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Showing posts from July, 2021

Seriously Funny: Humor Is a Character Strength

Researchers say the use and appreciation of humor is positive for overall wellbeing and psychological health. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3xhWogz

Dual-Drug Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Alcohol Use Disorder

A new dual-drug therapy for alcohol use disorder appears to be effective and has fewer side effects or complications compared to other medications used to treat AUD. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2V8x0Na

Personality Tests With Deep-Sounding Questions Provide Shallow Answers About the ‘True’ You

Social media feeds are full of online tests offering to reveal your personality traits with seemingly deep questions. However, researchers say these online personality tests are going to reveal very little about your innermost essence. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3BZSUCX

Drug That Slows Progression of ALS May Provide the Same Benefit for People With Alzheimer’s

Riluzole, a drug commonly prescribed to slow the progression of ALS, appears to slow brain metabolic decline and improve cognitive performance in those with mild Alzheimer's disease. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2WLfSxD

COVID Non-Compliers Are Less Open to New Ideas, More Extroverted and Driven by Self Interest

Those who flout COVID recommendations are less agreeable, have lower intellect and tend to be more extroverted than those who adhere to recommendations. COVID non-conformists also prioritize self-interest and personal freedom and show greater tolerance for social deviance, a new study reports. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3ik0PTX

Lead Exposure During Childhood May Influence Adult Personality, and Not for the Better

The effects of lead exposure on overall health have been well document, but a new study reveals early exposure to pollution can have a detrimental effect on personality. Researchers report those who were born following the decline of environmental lead levels had more mature personalities and were more conscientious and less had lower levels of neuroticism than those born in generation with higher lead levels. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3feM9mN

Olfactory Sensitivity Show Postpartum Depression is Different to Major Depression

Women with postpartum depression report normal olfactory sensitivity, while those who are genetically predisposed to major depressive disorder have decreased olfactory sensitivity. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3zSTcJP

Why Animals Recognize Numbers but Only Humans Can Do Math

While the response to numbers may be an evolutionary trait we share with some animals, our ability to perceive language and digits underpins our advanced mathematical skills. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3faLBOL

Pupils Mirror Perception of Social Interaction

Perception of social interactions unfolds through pupil dilation. The findings shed light on the visual system's role in sensitivity to social interactions. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3j83xea

Molecular Insights Into Primate Hippocampal Aging

Study establishes a comprehensive single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of the aging primate hippocampus and provides key information about age-related molecular signatures at the single-cell level. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3rJbx9j

New Findings on Thalamus Could Drive Treatments for Schizophrenia and Other Disorders

Findings reveal how individual neurons in the thalamus can merge signals coming from different regions of the cortex. The findings could lead to new treatment options for schizophrenia, epilepsy, and other brain disorders where thalamus dysfunction is related to clinical symptoms. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2WDnCl7

Olympian’s Exit Spotlights Pressure on Athletes

In the face of immense pressure, Simone Biles' recent decision to withdraw from Olympic competition to focus on her mental health should be considered an inspirational message, psychologists say. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3BYHVJW

How Artificial Neural Networks Help Us Understand Neural Networks in the Human Brain

Researchers propose a novel computational framework that uses artificial intelligence technology to disentangle the relationship between perception and memory in the human brain. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3fad4Ag

Why Uncertainty Makes Us Change Our Behavior – Even When We Shouldn’t

Unexpected uncertainty is a motivator for change that prompts us to change our decisions and behaviors, even when changing the decision does not provide a better outcome. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3BWoscT

We Are More Forgiving When People Close to Us Misbehave

People are less likely to harshly judge a friend or family member who acts unethically than they would a stranger. However, the leniency comes at a cost to the judger's sense of self-worth. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/375udqx

Neuroscientists Unveil Wiring Diagram Containing 200,000 Cells and Nearly Half Billion Connections in Tiny Piece of a Mouse’s Brain

