Could plastic in your food be fueling Azheimer’s?

Plastic particles from everyday items like Styrofoam cups and take-out containers are finding their way into the brain, where they may trigger Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. New research shows that mice carrying the Alzheimer’s-linked APOE4 gene who consumed microplastics exhibited sex-dependent cognitive decline, mirroring the differences seen in human patients.

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Unique brain cells linked to OCD and anxiety

Scientists have discovered a new lineage of specialized brain cells, called Hoxb8-lineage microglia, and established a link between the lineage and OCD and anxiety in mice. Their experiments proved that Hoxb8-lineage microglia prevent mice from displaying OCD behaviors. Additionally, they found that female sex hormones caused more severe OCD behaviors and induced added anxiety in the mice.

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Image analysis to automatically quantify gender bias in movies

Many commercial films worldwide continue to express womanhood in a stereotypical manner, a recent study using image analysis showed. A research team developed a novel image analysis method for automatically quantifying the degree of gender bias in in films.

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Bullies may come and go, but the 'molecular memory' of being a target lingers

Life at the bottom of the social ladder may have long-term health effects that even upward mobility can't undo, according to new research in monkeys. A team studied 45 rhesus macaques. They found that monkeys who move up in the hierarchy still show the effects of their once-lowly status at the cellular level, even after they rise in rank.

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Children associate white, but not black, men with 'brilliant' stereotype, new study finds

The stereotype that associates being 'brilliant' with white men more than white women is shared by children regardless of their own race, finds a team of psychology researchers. By contrast, its study shows, children do not apply this stereotype to black men and women.

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New diagnostic criteria may enable earlier detection of cognitive impairment in women

Study finds when verbal memory test cut-offs were tailored to patient sex, more female patients and fewer male patients were considered to have amnesic mild cognitive impairment. This could change the way aMCI diagnoses are determined and make it easier to catch the condition in its early stages.

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