Neuroscience · Cognitive Neuroscience
A study in mice found that a peptide targeting the memory-related protein CPEB3 reduced the persistence of traumatic memories and anhedonia, a loss of pleasure. The findings are an early genetic preclinical test of a possible approach for PTSD, not evidence of a treatment in people.
Columbian ground squirrels retained spatial memories through nine months of hibernation, according to a field study in Alberta. When tested again, experienced squirrels performed 41–98% better than squirrels encountering the maze for the first time.
A study of mice found that familiar companions reduced social fear most effectively when the animals could interact through touch, sight and smell. Visual and smell cues without physical contact did not restore normal social preference.
The structure of early training influenced how flexibly mice learned a complex odor-timing task. Recurrent neural networks showed similar effects, suggesting that well-structured practice helps the brain build knowledge that can be reused when tasks become more complex.
A computational model offers an explanation for how the brain plans sequences of actions without representing them only one step at a time. It reproduces several patterns seen in primate frontal cortex, including simultaneous activity for multiple plan elements and shared activity patterns during forward and backward tasks.
In male mice, brief bursts of neuronal activity tracked which sensory cues predicted rewards and changed as those associations changed. Suppressing the bursts disrupted learning and task performance, providing causal evidence that they help drive associative learning.
A 13-year study of 696 dementia-free adults found several distinct patterns of cognitive aging. Better cognitive trajectories were associated with faster walking, higher quality of life, more sports and mentally stimulating activities, and greater intake of plant-based foods.