Researchers have compiled a new, highly detailed 3D brain map that captures the shapes and activity of neurons in the visual neocortex of mice. The map is freely available for neuroscience researchers and artificial intelligence specialists to utilize. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3j57e4e

Amygdala Found to Have Role in Important Pre-Attentive Mechanism in the Brain

Study reveals how the amygdala plays a role in prepulse inhibition by activating inhibitory neurons in the brain stem of mice. The findings could have positive implications in the development of treatments for schizophrenia, OCD, and other disorders marked with impaired somatosensory gating. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3fayg98

Sleep Study’s Eye-Opening Findings

Sleeping longer at night had little impact on work productivity or cardiovascular health. However, taking a short daytime nap helped improve productivity and well-being overall. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3rFrzB2

ADHD Drug Class Leads to Fewer Side Effects in Preschool Children

Alpha-2-adrenergic agonists appear to be effective at reducing symptoms associated with ADHD in preschool-aged children, and have fewer side effects than traditional stimulants used to treat ADHD. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3fdgUZk

When Stressed, People Are Quicker to Jump to the Worst Conclusions

When feeling stressed people are more likely to jump to more undesirable conclusions based on little evidence, a new study concludes. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3ihUXup

Remember More by Taking Breaks

Taking longer breaks during learning was associated with improved neural activity in the prefrontal cortex and better learning outcomes and memory retention in mice. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3icLWCF

Adding Color to Your Plate May Lower Risk of Cognitive Decline

A diet that consists of at least half a serving of flavonoid-rich foods per day reduces the risk of cognitive decline in older adults by 20%. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3BYC1Zs

Motivation Depends on How the Brain Processes Fatigue

People show a decrease in motivation to exert effort or work when feeling fatigued. Motivation can be restored if people are allowed a short rest, however for those with long-term fatigue, motivation does not improve following a short-term period of rest. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3ybpHmj

Improved Learning Processes Tied to Reduced Symptoms of Depression

Specific neural learning processes are linked to symptoms of depression. Improvements in the learning processes were associated with overall improvements in depression symptoms. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3zRsBgt

X-Rays Can Control Neuron Function and Behavior

A novel X-ray scintillator-based optogenetics technique allows researchers to control neural function deep within the brain and alter behavioral responses. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3rGSbBZ

How to Make Up Your Mind When the Glass Seems Half Empty?

A new study reveals how anxiety affects the decision-making process in the brain, resulting in selecting more pessimistic choices. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3zK1LXp

Does Testosterone Influence Success? Not Much

Study reveals there is little evidence to suggest high testosterone meaningfully affects socioeconomic status, health, or risk-taking in men or women. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3rF6k2k

Discovery Points to Ketamine’s Long-Term Antidepressant Effects

The MeCP2 gene influences ketamine's behavioral effect and strengthens synapses, leading to an improvement in the drug's antidepressant effect over time. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3BO0wbw

Fruit Compound May Have Potential to Prevent and Treat Parkinson’s Disease

Farnesol, a naturally occurring compound found in berries and other fruits, prevents the loss of dopamine-producing neurons and reverses Parkinson's associated damage to the brain in mouse models. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3f61oyx

Many Parents Still Believe Boys Are Better, More Competitive at Sports Than Girls

Gender stereotypes and double standards, where young female athletes are not taken as seriously as or treated differently than their male counterparts, persist, even among parents. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3rDR8lZ

Paranoia Is Another Byproduct of the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has sparked an increase of people reporting feelings of paranoia, especially in states where there is low adherence to mask mandates. Researchers report paranoia was associated with an increased acceptance of conspiracy theories, including believing anti-vaccine information and Q-Anon conspiracies. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3f5GDTx

Three Brain Responses Linked to Successful Weight Loss Surgery

Neuroimaging study reveals three distinct response types in brain areas that control hunger, food intake, and appetite in patients who had undergone weight loss surgery. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3i8ioWU

