Neuroscience

A new wave of vole research is reframing oxytocin’s role in social life: the hormone is less a universal “cuddle chemical” and more a fine-tuner of selectivity that helps animals invest in specific relationships while turning away outsiders. In female prairie voles lacking oxytocin receptors, friendships form late, wobble easily, and fail to trump contact with strangers, according to new findings reported by University of California, Berkeley neuroscientists and collaborators and summarized by The Transmitter as a study just out in Current Biology. The work suggests oxytocin receptors are not essential for general sociability or even romantic pair bonds—but are crucial for maintaining loyal, selective friendships that endure distractions in a crowd. Those insights, scientists say, could sharpen how we think about human friendship, loneliness, and the design of social environments in Thailand and beyond.

Revolutionary neuroscience research challenges decades of conventional wisdom about oxytocin, revealing that this celebrated “love hormone” functions less as a universal bonding agent and more as a sophisticated social filter that helps individuals maintain selective relationships while excluding outsiders. University of California Berkeley scientists studying genetically modified prairie voles discovered that females lacking oxytocin receptors form friendships later in life, struggle to maintain loyal bonds, and cannot distinguish between familiar companions and strangers in social settings. These groundbreaking findings suggest oxytocin’s primary role involves supporting selective social loyalty rather than general sociability, insights that could transform approaches to human loneliness, friendship maintenance, and community social design throughout Thailand’s rapidly changing social landscape.

Cutting-edge research by scientific teams at Mount Sinai Hospital represents a fundamental breakthrough in understanding emotional regulation within the brain, potentially opening pathways to more precise, faster-acting psychiatric therapies for millions living with depression, anxiety, and related conditions throughout Thailand and globally. Recent study published in Science Advances reveals that a phospholipid fat molecule embedded deep within brain cell membranes acts as hidden regulatory partner to a vital mood-controlling receptor, providing unprecedented insights that could revolutionize mental health treatment approaches and offer new hope for patients who have not responded adequately to existing therapeutic options.

A cutting-edge discovery by research teams at Mount Sinai Hospital is rewriting what we know about how emotions are regulated in the brain, potentially pointing to new hope for millions living with depression, anxiety, and related conditions. A study published recently in Science Advances has found that a fat molecule called a phospholipid, deep within our brain cell membranes, acts as a hidden “co-pilot” to a vital mood-regulating receptor. This fundamental insight could pave the way for more precise, faster-acting psychiatric therapies—with implications for mental health care in Thailand and across the world (neurosciencenews.com).

A simple exercise known as the “one-page miracle,” paired with innovative brain health strategies, is making waves in neuroscience circles—promising to enhance mental well-being amid rising concerns about cognitive decline. The latest advice, shared by a leading California-based psychiatrist and brain-imaging researcher, highlights practical and scientifically grounded methods to boost brain health at every stage of life, with special resonance for Thailand’s aging society.

The central idea stems from a set of five actionable habits, most notably the creation of a “one-page miracle”—a personalized, goal-oriented statement for mental clarity and motivation, prominently placed for daily reflection. This approach is designed to guide behavior and align actions with personal aspirations, thereby strengthening mental resilience and fostering emotional well-being. According to the researcher’s findings, regularly reviewing this document can significantly reinforce goal-directed cognition and support long-term brain health (NY Post).

Groundbreaking mental health intervention research has revealed how a deceptively simple daily practice called the “one-page miracle” can dramatically improve cognitive function, emotional resilience, and long-term brain health for millions of people struggling with mental clarity and life direction challenges. Leading California-based psychiatrists and brain-imaging researchers report that participants implementing this evidence-based technique experience measurable improvements in goal achievement, stress management, and psychological well-being within weeks of beginning the structured practice. The intervention proves particularly promising for Thailand’s rapidly aging population, where concerns about cognitive decline and mental health challenges reach crisis levels as traditional support systems face unprecedented strain from demographic transitions and social changes.

A leading neuroscientist is reigniting debate over the voting age by arguing that 16-year-olds possess the cognitive skills needed to cast ballots responsibly, citing both neurological development and international examples as evidence. The discussion, sparked by a recent article in The Times, is gaining traction in countries considering electoral reform—including those, like Thailand, where youth political engagement has surged in recent years.

At a time when several democracies are weighing whether to lower their voting ages, neuroscientific research offers powerful new insights. According to the neuroscientist interviewed by The Times, teenagers aged 16 can reason, reflect, and make considered decisions—skills grounded in “cold cognition,” or logical thinking in calm settings. These cognitive abilities, the expert explains, develop enough by mid-adolescence to underpin mature choices at the ballot box.

