#Brainresearch

A groundbreaking neuroscience study has revealed that the human brain uses two distinct dopamine-based learning systems to form and automate habits—a discovery that could transform approaches to addiction and neurological disorders both globally and here in Thailand. The research, published in Nature and led by neuroscientists at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at University College London, identified a “second learning system” in the brain, which helps explain why habits become deeply ingrained, and sheds new light on possible therapeutic strategies for conditions such as addiction and Parkinson’s disease (Neuroscience News).

A groundbreaking new study reveals that the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine—better known as DMT—profoundly changes the brain’s activity by reducing the “control energy” needed to shift between mental states, opening a fresh window into the biological mechanisms of altered consciousness. The findings, recently published in Communications Biology, not only enhance scientific understanding of psychedelics but could hold long-term implications for mental health research in Thailand and around the world (psypost.org).

As interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies grows globally and regionally, including in Thailand’s academic and healthcare circles, this innovative research stands out for mapping the moment-to-moment changes in brain network flexibility experienced under DMT—a compound central to indigenous Amazonian practices and increasingly, to scientific study. In contrast to many other psychedelics, DMT’s extremely short duration—inducing intense hallucinations and altered states for roughly 20 minutes—provides researchers the unique opportunity to capture the entire experience in real time using advanced brain imaging tools.

A new study published in Nature Communications has revealed what happens inside the human brain in the split second when a solution dawns like a burst of light—commonly called an “aha!” moment. Using advanced brain imaging, international researchers have traced how sudden flashes of insight not only spark satisfaction but physically change how the brain stores memories, potentially revolutionizing how we approach learning and creativity both in Thailand and abroad (MedicalXpress).

Neuroscience is uncovering surprising powers of music, with new research showing that music can actively reshape memory and infuse it with new emotions—potentially opening novel doors in therapeutic, educational, and cultural settings. A recent neuroimaging study published in the journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience reveals that listening to music while recalling memories does more than simply bring back old feelings—it can actually rewrite neutral memories with the emotional color of the background music.

A wave of groundbreaking research is transforming our understanding of sex differences in the human brain, shaking loose centuries-old stereotypes about male and female cognition. According to leading neuroscientists, while certain biological differences exist, the reality is that male and female brains are far more alike than once believed—a message with deep significance for education, health, and gender equality in Thailand and beyond (VICE).

For generations, popular culture and even some scientific claims have painted male brains as inherently more logical or spatially gifted, while female brains are seen as more emotional or nurturing. These ideas continue to echo through Thai classrooms, workplaces, and family discussions, influencing everything from career choices to mental health stigma. But modern neuroscience is dismantling such binary thinking. As Dr. Armin Raznahan of the US National Institute of Mental Health explains, “I’m not aware of any measure you can make of the human brain where the male and female distributions don’t overlap.” In fact, according to Raznahan, if you were shown two brains—one from a male, one from a female—it would be nearly impossible to tell them apart based solely on structure.

Recent research published in Quanta Magazine reveals a growing consensus among computational neuroscientists and artificial intelligence (AI) researchers: AI, despite its name and inspiration, is fundamentally unlike the human brain—but that’s not a flaw, it’s an opportunity for new frontiers in both technology and neuroscience. This divergence, explored in the article “AI Is Nothing Like a Brain, and That’s OK” (Quanta Magazine, 2025), is now informing efforts to both make AI more efficient and gain deeper understanding of our own minds.

A wave of new neuroscience research is challenging centuries-old stereotypes about the fundamental differences between male and female brains, revealing a far more nuanced and overlapping landscape than previously assumed. This comes as modern brain imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) analyses provide the most detailed look yet at the structure and function of human brains—questioning deeply rooted ideas about gender and intellect. The findings carry real implications for how Thai society understands intelligence, gender, and health, as well as for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric conditions.

A sweeping new meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has produced the most detailed map yet of the brain activity involved in reading, revealing distinct patterns of neural engagement for everything from individual letters to full texts. Summarizing findings from 163 previous studies, the review—recently published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews—offers a nuanced framework that could influence education strategies and interventions for reading difficulties worldwide, including in Thailand (medicalxpress.com).