Premature Birth Associated With Profound Reduction in Brain Connections

Preterm birth was associated with a profound reduction in connectivity between multiple brain regions and with the reconfiguration of the organization of functional brain networks. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3iXwUzI

Eating for Hunger or Pleasure? Regulating These Feeding Behaviors Involves Different Brain Circuits

The brain regulates both eating for hunger and pleasure through serotonin-producing neurons in the midbrain, but the different types of feeding are wired by independent circuits that do not influence the other type of feeding. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3xePxEI

Perceptual Distortions in Late-Teens Predict Psychotic Symptoms in Mid-Life

Subtle differences in perception during teenage years predict the development of hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis later in life. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3iUK28T

Detecting Brain Tumors Using a Simple Urine or Blood Plasma Test

Two newly developed tests, one which analyzes urine samples and a simple blood test, can detect the presence of glioma brain cancer. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3x8ieTB

More Than 1 in 4 Adults With a Previous Suicide Attempt Are Psychologically Flourishing

28.4% of people who had previously attempted suicide reported complete mental health, including being free of psychological problems for up to a year and improvements in life satisfaction spanning a month or more. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2WgLmv1

Study Reveals the Relationship Between How We Feel and Our Views on Aging

Researchers share new insight on subjective age discordance, the difference between how old you feel and how old you would like to be. The study reports on days you feel closest to your ideal age, your mood is more positive. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3BP1btp

Empathy in Everyday Life

People will empathize with others when they recognize them as opportunities to show empathy, but often notice the feelings with others without flagging them as an opportunity to empathize. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3zHzrF7

How Decisions About What We See Are Relayed Back Through the Brain

Study reveals how decisions based on visual information, which involves a complex stream of data flowing forwards and backward along the visual pathways, are broadcast widely to neurons in the visual system, including those not involved in the decision-making process. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3kXvyb0

65+ and Lonely? Don’t Talk to Your Doctor About Another Prescription

Researchers say older adults who feel lonely are twice as likely to use opioids to control pain, and 2.5 times more likely to be prescribed anti-anxiety medications and sedatives than those who have a more socially active lifestyle. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3iNEYTL

Machine Learning Used to Successfully Measure Attachment in Children

Artificial intelligence technology was able to accurately predict attachment in young children. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3ibNVY5

Biomarker Could Help Diagnosis Schizophrenia at an Early Age

Study reveals an abundance of the CRMP2 protein in people with schizophrenia. The findings could lead to a blood-based biomarker test for the mental health disorder. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3x53Xab

Harmful Body Fat Not Only Increases Your Waistline, but Also Your Risk of Dementia

Higher body fat leads to increased atrophy of the brain's gray matter and a greater risk of cognitive decline, researchers report. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3xb5NGp

Depression Isn’t Crying in the Corner

Study reveals how depression can impact workers, especially when it comes to disclosing information about their disorder. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3iUtRsl

Early Signs of Frontotemporal Dementia Found in Personalized Cerebral Organoids

Researchers recreated the damage seen in frontotemporal dementia in brain organoid models. The study reveals an experimental drug designed to treat Crohn's disease may help prevent neuron death associated with FTD. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3zDgSSl

Rare Inherited Variants in Previously Unsuspected Genes May Confer Significant Risk for Autism

Study identifies a rare class of genetic differences transmitted from non-autistic parents to their children on the autism spectrum. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3l4xqyR

Exercise Boosts Kids’ Vocabulary Growth

Children who swim or participate in other motor movement-focused exercises were 13% more accurate in vocabulary tests than children who did not engage in exercise. Researchers say movement-focused exercises can help with the encoding of new words in children. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/36ZMeq2

Aerobic Exercise Boosts Healthy Brain Aging

Aerobic exercise was associated with positive white matter changes in the brain for older adults. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3kYv8kD

Administering Opioids to Pregnant Mice Alters Behavior and Gene Expression in Offspring

Alterations in long-term social behavior and gene expression were observed in the offspring of mice exposed to pain-killing opioids during pregnancy. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3eYqaQS