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Neurophysiology

Aging, exercise, and the brain’s blood supply

Aging, exercise, and the brain’s blood supply

As we age, the brain's blood flow tends to slow down, and the time it takes blood to travel through brain arteries increases. These changes can negatively impact brain health and cognitive abilities. Exercise is known to support overall brain health, but its specific effects on brain blood

How vision guides our steps in natural terrain: The brainscience of choosing paths

How vision guides our steps in natural terrain: The brainscience of choosing paths

Walking through rugged landscapes isn’t just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other; it’s a complex dance between vision, decision-making, and physical movement. Researchers have now explored how humans navigate uneven ground. Their findings reveal that walkers rely heavily on visual information to select

Signals from within. How the heart talks to the brain

Signals from within. How the heart talks to the brain

Interoception is the mind's ability to sense its internal state. While traditionally studied as a whole-body experience, researchers now suggest breaking it into specialized domains. One key domain, cardioception, focuses on how the brain perceives signals from the heart. This involves unique neural pathways and specialized structures that

Space week day 6: Faster than light makes you younger, but otherwise spaceflight ages us

Space week day 6: Faster than light makes you younger, but otherwise spaceflight ages us

Time dilation, a concept of Einstein's, occurs when an object moves close to the speed of light. For astronauts traveling at near-light speeds, time would pass more slowly for them relative to people on Earth. In theory, astronauts could age slower compared to individuals on Earth if they

Space week day 5: A bit more gravity for my brain, please

Space week day 5: A bit more gravity for my brain, please

Microgravity is the condition when astronauts experience weightlessness in space. While orbiting the Earth, astronauts aboard the International Space Station experience just that. A lack of gravitational force is known to affect multiple physiological functions of astronauts, particularly damage to the central nervous system. Notably, it affects the brain, where

Space week day 4: Sleeping with altered circadian rhythm, nights and day turmoil and no gravity

Space week day 4: Sleeping with altered circadian rhythm, nights and day turmoil and no gravity

Astronauts rely heavily on mental sharpness and emotional stability to perform their duties during space missions. And adequate sleep is critical for maintaining physical and behavioral health. Extensive evidence indicates that regular nightly sleep of 7–8 hours is sufficient to maintain health. But despite having scheduled sleep times of

The puzzling connection between neuroinflammation and chronic pain

The puzzling connection between neuroinflammation and chronic pain

For years, researchers exploring chronic pain have focused mainly on neurons, the cells responsible for transmitting pain signals. That may not be the entire truth. Several studies suggest that immune cells in the nervous system, such as microglia and astrocytes, play a significant role. These non-nerve cells of the brain