Dott.ssa Caterina Nicolosi Ganßmann

08/05/2026

While regret is a universal human experience, how we process it changes significantly over time. New research reveals that older adults report fewer recent regrets than their younger counterparts.

Furthermore, while the total number of long-term regrets remains similar across age groups, older adults experience far less anger and frustration when reflecting on them. This suggests that aging provides a “tempering effect,” transforming regret from a source of distress into a tool for reflection and meaning.

Older adults experience fewer recent regrets and less emotional distress when reflecting on past mistakes.

08/05/2026

A three-year longitudinal study has debunked the long-standing myth that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of aging. Tracking nearly 4,000 participants aged 19 to 94, researchers found that the human brain remains “trainable and rewirable” across the entire lifespan.
Using a new multidimensional metric called the BrainHealth Index (BHI), the study demonstrated that consistent, targeted mental habits, even just 5 to 15 minutes a day, can measurably increase brain performance, regardless of one’s starting point or age.

Brain performance can be optimized across the entire lifespan through daily micro-habits and targeted strategies.

08/05/2026

Qualche posto nuovamente disponibile in questo circolo di auto-aiuto per donne! Con la psicologa e psicoterapeuta Melania Focone, ogni giovedì mattina (9:30-11:00) presso Mariposa - Bayouma Haus. Per info e iscrizioni inviare una mail a b.apicella@awo-spree-wuhle.de

06/05/2026

All too often, clients who suffer from conditions like fibromyalgia, back pain, IBS, and migraines often share common frustrations . . .

01/05/2026

Have you ever wondered why some days you’re a powerhouse of productivity and others you’re “pushing through fog”? A new study has quantified this feeling.

Researchers found that day-to-day fluctuations in mental sharpness can create a productivity swing of up to 80 minutes between your best and worst days. The study reveals that mental clarity isn’t just about “trying harder”, it’s a dynamic biological state that dictates how many goals we set and whether we actually finish them.

What is mental sharpness? A new study quantifies the productivity cost of "brain fog," revealing that sleep and pacing are more important than grit for daily success.

01/05/2026

We usually think of wakefulness and sleep as two separate worlds, but new research proves the boundary is an illusion. Using an experimental setup inspired by Thomas Edison, researchers analyzed 92 participants drifting into sleep and found that “dreaming” isn’t exclusive to the night.
By identifying four distinct mental states, including a “bizarre” dream state, the team discovered that these experiences occur across all levels of alertness. Whether you’re fully awake or in light sleep, your brain can flip into a “dream narrative” at any moment, suggesting that the content of our thoughts is independent of our state of vigilance.

Researchers identify a neural signature for dreaming that occurs in both wakefulness and sleep, challenging the binary definition of consciousness.

01/05/2026

What makes a brain creative? For years, neuroscientists have pointed to a “dynamic cooperation” between two opposing systems: the Default Mode Network (DMN), which handles spontaneous associations, and the Executive Control Network (ECN), which focuses on goal-oriented thinking.
A new study has finally identified the “bridge” between these two worlds: the rostral prefrontal cortex. By studying patients with frontotemporal dementia, researchers discovered that creativity isn’t about how much these networks overlap, but about the functional distance between them. The more distinct and well-connected these two “islands” are, the more creative the individual.

Researchers identify the rostral prefrontal cortex as the essential bridge between spontaneous and executive brain networks that drives creativity.

28/04/2026

A signaling receptor primarily known for sculpting the brain in the womb has been discovered to play a critical role in how adults learn and adapt. Research reveals that the receptor Smoothened acts as a “tuning knob” in the adult striatum.

The study shows that Smoothened regulates the precise timing between dopamine and acetylcholine. This molecular coordination determines how strongly a behavior is reinforced and how easily a person can switch strategies when conditions change, offering new insights into addiction and Parkinson’s disease.

The embryonic receptor "Smoothened" regulates dopamine and acetylcholine timing to control learning and habit formation in adults.

28/04/2026

Do AI chatbots truly understand the world, or are they just repeating text? A new study suggests that AI models develop a mathematical “understanding” of real-world constraints.

By using mechanistic interpretability, essentially neuroscience for AI, researchers found that models generate distinct internal “brain states” to categorize events as commonplace, unlikely, impossible, or nonsensical. These internal maps not only mirror physical reality but also accurately reflect human uncertainty about ambiguous scenarios.

Do AI chatbots understand reality? Researchers used "AI neuroscience" to prove that language models develop internal world models that mirror human intuition.

28/04/2026

Toddlers who excel at pretend play are significantly less likely to experience emotional and behavioral difficulties by the time they reach primary school. A major longitudinal study tracked over 1,400 Australian children to uncover this link.

The research suggests that imaginative play is not just recreational but a foundational developmental tool that supports long-term mental wellbeing, even when accounting for socioeconomic status, mother’s mental health, and language ability.

Can pretend play prevent childhood anxiety? Research finds that imaginative toddlers have fewer behavioral issues in primary school.

28/04/2026

Living longer is one thing, but living well is another. A new study reveals that cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife is a primary determinant of “health span”, the number of years a person lives free from serious chronic illness.

By tracking over 24,500 individuals using treadmill tests and long-term Medicare data, researchers found that higher fitness levels in middle age significantly delay the onset of major diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, effectively compressing the time spent in ill health at the end of life.

How fit are you in your 40s? Midlife cardiorespiratory fitness is the key to a longer "health span" and delaying chronic disease.