Case Chiropractic Neurology Center

12/23/2025

Music Improvisation Rewires the Brain in Real Time

Musical improvisation offers a rare opportunity to visualize creativity as it happens.
In this study, researchers scanned jazz pianists as they performed from memory, improvised around a melody, or freely created new musical lines.

The brain shifted between distinct network configurations depending on how much freedom the musicians had, involving auditory and motor circuits for spontaneous creation and more controlled networks for structured tasks.

These dynamic transitions reveal how the brain flexibly reorganizes itself to support real-time creative behavior.

The findings introduce a new approach for studying the neural basis of improvisation and spontaneous thought.

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Creativity is notoriously difficult to study as it unfolds, but musical improvisation offers a rare chance to watch spontaneous idea-generation in action.

12/22/2025

Depression Quietly Damages the Heart Through Stress Circuits

New research reveals that depression and anxiety may increase heart disease risk by disrupting the brain’s stress circuits and activating chronic inflammation.

Using data from more than 85,000 adults, scientists found that individuals with both conditions had the highest cardiovascular risk, even after accounting for lifestyle and medical factors.

Brain imaging showed heightened activity in stress-related regions and reduced heart rate variability, pointing to an overstimulated nervous system.

The findings highlight how emotional distress can biologically shape cardiovascular health and may open paths for stress-targeted prevention strategies.

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Depression and anxiety may heighten cardiovascular disease risk through chronic stress pathways in the brain and body.

12/21/2025

Second-Hand Gifts Are Becoming the New Status Symbol

New research shows that people increasingly buy second-hand gifts for thoughtful, intentional reasons rather than impulse. Motivations such as fair pricing, ethical concerns, environmental benefits, and the excitement of treasure-hunting all strongly shaped purchase intentions.

The study found that these intentions often translated into real buying decisions, especially for low-inspection items like books. As consumer attitudes shift and C2C platforms improve, second-hand gifting is becoming more accepted and may soon reshape how people shop during major gift-giving seasons.

READ MORE: https://www.emerald.com/ejm/article/59/13/488/1304490/What-motivates-second-hand-gift-giving

12/20/2025

PTSD Linked to Accelerated Brain Aging

A new study finds that PTSD leaves measurable biological traces: 9/11 responders with PTSD show significantly older-appearing brains, highlighting long-term cognitive risks.

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A new study using advanced deep-learning brain age estimation shows that World Trade Center responders with PTSD exhibit signs of accelerated brain aging.

12/19/2025

Blinking Drops When We Strain to Hear Speech

Researchers found that blink rates drop sharply when people concentrate on understanding speech in noisy environments, revealing that blinking reflects real-time cognitive effort.

Participants suppressed blinking precisely during key listening moments, especially when background noise made comprehension difficult.

This pattern persisted regardless of lighting, confirming that mental load—not vision—drives the effect.

The findings suggest blinking can serve as a practical, noninvasive indicator of cognitive demands during everyday listening.

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People blink less when working harder to understand speech in noisy environments, suggesting that blinking is tightly linked to cognitive effort.

12/18/2025

How the Brain Interprets Sarcasm, Tone, and Hidden Meaning

A large-scale behavioral study identified three core components of pragmatic language: interpreting social-context cues, reasoning about how the physical world works, and understanding meaning conveyed through tone.

Participants showed consistent performance patterns across tasks within each cluster, suggesting shared underlying cognitive systems.

These findings move beyond literal language processing, highlighting how humans infer hidden meaning in everyday conversation.

The framework may help clarify why individuals differ in their ability to interpret sarcasm, metaphors, and indirect requests.

READ MORE: https://neurosciencenews.com/inference-language.../

12/17/2025

New research shows the brain learns from imagined experiences just like real ones. Visualizing a positive moment with someone can make you like them more — and change your neural activity.

READ MORE: https://neurosciencenews.com/positive-imagining-social-neuroscience-30036/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOrtPJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe51rMHWuw1q14O_Zj65PstoG1EFLgXrC2MRK68xKtEWIKIY7WaS2_JOxAiQ8_aem_jqnggkIb9Q1OyUn9uhn3bQ

Vividly imagining a positive interaction with someone can increase how much you like them — and even alter how your brain stores information about that person.

12/16/2025

Having a bright bedroom at night may damage your health.

READ MORE: https://www.labroots.com/trending/cardiology/29798/nighttime-light-exposure-damage-heart-2?fbclid=IwY2xjawOrs11leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeUucaSwO1FddvLK_PDRSOC8lKoT5eEchRk5qNOPXppgRzFrULRswGfPTOsgk_aem_GdbQxoWS-TUnfxRtRZHfrQ

Having a bright bedroom at night may damage your health. | Cardiology

12/15/2025

Look who stopped in to say hello! 2/3 of the Case kiddos brought in lunch and got to see Dad in action!

12/15/2025

Regular exercise may help keep your brain healthy and young.

READ MORE: https://www.labroots.com/trending/cardiology/29933/muscle-belly-fat-brain-2?fbclid=IwY2xjawOrsw5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeJtzNq3cyctxM_9yh6gScFWe_426lH9rWO05heEFg7-RHeQcZ8uVd1t2RMb0_aem_fb5sNQKY6cev3819I33l8w

Regular exercise may help keep your brain healthy and young. | Cardiology

12/14/2025

A new study found that eating more fruits and vegetables during day could significantly improve sleep quality the same night.

READ MORE: https://www.labroots.com/trending/neuroscience/29760/eating-fruits-veg-linked-sleep-disturbance-2?fbclid=IwY2xjawOrstlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEePI_Aw_xakoYMMevH9iXqaSZe5he8FOuVzbZ_OpA3O3G4y8_X_146RVv1Mr4_aem_bMdGq0K7xrYBUiJDPjjJOw

Higher fruit and vegetable consumption during the day is linked to significantly better sleep the same night. | Neuroscience

12/13/2025

What you eat before bed could impact your sleep, leading to broader implications for your heart health and overall wellbeing.

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What you eat before bed could impact your sleep, leading to broader implications for your heart health and overall wellbeing. | Cardiology