Groundbreaking neuroscience research has ignited international debates about democratic participation by demonstrating that 16-year-olds possess the cognitive sophistication necessary for responsible electoral decision-making, challenging traditional assumptions about adolescent political competence that could transform Thailand’s approach to youth civic engagement. Leading brain scientists present compelling evidence that teenagers develop crucial “cold cognition” abilities—logical reasoning under calm conditions—that enable thoughtful ballot choices, while Thailand’s recent surge in youth political activism provides real-world validation of adolescent civic sophistication that demands serious reconsideration of voting age restrictions.

A groundbreaking new study has found that empathy—a capacity long assumed to be innate or difficult to cultivate—can actually be trained by associating another person’s happiness with personal emotional rewards. This discovery, published in Psychological Science by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, indicates that emotional conditioning can strengthen empathy and encourage genuine acts of kindness, even in the absence of ongoing rewards (Neuroscience News).

Groundbreaking neuroscientific research has revealed that empathy—long considered an immutable personality trait—can be systematically enhanced through sophisticated emotional conditioning techniques that associate another person’s happiness with personal emotional rewards. This transformative discovery, published in Psychological Science by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, demonstrates that empathy represents a trainable capacity capable of generating genuine kindness behaviors that persist even after reward systems cease, offering profound implications for Thai society’s emphasis on social harmony and collective wellbeing.

Thailand’s young generation confronts an invisible epidemic as excessive digital consumption fundamentally alters brain structure and function, creating widespread cognitive decline that educators, parents, and health officials across the kingdom can no longer ignore. Revolutionary neuroscience research demonstrates that prolonged exposure to social media, gaming, and superficial online content produces measurable deterioration in memory, critical thinking abilities, and emotional regulation among adolescents and young adults. This phenomenon, recently dubbed “brain rot” and selected as Oxford’s Word of the Year 2024, represents far more than generational anxiety—it signals a genuine neurological crisis threatening Thailand’s educational achievements and economic competitiveness.

A wave of digital overload is sweeping through the world’s youth, and Thailand is no exception. Recent neuroscience research reveals that excessive social media, gaming, and screen time can harm memory, impair critical thinking, and leave young people feeling fatigued, unfocused, and emotionally detached. As Thais of all ages spend more time glued to screens, new findings provide urgent insights—and practical steps—to guard our brains in the digital age.

The term “brain rot,” notably named Oxford’s Word of the Year 2024, has rapidly entered global consciousness to describe the subtle yet significant meltdown of cognitive capacities linked to the overconsumption of digital content, particularly that which is superficial or emotionally distressing. For Thai society—where mobile internet penetration is among Asia’s highest and app-based lifestyles are ubiquitous—the risk and reality of this phenomenon present far-reaching implications for education, mental health, and even national productivity.

Groundbreaking international research unveils the strongest scientific evidence yet that human genes and biological sex fundamentally determine how individuals experience and interpret smells, opening revolutionary possibilities for personalized medicine and deeper understanding of neurological health. The landmark study, conducted by University of Leipzig researchers and published in Nature Communications, identified ten distinct genomic regions directly connected to specific odor detection abilities, with seven representing entirely new scientific discoveries. Most remarkably, three of these genetic regions demonstrate sex-specific activation patterns influenced by hormone fluctuations, explaining why scent perception can shift dramatically during menstruation, pregnancy, and other life transitions.

A landmark international study has uncovered the strongest evidence yet that our genes—along with biological sex—shape how we experience smells, opening new possibilities for understanding brain health and personalized medicine. The research, conducted by the University of Leipzig and published on July 30, 2025, in Nature Communications, identified ten distinct regions of the human genome connected to the ability to detect specific odors. Remarkably, seven of these genetic links had never before been documented, while three regions proved sensitive to sex-specific factors such as hormones, helping explain why smell perception can shift during life events like menstruation or pregnancy.

A significant new wave of research and analysis is reshaping the debate over educational standards, following mounting evidence that the Common Core—a sweeping U.S. reform once heralded as a solution to persistent achievement gaps—has fundamentally failed to deliver on its promises. Recent studies urge policymakers in Thailand and across Asia to look closely at how brain development science should inform what, when, and how students are taught, warning of the dangers of imposing one-size-fits-all benchmarks that ignore children’s natural cognitive growth.

