Lifeboat Foundation

A new study shows that intelligence is best predicted by global brain connectivity, not just specific regions, indicating a more holistic neural basis for cognition. They examined fluid, crystallized, and general intelligence using fMRI data, finding that general intelligence had the strongest predictive power.

The human brain is the central organ that controls our body. It processes sensory information and enables us to think, make decisions, and store knowledge. Despite its remarkable capabilities, it is paradoxical how much remains unknown about this intricate organ.

Jonas Thiele and Dr. Kirsten Hilger, who leads the “Networks of Behavior and Cognition” research group at the Department of Psychology I at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), are dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the brain. Their latest research has been published in the scientific journal PNAS Nexus.

Microgravity is known to affect muscles, bones, the immune system, and cognition, but its specific effects on the brain remain largely unexplored. To investigate this, scientists from Scripps Research partnered with the New York Stem Cell Foundation to send tiny clusters of brain cells, known as “organoids,” to the International Space Station (ISS). These organoids were derived from stem cells and designed to mimic certain aspects of brain development.

Remarkably, the organoids returned from their month-long stay in orbit still healthy. However, they exhibited accelerated maturation compared to identical organoids grown on Earth. The space-exposed cells progressed closer to becoming fully developed neurons and showed early signs of specialization. These findings, recently published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, offer new insights into how space travel might influence neurological development and brain function.

“The fact that these cells survived in space was a big surprise,” says co-senior author Jeanne Loring, PhD, professor emeritus in the Department of Molecular Medicine and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Scripps Research. “This lays the groundwork for future experiments in space, in which we can include other parts of the brain that are affected by neurodegenerative disease.”

For this experiment, the researchers analyzed data from 172 individuals, including 96 with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 76 healthy controls. Participants underwent resting-state fMRI scans, which measure spontaneous brain activity, and completed standardized neuropsychological assessments. These assessments evaluated various cognitive abilities, such as working memory, attention, and processing speed. The researchers specifically examined the connectivity between the mediodorsal thalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and analyzed how these patterns correlated with participants’ cognitive performance.

The results confirmed the findings of Experiment 1. Weaker connectivity between the mediodorsal thalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was associated with poorer performance on tasks requiring executive function, particularly in individuals with schizophrenia.

Importantly, the researchers observed that this neural connectivity was specifically predictive of working memory performance when the task involved conflicting information. This correlation was not observed in tasks without conflict, suggesting that the mediodorsal thalamus–dorsolateral prefrontal cortex network plays a critical role in managing cognitive interference. These findings reinforced the potential of this neural connectivity as a biomarker for executive dysfunction in schizophrenia.

Have you ever wondered how fast our brains work? Well, scientists have recently quantified the brain’s speed limit. They revealed that from sensory organs, the brain processes signals at only about 10 bits per second.

This speed is millions of times slower than the input rate, as the human body’s sensory systems gather data about the surrounding environment at a rate of a billion bits per second.

The secret to cellular youth may lie in maintaining a small nucleolus—a dense structure within the cell nucleus—according to investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. These findings were uncovered in yeast, a model organism renowned for its role in making bread and beer, yet surprisingly similar to humans at the cellular level.

The study, published Nov. 25 in Nature Aging, may lead to new longevity treatments that could extend human lifespan. It also establishes a mortality timer that reveals how long a cell has left before it dies.

As people get older, they are more likely to develop health conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases.

Sir Roger Penrose, a name synonymous with genius, has tirelessly pursued the secrets of the universe with the fervour of a true renaissance seer. His intellectual contributions span a breathtaking range, from the intricate beauty of Penrose tilings to the vast expanse of cosmology, and even the enigmatic depths of human consciousness.

Surprisingly, the organoids were still healthy when they returned from orbit a month later, but the cells had matured faster compared to identical organoids grown on Earth—they were closer to becoming adult neurons and were beginning to show signs of specialization. The results, which could shed light on potential neurological effects of space travel, were published on October 23, 2024, in Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

“The fact that these cells survived in space was a big surprise,” says co-senior author Jeanne Loring, PhD, professor emeritus in the Department of Molecular Medicine and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Scripps Research. “This lays the groundwork for future experiments in space, in which we can include other parts of the brain that are affected by neurodegenerative disease.”

On Earth, the team used stem cells to create organoids consisting of either cortical or dopaminergic neurons, which are the neuronal populations impacted in multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease—diseases that Loring has studied for decades. Some organoids also included microglia, a type of immune cell that is resident within the brain, to examine the impact of microgravity on inflammation.

Continue reading “Effects of microgravity on human iPSC-derived neural organoids on the International Space Station” »

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been awarded a $21 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to further advance understanding of an aging-related hormone known as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), including its potential role in obesity, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. The work could lead to the development of new treatments for these and other conditions involving aging.

This is a collaborative effort with the NIA, led by Mone Zaidi, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology at Icahn Mount Sinai, and Clifford J. Rosen, MD, at the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, Maine. Dr. Zaidi and Dr. Rosen are Program Directors, and principal investigators of individual projects are Anne Schafer, MD, at the University of California in San Francisco, as well as scientists at Icahn Mount Sinai, including Tony Yuen, PhD, Associate Professor and Research Director of the Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, and Daria Lizneva, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacological Sciences. Together, the investigators will work toward translating their findings into viable treatments for patients.

Continue reading “Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Awarded $21 Million NIH Grant to Advance Understanding of Aging-Related Hormone” »

Neuroscientists have identified the physical locations where memories are stored in the brain. But would that enable us to retrieve memories from someone who has died?