Summary:

University of Ottawa researchers found that as zebrafish mature, predictable changes in electrical currents within motoneurons help them transition from jerky movements to smooth, coordinated swimming.

These findings offer new insights into how vertebrates, including humans, develop motor control and may help identify neural mechanisms involved in learning movement.

A new study from NTNU – the Norwegian University of Science and Technology – utlising artificial intelligence to identify a distinct migraine profile, independent of traditional diagnostic criteria. The researches also found four subgroupsof migraine, each with different characteristics. 

Education, intellectually stimulating work, and an active lifestyle help preserve cognitive abilities in adults over 65, supporting more effective verbal expression and stronger cognitive performance. But emotions also play an important role: how we recognize and interpret them can influence cognitive processes as we age.

These findings emerge from two new studies conducted at SISSA in Trieste, Italy. Researchers examined how adults over 65 performed on different tasks, focusing in particular on the role of cognitive reserve—the mental resources accumulated throughout life through education, professional experience, and intellectually engaging activities.

The first study found that individuals with greater cognitive reserve performed better in language tasks, showing a stronger ability to express themselves and retrieve the right words. Positive emotions also contributed to better language performance. The second study showed that cognitive reserve supports working memory—the ability to temporarily retain and process information to complete a task. Emotional intelligence, too, influenced performance, particularly participants’ responses to emotional stimuli.

Overall, the findings suggest that cognitive and emotional resources work together to support healthier and more efficient cognitive ageing.