A new study has revealed that a mental technique dubbed “time travel” can help restore fading memories, providing fresh promise for students, educators, and anyone hoping to recollect lost information. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on July 28, this research offers compelling evidence that mentally returning to the context in which a memory was formed—by recalling thoughts and emotions from that time—can significantly rejuvenate retention of learned information, sometimes making old memories nearly as accessible as new ones. This discovery may revolutionize current understandings of memory loss and learning efficiency from classrooms in Bangkok to university libraries across the globe (Live Science).

A groundbreaking review in neuroscience is challenging commonly held beliefs about how reading and listening shape what we learn, revealing that each medium activates the brain in unique ways and is not simply interchangeable. While today’s digital landscape overflows with audiobooks, podcasts, and voice-driven AI, new research highlights that reading in print or on screens still plays an irreplaceable role in effective learning—especially when grappling with complex material (The Conversation, 2025).

A new wave of neuroscience research suggests that abstaining from eating before bedtime might help supercharge the brain’s ability to cement memories during sleep, offering intriguing possibilities for both public health and everyday learning strategies. Insights from studies on rodents and emerging human data indicate that going to sleep hungry may enhance the brain’s natural memory-processing rhythms, potentially leading to improved cognitive function by morning (ZME Science).

This recent research holds significant relevance for Thai readers, as cognitive health and aging are national concerns in Thailand’s rapidly greying population. Against this backdrop, simple lifestyle interventions such as meal timing could offer low-cost approaches to boosting memory retention, aiding students and older adults alike.

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have unveiled a “neurobiotic sense”—a newly identified gut-to-brain communication system that lets the brain know, in real time, when your body has had enough to eat. This research, published by a team at Duke University School of Medicine in the scientific journal Nature, uncovers how specialized colon cells detect bacterial signals and quickly send appetite-suppressing messages to the brain, potentially reshaping our understanding of diet, obesity, and the intricate link between gut microbes and behavior (Neuroscience News; Nature Journal).

A wave of new scientific research is shining light on an unexpected daily habit that may powerfully enhance memory: fasting before bedtime. Recent animal and human studies reveal that deliberately abstaining from food in the hours leading up to sleep could help ‘supercharge’ the brain’s memory circuitry, making it more efficient at transforming today’s experiences into lasting knowledge. These findings, drawing global headlines, are now sparking conversations among Thai educators, students, and health professionals eager to explore how simple lifestyle tweaks might foster better cognitive performance (ZME Science; Neuroscience News).

Thai readers concerned about memory lapses or the prospect of cognitive decline have good news: maintaining a healthy brain may be simpler — and more accessible — than ever. New research confirms that staying physically active, nurturing social relationships, and deeply pursuing personal interests can significantly boost brain health at any age, making these strategies both practical and effective for people across the Kingdom.

As Thailand’s population grays and concerns about dementia and cognitive impairment rise, the findings, published in the reputable journal Brain Sciences and recently highlighted by major international media (Times of India), provide hope — and specific guidelines — for safeguarding the mind. The research, conducted at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, focuses on how everyday habits can nurture the precious “grey and white matter” of the brain, and offers Thai citizens actionable tips backed by robust scientific evidence.

Children given greater access to green spaces before birth and during early years face significantly lower risks of neurodevelopmental disorders, according to new research from Rutgers University published this week in the journal Environment International. The study, which surveyed data from over 1.8 million mother–child pairs in the United States, reveals that exposure to lush, vegetated environments, measured down to the ZIP code level, can reduce rates of ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and learning delays—even after factoring in socio-economic differences. For urban-dwelling families, particularly among Black and Hispanic populations, the effects are especially pronounced, suggesting a path forward for more equitable child health outcomes.

In a revelation that has ignited international discussion, new research highlights alarming gaps in the brains of individuals displaying psychopathic traits, offering fresh neurological explanations for their chilling behaviors. The findings, which delve deep into the neurological underpinnings of psychopathy, provide unprecedented evidence of structural “voids” in regions key to emotion and empathy. For Thailand, a society balancing traditional values with modern criminal justice challenges, these insights shed crucial light on contentious debates about mental health, crime prevention, and rehabilitation.

A groundbreaking study by a Japanese research team has revealed that optimists’ brains display strikingly similar patterns of neural activity when imagining the future, while pessimists’ neural signatures are much more unique and individualistic. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the findings illuminate how our outlook on life is physically manifested in the mind—and may help explain why optimists excel at building social relationships (medicalxpress.com).