A groundbreaking study by researchers at Japan’s Fujita Health University has uncovered an unexpected role for brain-derived estrogen in directly regulating appetite and body weight, upending traditional beliefs about how hormones shape our eating habits. Their findings, recently published in The FEBS Journal, not only broaden our scientific understanding but could also open new avenues for treating obesity and overeating—issues of increasing significance in Thailand and around the world (PsyPost).

A recent study has unlocked key insights into the brain mechanisms behind why some individuals are more inclined to help others, highlighting the powerful role of social bonding and neural responses. The findings, based on experiments with rats, provide a scientific window into the roots of prosocial behavior—those acts of kindness and assistance that strengthen communities, families, and friendships. For Thai readers, these results could help explain the diversity of helpfulness observed in daily life, from simple acts of hospitality to the outpouring of aid during national disasters.

A new era in the scientific quest to pinpoint where consciousness arises in the brain has arrived with the publication of an unprecedented collaborative study, revealing tantalizing clues—but offering no final answers. International neuroscientists, working with the backing of major institutions, have tested the top two competing theories about consciousness using sophisticated brain imaging across hundreds of participants, uncovering emerging insights with far-reaching implications for clinical medicine and philosophical understanding.

In a development that could rewrite neuroscience textbooks, researchers have identified a specific brain region believed to be central to human consciousness, offering new hope for brain injury patients and transforming how medicine, law, and education understand the mind. This groundbreaking discovery, led by an international team of neuroscientists and reported in a recent Earth.com article, marks a critical step in unraveling one of science’s deepest mysteries: where and how consciousness arises in the human brain Earth.com.

A major international research project led by the University of Ottawa is upending decades-old assumptions about how serotonin neurons function in the brain, with profound potential implications for treating mood disorders such as depression and understanding how our brains make binary decisions. Published in Nature Neuroscience on April 25, 2025, the study reveals that serotonin neurons—long thought to act as isolated units—actually form interconnected networks that collaborate and compete, orchestrating the brain’s serotonin output in ways far more complex than previously believed. The findings mark a major shift in neuroscience’s understanding of one of the brain’s most important neurotransmitter systems and open new avenues for targeted mental health therapies (Neuroscience News).

Human understanding of how the brain creates, stores, and retrieves memories may be on the verge of a radical transformation, as cutting-edge research from a team at Trinity College Dublin has upended decades-old theories about memory. Led by a leading neuroscientist at the college’s Institute of Neuroscience, this fresh research shows that memories are not locked away in single neurons as previously thought, but rather stored via complex interactions between groups of special neurons known as “engram cells.” The implications for neurological disorders, learning, and even the way we regulate our bodies are profound.

A groundbreaking new study published by an international research team led by the University of Ottawa is challenging decades-old beliefs about how serotonin works in the brain, uncovering a sophisticated web of interactions among serotonin neurons that could help redefine the treatment of mood disorders such as depression. Researchers found that instead of acting independently, clusters of serotonin neurons in the brainstem actively compete and collaborate, shaping both the timing and manner of serotonin release across different brain regions—a finding that overturns prior conceptions of a uniform serotonin signal and points to a more nuanced understanding of brain function and behavior (Neuroscience News).

A team of Chinese and French researchers has produced the most detailed blueprint yet of the mysterious claustrum region in primate brains, a scientific advance that could help unravel the biological roots of consciousness and reframe our understanding of mental health and awareness. Published in the prestigious journal “Cell”, the April 3 study charts the intricate landscape of the crab-eating macaque’s claustrum—a tiny strip of tissue in the brain historically overshadowed by more prominent regions, but now emerging as a prime suspect in the quest to decode the essence of conscious experience (source).

A groundbreaking new study has revealed that what you see isn’t just a reflection of the world—your brain actively decides “what it wants you to see”, and that decision can change depending on your immediate goals. This discovery, recently published in Nature Communications and spotlighted by Earth.com, challenges a long-held belief about vision, highlighting the brain’s astonishing ability to reshape perception in real time to suit our intentions and tasks (cited from Earth.com: https://www.earth.com/news/rethinking-vision-the-brain-sees-what-it-wants-to-see/).

