What: The journal Science Advances published three studies on women’s brains Wednesday, including one that tried to understand why the female brain is more resilient when it comes to aging. Researchers found that some genes in the second “silent” X chromosome in women started waking up as they aged – including one that, when given to male mice, helped them regain memory and cognition.

Key line: “They did not even have to give the gene to many cells, [Dr. Dena Dubal, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco] added. ‘Just a little boost went a long way,’ she said. Then she gave the gene therapy to female mice, although they were already making [the gene, known as Plp1]. Their memories and cognition got even better. ‘I’m so excited about this,’ Dr. Dubal said. ‘Even an old brain can become more youthful and function better.’”

Source: New York Times