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.

Brain protein associated with aging not linked to youth contact sports

In recent years, some scientists and advocates have warned that playing contact sports like football and hockey may increase the risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to a buildup of a specific protein in the brain.

11 Jul 2025

More than 200 types of misfolded proteins could be associated with age-related cognitive decline

For decades, the story of Alzheimer's research has been dominated by a battle between A-beta and tau amyloids, both of which can kill neurons and impact the brain's ability to function.

11 Jul 2025

Genetic links between type 2 diabetes and subcortical brain structure revealed

Recently, the team led by Chief Physician Quan Zhang and Associate Professor Feng Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital systematically evaluated the genetic associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and subcortical brain structures using large-scale genome-wide association summary statistics and advanced statistical genetic methods.

11 Jul 2025

New insights into neural replay and memory formation from flying bats

Every day, our brain takes countless fleeting experiences - from walks on the beach to presentations at work - and transforms them into long-term memories.

10 Jul 2025

Mapping vulnerability or resilience in Alzheimer's through imaging and genetics

It's been recognized for some time that Alzheimer's disease affects brain regions differently and that tau - a protein known to misbehave - plays an important role in the disease.

9 Jul 2025

Unlocking the brain’s language to fight Alzheimer’s

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. With an estimated 55 million people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia worldwide, advancing understanding of these complex diseases is critical to finding new treatments, and potentially, cures.

7 Jul 2025

Restoring neuron balance in the amygdala reverses anxiety in mice

The Synaptic Physiology laboratory, led by Juan Lerma at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, has discovered that a specific group of neurons in the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotion regulation, plays a key role in the emergence of conditions such as anxiety, depression, and altered social behavior.

4 Jul 2025

New neurons form in the hippocampus even in late adulthood

A study in the journal Science presents compelling new evidence that neurons in the brain's memory centre, the hippocampus, continue to form well into late adulthood.

4 Jul 2025

Electrical stimulation boosts math skills in people with weaker neural links

The strength of certain neural connections can predict how well someone can learn math, and mild electrically stimulating these networks can boost learning, according to a study published on July 1st in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Roi Cohen Kadosh from University of Surrey, United Kingdom, and colleagues.

2 Jul 2025

New brain scan tool predicts aging speed and dementia risk

Any high school reunion is a sharp reminder that some people age more gracefully than others. Some enter their older years still physically spry and mentally sharp. Others start feeling frail or forgetful much earlier in life than expected.

1 Jul 2025

Prebiotics may boost brain GABA through gut microbiota

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an amino acid functioning as the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter that can act on the brain to slow or stop the reception of certain signals to the brain, leading to a calmer and more relaxed state.

1 Jul 2025

Study maps brain structure differences in individuals with psychopathic traits

A new study published in the European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience has shed light on the brain structure differences associated with psychopathy - a condition known to be one of the strongest predictors of persistent violent behavior.

26 Jun 2025

Tirzepatide rewires appetite and slashes calorie intake in new obesity trial

A 6-week randomized trial found that tirzepatide significantly reduced energy intake, appetite, and cravings in adults with overweight or obesity, outperforming liraglutide and placebo. Brain imaging revealed that tirzepatide also lowered neural responses to high-fat, high-sugar food cues, offering mechanistic insight into its potent weight-loss effects.

25 Jun 2025

Unhealthy teen diets reshape the brain and drive lifelong eating habits, study finds

Adolescent diets high in fat and sugar disrupt the development of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, impacting cognition, memory, and impulse control. These brain changes can promote unhealthy eating behaviors and obesity risk that persist into adulthood.

24 Jun 2025

New theory sheds light on why sleep cycles matter for memory

Although we know sleep is essential to our physical and mental well-being, it remains an incredibly enigmatic behavior, scientifically speaking.

24 Jun 2025

c-Fos exhibits a dual role in memory formation and Alzheimer's disease

Immediate-early genes (IEGs), including c-Fos, are integral to the brain's response to stimuli. Initially identified as a proto-oncogene, c-Fos is essential for neural activity, synaptic plasticity, and stress responses.

14 Jun 2025

Exercise targets specific brain cells to protect against Alzheimer’s

Using advanced single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and a widely used preclinical model for Alzheimer's disease, researchers from Mass General Brigham and collaborators at SUNY Upstate Medical University have identified specific brain cell types that responded most to exercise.

12 Jun 2025

Memory neurons in rats may explain why forgetting meals leads to overeating

Researchers identify "meal memory" neurons in laboratory rats that could explain why forgetting lunch leads to overeating.

11 Jun 2025

Uncovering the genetic link between type 2 diabetes and brain structure

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a highly prevalent metabolic disorder worldwide. Beyond glucose dysregulation, it exerts significant effects on the central nervous system.

11 Jun 2025

Psilocybin rewires the brain for weeks, study finds

Psilocybin induces consistent and sustained changes in brain network connectivity, particularly between the hippocampus and default mode network, as shown using high-resolution fMRI in healthy adults. These neural effects, distinct from those produced by methylphenidate, may underlie the drug’s psychological benefits and were reproducible within individuals over time.

10 Jun 2025