A new study published in Naturehas identified brain cells that act like “map makers,” helping animals track their position within sequences of behaviors. These neurons, located in the medial frontal cortex, can encode abstract patterns of progress, enabling the brain to manage complex tasks such as planning, reasoning, and decision-making. The researchers found that these neurons function similarly to a music box, capable of flexibly organizing sequences of actions to adapt to changing goals.

A provocative study is claiming that biology textbooks are going to need some major revisions – although not everyone is convinced. The axons of a neuron – the arm-like structures that stretch out and exchange signals with other brain cells like wires – are often depicted as sausage-like cylindrical tubes, but new imaging suggests they possess a significantly different structure.

Neuroscientist Rogier Min from the Amsterdam UMC has collaborated with Christiaan Levelt's lab from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and discovered how brain cells may react to cannabis, along with its potential impact on our brain's flexibility. The study is published in the journal iScience.

A recent study in Nature Aging sheds light on how social stress accelerates the aging process at a cellular level. Researchers found that chronic social stress causes neurons in key brain regions to exhibit signs of senescence—a state where cells stop dividing and secrete inflammatory signals linked to aging-related diseases. This discovery adds to our understanding of how stress in the social environment might influence long-term health and the aging process.

Recognizing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease is crucial for medical intervention as soon as possible to prevent it from developing. It is a disorder that affects the brain cells, thus destroying memory and thinking skills making daily tasks challenging. A new study has now identified the “first sign of Alzheimer’s disease” in women following an extensive analysis of features in the blood of 503 participants.