A new study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences is shedding light on a phenomenon everyone from Thai university students staring at exam papers to harried Bangkok office workers can relate to: the mind suddenly, inexplicably going blank. Once lumped in with mind wandering, “mind blanking” has now been described by neuroscientists as a unique and measurable state linked not just to daydreaming or boredom, but to specific changes in the brain, body, and levels of alertness. The findings carry important implications for how we understand everyday lapses—along with clinical conditions like anxiety and ADHD—for people in Thailand and around the world.

Scientists have taken a dramatic leap forward in unraveling one of neuroscience’s greatest mysteries: understanding how the human brain actually becomes consciously aware of the world around it. In an innovative experiment, a team from Beijing Normal University has identified a compact yet influential region deep within the brain—the thalamus—as the apparent “switchboard” that regulates conscious perception. Their findings, published in the journal Science, stand to reshape both scientific theory and practical approaches to neurological disorders worldwide, and offer thought-provoking implications for Thai medical practice and cultural conceptions of mind Wired.

A groundbreaking study from Columbia University has revealed how our brains light up when viewing different styles of art, signaling a deeper, highly personal process of meaning-making, especially with abstract works. Using brain imaging technology, researchers have shown that the interpretation of art is not just a matter of individual taste—it’s an intricate neural event that highlights the very uniqueness of each beholder’s experience. This discovery holds significance for Thai art lovers, educators, and anyone curious about how culture and creativity shape our perception.

Groundbreaking research published this month in Nature Communications has upended a long-standing assumption in neuroscience: contrary to the traditional view, our visual cortex doesn’t act as a passive camera that merely records the world for later analysis. Instead, it actively tunes how we see, adjusting perception in real time to align with what we’re trying to do at any given moment. This insight, highlighted in a recent article by MedicalXpress, provides a vivid new understanding of how our brains flexibly interpret the world depending on our current objectives—whether that means preparing a winter stew or hosting a Super Bowl party, as the study’s lead author, Dr. Nuttida Rungratsameetaweemana, describes in a relatable example (source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-purpose-visual-cortex-tunes-perception.html).

In a discovery that could redefine our understanding of the human brain, scientists are investigating a mind-bending question: can neurons, long known as the brain’s electrical messengers, also transmit light? This remarkable hypothesis—now being tested by interdisciplinary teams blending neuroscience with cutting-edge optics—could revolutionize both scientific knowledge and medical technology, including brain-computer interfaces and diagnostics for neurological diseases (SciTechDaily).

For Thai readers, the implications are far-reaching. The brain has traditionally been thought of as a network of cells communicating via electrochemical signals, with electricity and chemicals passing information rapidly between neurons. Now, research teams such as those at the University of Rochester are asking if neurons’ long, thin axons could carry light particles (photons) in a way that’s similar to fiber-optic cables used in internet communications (University of Rochester News Center). If proven true, this would mean the brain may have an entirely new layer—an optical internet—hidden within its already intricate wiring.

A groundbreaking international study led by over 150 scientists has produced the most detailed map ever of how visual information moves through the brain, uncovering more than 500 million intricate connections within a speck of mouse brain tissue and bringing the world closer to understanding how we see. Published in the journal Nature on April 9, 2025, the research combines genetic engineering, high-powered electron microscopy, and deep learning to capture not only the physical wiring of over 200,000 brain cells but also their real-time electrical activity in response to visual stimuli. The project—hailed as one of the most complex neuroscience experiments ever attempted—has generated a dataset of unprecedented size and detail: 1.6 petabytes, about the equivalent of 22 years of continuous high-definition video, all representing a single grain-sized fragment of brain.

A team of scientists in London has made a significant leap in understanding how the human brain solves unfamiliar problems—a discovery that could transform approaches to brain injury diagnosis and rehabilitation worldwide, including in Thailand. The findings, published on April 16, 2025, in the prestigious journal Brain, spotlight the right frontal lobe as a critical hub for logical thinking and problem solving, advancing decades of brain research Source: The Independent.

This development is particularly relevant for Thai readers, given the high incidence of stroke and brain injury in the country and the challenges faced by patients and their families during recovery. With the increased aging population and prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Thailand, understanding how cognitive functions can be impaired—or rehabilitated—after brain injury is essential for both health professionals and the general public.