AutismFeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 18, 2020·4 min readWhat people who don’t like music might tell us about social interactionMusical anhedonia, a neurological condition where people don't enjoy music, affects 5% of the population. Researchers are exploring if this same condition could also be what impairs social bonding for some people on the autism spectrum.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 18, 2020·2 min readMusic helps researchers find link between prediction and pleasureExposing subjects to music composed in an unfamiliar scale, researchers test whether reward can be derived solely from newly formed predictions.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 17, 2020·2 min readViolence and adversity in early life can alter the brainExposure to violence and childhood adversity has a negative effect on the developing brain. Neuroimaging reveals adolescents who experienced adversity and violence as children had reduced connectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. However, social support may act as a buffer and reduce the negative effects of early life stress.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·January 17, 2020·5 min readRich rewards: ADHD medication’s effect on the brainMethylphenidate may boost norepinephrine levels in the prefrontal cortex, which in turn regulates dopaminergic neurons firing in the striatum, when a reward is delivered. The study sheds new light on how medications for ADHD affect the reward system in the brain.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 16, 2020·3 min readBrain imaging may improve diagnosis and treatment of mental health disordersNeuroimaging may become a key tool in the diagnosis of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·January 16, 2020·4 min readAre bigger brains better?Greater hippocampal volume is not always a reliable predictor of learning and memory ability in older adults. Faster learning was only found in older adults who had both greater hippocampal volume and more uniform white matter connections to other parts of the brain.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 15, 2020·5 min readSurprising effects of oxytocin on cocaine addictionIn men with a history of childhood trauma, oxytocin reduced the activity within the amygdala and cravings for cocaine. Women who were addicted to cocaine and had experienced childhood trauma showed an increase in amygdala activity following exposure to oxytocin.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 14, 2020·5 min readAlcohol dependence results in brain-wide remodeling of functional architectureUsing a novel imaging technique, researchers produce a whole mouse brain atlas, which reveals how alcohol addiction, and abstinence, alter the functional architecture of the brain.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·January 14, 2020·6 min readBrain model offers new insights into damage caused by stroke and other injuriesCombining neuroimaging data and deep learning technologies, researchers have developed a model of the human brain that simulates patterns of neurological impairment better than existing models.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·January 14, 2020·4 min readSugar changes the chemistry of your brainAfter 12 days of sugar intake, researchers noted major changes in both the dopamine and opioid systems of pigs' brains. Alterations in the opioid system were seen following the very first intake of sugar.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·January 14, 2020·4 min readStudy finds evidence for reduced brain connections in schizophreniaNeuroimaging study reveals decreased levels of the SV2A protein in synapses in patients with schizophrenia. The decrease in the protein could underlie the cognitive difficulties experienced by those with schizophrenia and provide new targets for treatment.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 13, 2020·4 min readCalculated surprise leads to groundbreaking discovery in cognitive control researchThe activity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) during motivated control reflects the calculation of surprise. The findings take cognitive control research to new heights by providing insight into how the dACC works as a component of a brain network that supports motivated behaviors.Read More