#Neuroscience

A groundbreaking new study has revealed that some rare individuals aged over 80, dubbed “SuperAgers,” possess brains that function as if they were decades younger, with memory and attention abilities on par with people in their 50s. The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia and highlighted in a recent feature by CNN, offer hope for combating age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease and shed light on what makes healthy aging possible—even as most brains start to shrink and falter with age (CNN).

A new daily practice is reshaping mental health care in Thailand. Across clinics and community centers, patients are adopting a simple, one-page manifestation method that blends traditional Buddhist mindfulness with recent neuroscience findings. Early results show improvements in focus, emotional resilience, and overall brain health, offering a timely answer to modern life pressures in Thai society.

Leading clinicians in Bangkok report that participants see measurable gains in goal focus, stress management, and psychological well-being within weeks. The approach also speaks to Thailand’s aging population, where concerns about cognitive decline are rising as families navigate urbanization and demographic change.

In Bangkok’s care centers and Thailand’s rural villages, a remarkable discovery is reshaping how families think about aging. Researchers from a leading U.S. university have identified a small group of people over eighty whose memories and thinking skills stay sharp—often rivaling those of people decades younger.

Lead with impact: the study shows that brain health can endure far longer than commonly believed, offering hope for Thailand’s rapidly aging population where more than 60 is the new 60, and dementia rates are rising. Data from international research underscores the value of understanding aging in a Thai context, where family networks and community ties play pivotal roles in daily life.

A groundbreaking study from the University of California, Irvine suggests that aging brain cells can regain youthful energy within hours using compounds common in Thai homes. In lab tests on aging mouse neurons, a precise mix of nicotinamide (active vitamin B3) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea restored energy production to levels seen in healthy young neurons within 16 hours. The findings, published in GeroScience, offer hope for Thailand’s growing elderly population while reinforcing the value of traditional Thai foods and beverages in cognitive health.

A collaborative study by Thai researchers and international partners has unveiled a fundamental mechanism behind emotional regulation in the brain, paving the way for faster, more targeted psychiatric therapies. Published in Science Advances, the work identifies a phospholipid molecule hidden within brain cell membranes that partners with a key mood receptor, offering fresh avenues for treating depression, anxiety, and related conditions in Thailand and beyond.

This breakthrough could especially benefit patients who do not respond well to current treatments. The findings come at a time when Thailand faces a rising mental health challenge, underscoring the need for therapies that consider both biological and cultural factors in Thai society.

A pioneering study from the University of California, Irvine, has revealed that a combination of vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) and the key green tea antioxidant EGCG could quickly restore youthful function to aging brain cells — at least in a laboratory setting — sparking hope for future therapies addressing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, published in the journal GeroScience, have captured international attention, including in Thailand, where dementia prevalence continues to rise and natural preventive approaches are increasingly sought after (studyfinds.org).

A landmark study from Harvard Medical School has uncovered a groundbreaking link between lithium deficiency and Alzheimer’s disease, offering renewed hope in the fight against one of the world’s most devastating neurodegenerative illnesses. Researchers have demonstrated that restoring lithium in the brains of mice afflicted with Alzheimer’s not only halts but actually reverses disease symptoms—potentially paving the way for earlier detection and more effective therapies for the millions affected globally, including those in Thailand.

A landmark study from Harvard Medical School has uncovered a groundbreaking link between lithium deficiency and Alzheimer’s disease, offering renewed hope in the fight against one of the world’s most devastating neurodegenerative illnesses. Researchers have demonstrated that restoring lithium in the brains of mice afflicted with Alzheimer’s not only halts but actually reverses disease symptoms—potentially paving the way for earlier detection and more effective therapies for the millions affected globally, including those in Thailand.

As workdays drag on and attention fades, many people instinctively reach for their phones hoping for a quick recharge. But new research led by neuroscientist Prof. Marc Berman from the University of Chicago suggests that breaking this digital habit—and instead stepping outside into nature—may do far more to restore our focus and mental energy, with evidence showing as much as a 20% boost in cognitive performance after a short stroll in green spaces. This finding, grounded in the principles of attention restoration theory, has clear implications for Thai students, workers, and anyone struggling to concentrate in an increasingly urbanized, screen-saturated environment.

A leading neuroscience study confirms that brief exposure to nature can boost cognitive performance by up to 20 percent, while checking devices during breaks tends to deplete mental energy. For Thai students, workers, and families navigating crowded urban life, these findings offer a practical path to sustainable focus.

In controlled experiments, fatigued participants showed notable gains in memory, attention, and task accuracy after a 20-minute walk in natural settings. By contrast, walking through busy streets did not produce similar cognitive benefits, despite physical activity. Importantly, the restorative effect of nature persisted across weather conditions and even when participants did not particularly enjoy the experience, signaling reliable benefits for diverse mood states.

