Hippocampus News and Research

RSS

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.

Scientists traced a hidden immune route that may worsen tau-linked brain damage

In a mouse model of tauopathy, conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) cross-presented brain-derived antigens in deep cervical lymph nodes, priming CD8+ T cells that accumulated in the brain and promoted neurodegeneration. Disrupting cDC1s or their cross-presentation activity reduced CD8+ T-cell infiltration and protected against neuronal loss, while human primary tauopathy samples also showed increased brain CD8+ T cells, although cDC1 involvement in humans remains unconfirmed.

6 Sep 2026

Younger and older brains respond differently to traumatic injury

Conventional wisdom holds that younger brains are better equipped to recover from injury. Their greater flexibility allows them to adapt, rebuild connections and compensate for damage in ways older brains often cannot.

4 Sep 2026

Semaglutide extended lifespan in older female mice, but that was not the only finding

Late-life semaglutide treatment slowed age-related physiological decline, attenuated multiple molecular hallmarks of aging, and extended median lifespan from 742 to 834 days in aged female mice. The drug reproduced many effects of calorie restriction while providing additional benefits in exploratory behavior, spatial memory, and glucose control, suggesting that some effects extend beyond reduced calorie intake alone.

3 Sep 2026

New brain atlas reveals insights into Huntington's, addiction, and other disorders

A region of the brain called the striatum is critical for many cognitive and motor functions, including decision-making, control of movement, habit formation, and processing of reward.

1 Sep 2026

Estrogen hormone combination may help relieve menopausal brain fog

Many women going through menopause report struggling with memory lapses, trouble concentrating and slower thinking, a set of symptoms often described as "brain fog."

1 Sep 2026

Adolescent binge drinking causes lasting changes in brain function

New research from the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine provides insight into how binge alcohol exposure during adolescence may cause lasting changes in brain function that persist into adulthood, potentially identifying a new target for future treatment approaches.

1 Sep 2026

Memory declines begin earlier in life than previously thought

Memory loss is usually thought of as something to address as a person ages. Slip-ups like forgetting someone's name or recognizing a familiar face but not remembering where you know them from are often viewed as issues that arise later in life.

31 Aug 2026

Multi-ancestry genetic score improves risk prediction for Alzheimer's disease

Late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive disorder characterized by cognitive decline and memory impairment, affecting an estimated 6.9 million people in the U.S.

27 Aug 2026

Study reveals how the brain balances competing goals

How do we decide what to do when faced with choices? And how does the brain adapt those decisions as the world around us changes? A new study published in Nature by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital offers surprising insights by revealing how the human brain continuously balances competing goals in real time.

25 Aug 2026

Disrupted brain-immune signaling may help drive neurodegeneration

A Cell perspective argues that neurodegeneration can emerge from disrupted communication between neural and immune networks, with peripheral immunity, microglia, and gene-regulatory programs all shaping disease processes. The authors propose that restoring immune homeostasis and recalibrating neuroimmune circuits could create new therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities, while emphasizing that many mechanisms remain unresolved in humans.

24 Aug 2026

Neurogenesis stalls in the brains of adults with major depressive disorder, study shows

Most of our brain's 100 billion neurons are created before we're born, but the trickle of neurons created in the adult brain hippocampus could be instrumental in preventing depression, suggest findings from a new study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

21 Aug 2026

Psilocybin may make the brain more organized than scientists expected

In 62 adults, researchers combined fMRI, EEG and machine learning to examine how psilocybin reshapes brain activity during rest, meditation, music and movie viewing. They found that context-sensitive neural organization tracked the intensity and quality of psychedelic experiences and was associated with next-day mindset change.

20 Aug 2026

New optical control platform blocks and restores neural signaling

DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) announced that a research team led by Professor Ji Won Um of the Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, Department of Brain Sciences, in collaboration with a research team led by Professor Alice Ting at Stanford University, has developed LATeNT, a novel optical control platform that uses light to block signal transmission between neurons and subsequently restore normal signaling.

19 Aug 2026

Estrogen fluctuations reshape brain connections, new study finds

A new study out of the University of Delaware shows that fluctuations in estrogen influence the brain, helping reshape connections between neurons.

18 Aug 2026

Childhood trauma affects brain pathways linked to adult anhedonia

Experiencing trauma in childhood can lead to a lack of motivation and less pleasure from rewards-or anhedonia-later in life.

17 Aug 2026

Cocoa looks promising for mood, but the brain benefits come with a catch

A review of clinical and preclinical studies suggests cocoa polyphenols may support mood, neuroplasticity, cerebral blood flow, and gut-brain signaling through pathways involving BDNF/CREB, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

17 Aug 2026

Astrocytes found to directly regulate memory consolidation during sleep

Research has shown that a good night's sleep has many benefits, including memory consolidation. How sleep enables the brain to strengthen memories is still not completely understood, but a new study published in Neuron reveals how astrocytes, brain cells known for supporting neurons and their functions, can directly regulate brain circuits involved in memory consolidation.

13 Aug 2026

High-resolution scans reveal how depression affects hippocampal subfields

Researchers from the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have found that depression is associated with smaller volume in a specific part of the hippocampus, a brain region essential for learning and memory.

6 Aug 2026

New AI model generates detailed maps of aging in brain regions

USC researchers have developed an approach that uses artificial intelligence to generate detailed maps that highlight differences in how distinct parts of the brain age.

3 Aug 2026

Overactive brain immune response linked to rare, severe genetic epilepsy

An overactive immune response in the brain may play a role in Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe genetic epilepsy that typically begins in infancy, according to Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

29 Jul 2026