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Getting a grip on aging

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, found that a specific brain region known as the caudate nucleus is strongly linked to physical strength in older adults. The discovery could help detect and prevent frailty before it begins.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalFrontiers in Neuroscience·DateJan 12, 2026

Brain asymmetry shapes direction of mental number line in early life

A new study reveals that brain lateralization is essential for the emergence of left-to-right spatial-numerical associations in newborn chicks. Strongly lateralized chicks showed a clear preference for selecting food from the left, while weakly lateralized chicks had no consistent directional preference.

SourceeLife·JournaleLife·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 9, 2025

Cats prefer to sleep on their left side

A research team analyzed YouTube videos of sleeping cats to find that two thirds sleep on their left side. This bias is thought to be an evolutionary strategy, favoring the use of the right hemisphere of the brain for spatial awareness and threat processing after waking.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalCurrent Biology·DateJun 24, 2025

More left-handed men are born during the winter

A study found that more left-handed men are born during November, December, and January, with 10.5% of left-handed men born during this period. The researchers suggest a hormonal cause, possibly related to the relative darkness during these months, which delays the maturation of the left brain hemisphere during embryonic development.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalCortex·DateJul 3, 2014

When one side does not know about the other one

Scientists study the impact of asymmetrical light input on cerebral hemispheric specialization and interhemispheric cooperation in bird embryos. The results show that information exchange is impaired without light-stimulation, which may help understand developmental disorders like ADHD or autism.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalNature Communications·DateMar 1, 2012

Regeneration after a stroke requires intact communication channels between brain hemispheres

A study published in Human Brain Mapping found that damaged corpus callosum and impaired interhemispheric communication hinder motor skill recovery in stroke patients. The researchers used imaging methods to show increased activity on both sides of the brain and lower tapping speed in stroke patients compared to healthy controls.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalHuman Brain Mapping·DateNov 21, 2011