Revolutionary neuroscience research led by Professor Marc Berman at the University of Chicago provides definitive evidence that brief nature exposure produces measurable cognitive improvements—up to 20% enhancement in mental performance—while digital device usage during breaks actually depletes rather than restores mental energy, offering crucial guidance for Thai students, workers, and families seeking sustainable focus strategies in increasingly urbanized, screen-saturated environments. The findings validate attention restoration theory through rigorous controlled studies that demonstrate nature’s unique ability to replenish depleted cognitive resources.

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 wave of neuroscience findings is reigniting the debate over voting age in Thailand. Researchers indicate that 16-year-olds can exhibit the cognitive maturity required for responsible electoral decision-making, challenging long-held assumptions about adolescent political competence. The evidence points to strong “cold cognition”—the ability to reason calmly and carefully—which aligns with the quiet, private act of voting. In parallel, Thailand has seen a surge in youth political activism, adding real-world relevance to the science and underscoring the need to reconsider youth civic engagement and electoral participation.

A pioneering study shows empathy can be trained. Researchers used emotional conditioning to link another person’s happiness with personal rewards. The work, published in Psychological Science, suggests empathy is malleable and can lead to lasting acts of kindness beyond reward cues.

In Thailand, where kreng jai and social harmony are central, these findings arrive at a timely moment. Educators, employers, and community leaders seek practical methods to strengthen cooperation and mutual understanding. The study’s insights offer a framework for nurturing empathetic behavior across schools, workplaces, and families while respecting Thai cultural values.

A groundbreaking study has revealed that children develop a sophisticated understanding of emotions through a crucial cognitive shift between the ages of 5 and 10, transforming the way they interpret the feelings of others. This new research, published in Nature Communications and led by experts at Peking University in partnership with the University of Wisconsin, could reshape how Thai parents, teachers, and health professionals nurture emotional intelligence in the next generation (source).

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.

Cutting-edge neuroscience research has uncovered the precise mechanisms through which children undergo fundamental cognitive transformations in emotional understanding between ages five and ten, revolutionizing scientific knowledge about how young minds develop sophisticated abilities to interpret and respond to others’ feelings. This landmark investigation, conducted through collaborative research between China’s prestigious Peking University and the University of Wisconsin’s renowned psychology departments, presents findings published in Nature Communications that promise to transform approaches to emotional intelligence development across Thailand’s educational and healthcare systems. The implications extend far beyond academic circles, offering Thai families and educators evidence-based strategies for nurturing emotional competence during the critical developmental years that shape lifelong interpersonal success.

A new study reveals how children’s ability to understand others’ emotions evolves across ages five to ten, offering fresh guidance for Thai educators and families. Researchers from Peking University and the University of Wisconsin tracked neural and behavioral changes to show that kids move from instinctive emotion recognition to nuanced, context-based understanding as they gain experience. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could inform Thailand’s health and education strategies for developing emotional intelligence in young learners.

In Thailand’s evolving mental health landscape, depression often hides behind cultural norms of resilience. Yet a profoundly disruptive symptom—anhedonia, or the loss of interest or pleasure—affects up to seven in ten people with clinical depression and demands urgent attention within Thai healthcare.

Anhedonia is more than laziness or lack of motivation. It reflects fundamental changes in the brain’s reward system and can persist even as other depressive symptoms improve. For millions of Thais with undiagnosed or undertreated depression, understanding anhedonia’s role in treatment resistance and suicide risk could reshape therapy while addressing stigma around mental illness.

Within Thailand’s expanding mental health discourse, where depression often remains hidden behind cultural expectations of resilience and social harmony, researchers worldwide are illuminating a critical but overlooked symptom that makes recovery exponentially more challenging. Anhedonia—the profound loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities—affects up to 70% of individuals with clinical depression, yet receives minimal attention in Thai healthcare settings where mood disorders are frequently reduced to simple sadness narratives.

A newly published research review is spotlighting an often overlooked—and intensely difficult—symptom at the heart of depression: anhedonia, the loss of interest or pleasure in once-enjoyable activities. This critical symptom, psychiatrists say, not only makes depression harder to treat but also increases the risk of chronic suffering. Recent scientific efforts unravel the complex roots and persistence of anhedonia, suggesting new ways forward for both patients and health professionals, including targeted therapies and hope for personalised interventions (WebMD).

A recent study has shed light on why some people seem locked into a pattern of making poor choices, suggesting that our biology and psychology may hardwire certain individuals for repeated mistakes. Conducted by a team at UNSW Sydney, the research invites a fresh and sometimes uncomfortable perspective: for some, the cycle of bad decision-making is less a matter of willpower and more a persistent, personality-like trait. The findings hold significant implications not only for understanding addiction and risk behaviors but also for how Thai society navigates education, workplace dynamics, and social interventions.