and spatial navigation. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain.

Cognitive behavioral therapy linked to increased grey matter in emotion processing regions

Psychotherapy leads to measurable changes in brain structure. Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Münster have demonstrated this for the first time in a study in "Translational Psychiatry" by using cognitive behavioral therapy.

27 Aug 2025

New molecular mechanism offers hope for treating depression in the elderly

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses worldwide, but its molecular causes have still not been clearly identified.

25 Aug 2025

Computational approach provides insight into neural progenitor cells and their role in brain disorders

For much of the 20th century it was thought that the adult brain was incapable of regeneration. This view has since shifted dramatically and neurogenesis – the birth of new neurons – is now a widely accepted phenomenon in the adult brain, offering promising avenues for treating many neurological conditions.

21 Aug 2025

Surprising brain effect: Music uniquely targets detailed memory via arousal

Researchers found that post-learning music changes emotional arousal, which in turn shapes memory differently across individuals. Moderate arousal boosted detailed memory, while extremes favored gist, showing music’s unique but variable impact on consolidation.

20 Aug 2025

Reducing FTL1 protein levels reverses brain aging and improves memory in mice

Aging is particularly harsh on the hippocampus - the brain region responsible for learning and memory.

19 Aug 2025

Pandemic left measurable changes in teen brains, hormones, and immunity

Adolescents assessed after COVID-19 lockdowns showed lower daily cortisol, higher inflammation, and reduced prefrontal cortex activity compared to matched pre-pandemic peers, suggesting widespread stress-related biological changes. These alterations mirror patterns seen after prolonged early-life stress, raising concerns about long-term health risks.

13 Aug 2025

High-potassium diets show consistent mental health benefits

Higher intakes of certain dietary minerals are linked to lower depression risk, with potassium showing consistent benefits in both U.S. and Korean adults. Patterns differ by country, sex, and age, highlighting the role of cultural diets and nutrient bioavailability in mental health.

12 Aug 2025

New insights into how keto diet can restore cognitive function following status epilepticus

Epilepsy affects over 70 million people worldwide, and a significant portion of patients suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), where standard medications fail.

11 Aug 2025

Special von Economo neurons may hold key to super-sharp memory in 80+ superagers

Researchers at Northwestern University’s SuperAging Program reveal how some people over 80 retain memory performance like those decades younger, linking it to unique brain structures, reduced pathology, and lower inflammation. Their 25-year study highlights genetic, cellular, and social traits that may protect cognitive function.

10 Aug 2025

New microscope system reveals molecular activity deep in the brain tissue

Both for research and medical purposes, researchers have spent decades pushing the limits of microscopy to produce ever deeper and sharper images of brain activity, not only in the cortex but also in regions underneath such as the hippocampus.

7 Aug 2025

New AI model performs medical image segmentation with far less data

A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool could make it much easier-and cheaper-for doctors and researchers to train medical imaging software, even when only a small number of patient scans are available.

1 Aug 2025

Chemotherapy treatment linked to lasting cognitive changes in rats

Researchers at The City College of New York have linked chemotherapy treatment to lasting cognitive changes in rats – potentially shading light, for the first time, on cognitive problems some cancer survivors experience long after treatment ends.

31 Jul 2025

Study: Formal education does not slow brain aging or cognitive decline

An international study published in the journal Nature Medicine casts doubt on the widespread belief that higher levels of formal education directly protect against cognitive decline and brain aging.

28 Jul 2025

Heavy smoking linked to atrophy in Alzheimer’s brain regions

MRI findings indicate that smoking is linked to reduced brain volume, raising concerns about dementia risk, especially with higher body mass index.

25 Jul 2025

New research shows neurogenesis slows in early adulthood, impacting memory

Age often brings a gradual decline in the ability to learn new things and retain memories. This phenomenon, often associated with the elderly, is linked to the brain's deteriorating capacity to generate new neurons-a process that primarily occurs in the hippocampus -as neural stem cells (NSCs) divide and mature. Recent research suggests this decline begins much earlier in life than previously thought, potentially starting in early adulthood.

25 Jul 2025

Neurons shift during repeated navigation of identical paths

In a new study, Northwestern University neurobiologists found the brain's internal GPS changes each time we navigate a familiar, static environment.

23 Jul 2025

Intranasal insulin safely and effectively reaches key memory regions of the brain

A groundbreaking brain imaging study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine confirms a vital step toward new Alzheimer's disease treatments: Intranasal insulin, delivered via a simple nasal spray, safely and effectively reaches key memory regions of the brain in older adults.

23 Jul 2025

Ripple activity in the brain helps organize and store episodic memories

A research team from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Barcelona, the UB Institute of Neurosciences (UBneuro) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) has identified, for the first time in humans, and in a realistic environment, a key neurophysiological mechanism in memory formation: ripple-type brain waves —high-frequency electrical oscillations that mark and organize the different episodes or fragments of information that the brain stores as memories.

17 Jul 2025

Brain's tiny region dictates how memories are formed and separated

Life may unfold as a continuous stream, but our memories tell a different story. We do not recall the past as one long, unbroken text. Instead, we remember it as a series of meaningful events, like how sentences are structured with grammar and punctuation.

16 Jul 2025

Ultra-processed foods threaten brain health in kids and teens, review warns

Children, adolescents, and unborn babies exposed to high levels of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) face increased risks of impaired brain development, cognitive deficits, and long-term mental health challenges. The review underscores how UPF-driven changes in reward pathways, nutrient deficits, inflammation, and the gut–brain axis can have lasting impacts across generations.

13 Jul 2025