Psychology

Neuroscientists have obtained the first direct recordings of the human brain in the minutes before and after a brain hub crucial for language meaning was surgically disconnected. The results reveal the importance of brain hubs in neural networks and the remarkable way in which the human brain attempts to compensate when a hub is lost, with immediacy not previously observed.

Racial discrimination and bias are painful realities and increasingly recognized as detrimental to the health of adults and children. These stressful experiences also appear to be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, altering the strength of infants' brain circuits, according to a new study.

A study has investigated the possible scenarios that could lead to waning memory in some older people.

Comparing PET scans of more than 90 adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI), researchers say relatively lower levels of the so-called 'happiness' chemical, serotonin, in parts of the brain of those with MCI may play a role in memory problems including Alzheimer's disease.

An international team of researchers has identified a protein found in the brains of people with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), discovering a new target for potential treatments for the disease.

The brains of special warfare community personnel repeatedly exposed to blasts show increased inflammation and structural changes compared with a control group, potentially increasing the risk of long-term, brain-related disease, according to a new study.

Scientists have identified abnormal aggregates of a protein called TAF15 in the brains of individuals with early-onset dementia, known as frontotemporal dementia, where the cause was not previously known.

A new organoid model of the dopaminergic system sheds lights on its intricate functionality and potential implications for Parkinson's disease. The model replicates the dopaminergic system's structure, connectivity, and functionality.

While anger and aggression are instinctive behaviors found across many species, leaving these emotions unchecked can lead to conflict and violence. In a recent study, researchers demonstrated that neuronal-glial interactions in the cerebellum determine the degree of aggression exhibited by mice. This suggests that future therapeutic methods could adjust glial activity in the cerebellum to help reduce unwanted aggression.

Contrary to current understanding, the brains of human newborns aren't significantly less developed compared to other primate species, but appear so because so much brain development happens after birth, finds a new study.

A mouse study found that the drug ketamine can alter the brain's dopamine system, boosting the case for more targeted medical use.

A study suggests that the response of immune system cells inside the protective covering surrounding the brain may contribute to the cognitive decline that can occur in a person with chronic high blood pressure. This finding may shed light on new ways to counteract the effects of high blood pressure on cognition.

A new study shows that dopamine release in the human brain plays a crucial role in encoding both reward and punishment prediction errors. This means that dopamine is involved in the process of learning from both positive and negative experiences, allowing the brain to adjust and adapt its behavior based on the outcomes of these experiences.

Researchers have identified that a peptide called pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), is involved in heavy alcohol drinking. In addition, they have discovered that this peptide acts in the BNST area.

Researchers havedemonstrated the use of AI-selected natural images and AI-generated synthetic images as neuroscientific tools for probing the visual processing areas of the brain. The goal is to apply a data-driven approach to understand how vision is organized while potentially removing biases that may arise when looking at responses to a more limited set of researcher-selected images.

Researchers have discovered a new way ribonucleic acid (RNA) impacts fear-related learning and memory. Researchers demonstrated that a noncoding RNA known as Gas5 coordinates the trafficking and clustering of RNA molecules inside the long processes of neurons, and orchestrating neuronal excitability in real time that contributes to learning and memory. This study builds on earlier findings this yearwhich identified a separate population of learning-related RNAs that accumulate near the synapse -- the junction between neurons that allow them to communicate. In that paper, published in theJournal of Neuroscience, they uncovered several new synapse-specific RNA that harbour a specific chemical ..

Slow waves that usually only occur in the brain during sleep are also present during wakefulness in people with epilepsy and may protect against increased brain excitability associated with the condition, finds a new study.

Researchers have uncovered that tinnitus, an incurable persistent ringing or other sounds in the ears, might result from underlying auditory nerve damage that can't be detected on conventional hearing tests. The work builds upon previous research intocochlear synaptopathy or 'hidden hearing loss,' a difficulty hearing in noisy environments despite showing normal results on hearing tests. The researchers hope these new findings into the mechanisms underlying tinnitus could lead to treatment options.

Researchers have succeeded in restoring lost brain function in mouse models of stroke using small molecules that in the future could potentially be developed into a stroke recovery therapy.

It is well known that people who have lived through traumatic events like sexual assault, domestic abuse, or violent combat can experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including terrifying flashbacks, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the incident. But what exactly happens in the brains of PTSD patients as they recall these traumatic events? Are they remembered the same way as, say, the loss of a beloved pet -- or, for that matter, a relaxing walk on the beach?

The increased legalization of cannabis over the past several years can potentially increase its co-use with alcohol. Concerningly, very few studies have looked at the effects of these two drugs when used in combination. In a series of new studies, researchers at used rats to understand how brain structure and behavior can change when cannabis and alcohol are taken together.

With little insight into the impact of a lack of sleep on risky decision-making at the neuroimaging level, researchers found a 24-hour period of sleep deprivation significantly impacted individuals' decision-making processes by dampening neural responses to the outcomes of their choices.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze specialized brain MRI scans of adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers found significant differences in nine brain white matter tracts in individuals with ADHD.

New research links soccer heading -- where players hit the ball with their head -- to a measurable decline in the microstructure and function of the brain over a two-year period.

Researchers have been working to better understand what drives melanoma brain metastasis. They now report on the identification of a cell signaling pathway that regulates the metastatic spread of melanoma cells to the brain.

In a new study using brain scans of former NFL athletes, researchers say they found high levels of a repair protein present long after a traumatic brain injury such as a concussion takes place.

A novelpilot study incorporating mindfulness into exposure therapy shows promise for reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stressin cardiacarrest survivors.One in three survivors ofcardiac arrest survivors develop PTSD, increasing their risk of mortality, yet no specific treatment has been developedfor this population.

The largest review of papers for brain cancer that has spread from the lungs has found abnormalities in the brain cancer and for which licensed drugs could be clinically trialed to find out if they could treat the disease. The research also found genetic differences between smokers and non-smokers.

The evolution of higher cognitive functions in humans has so far mostly been linked to the expansion of the neocortex. Researchers are increasingly realizing, however, that the 'little brain' or cerebellum also expanded during evolution and probably contributes to the capacities unique to humans. A research team has now generated comprehensive genetic maps of the development of cells in the cerebella of human, mouse and opossum. Comparisons of these maps reveal both ancestral and species-specific cellular and molecular characteristics of cerebellum development.

Researchers have designed and developed a novel diagnostic device to detect traumatic brain injury (TBI) by shining a safe laser into the eye.