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amygdala

This shows two macaques, one has a glowing golden brain overlaid.

·March 4, 2026·8 min read

Brain Size Predicts Friendliness in Macaque Societies

New research reveals that social tolerance in primates is linked to a larger amygdala, a brain region that helps manage complex social networks.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 26, 2026·7 min read

Nature Exposure Triggers Brain Reset

The ultimate mental reset. New research confirms that just three minutes in nature can "recalibrate" your brain, quieting stress and restoring focus.

This shows a cutaway illustration of the brain with the amygdala highlighed.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 24, 2026·9 min read

Beyond Fear: Amygdala is the Brain’s Strategic Mediator

It’s time to retire the "fear center" label. Scientists discover that the amygdala is actually a strategic arbiter that helps the brain navigate complex choices.

This is an AI representation of astrocytes in the amygdala.

Neuroscience

·February 20, 2026·7 min read

Astrocytes Discovered as Architects of Fear Memory

Star-shaped astrocytes have been unmasked as the master controllers behind how your brain learns—and unlearns—fear.

This shows a brain surrounded by processed foods.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 19, 2026·10 min read

Processed Foods Silence the Brain’s Fear Center

Three days is all it takes. New research proves that skipping fiber can trigger rapid inflammation in your brain's emotional center, leaving you vulnerable to poor decisions.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 10, 2025·5 min read

Brain ‘Dial’ That Controls Urge to Eat Discovered

Researchers have uncovered a brain circuit in mice that acts as a “dial” for consumption, controlling the urge to eat sweets, fats, salt, and other foods. The circuit links the amygdala to the BNST, a region tied to feeding and reward.

This shows a brain surrounded by chains.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·August 22, 2025·5 min read

New Drug Aims to Block Pain Without Addiction Risks

Chronic pain affects millions, but opioid medications bring high risks of dependence and side effects. Researchers have now pinpointed specific neurons in the amygdala that make pain feel unpleasant, opening the door to drugs that ease suffering without shutting down normal sensation.

This shows a brain with the amygdala and hippocampus glowing red.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 26, 2025·6 min read

How the Brain Reactivates Emotional Experiences

A new study using direct recordings from human brains reveals how the amygdala and hippocampus coordinate to form and retrieve emotional memories. During aversive memory encoding, high-frequency gamma activity in the amygdala shapes hippocampal responses, which are later reactivated in the hippocampus—but not the amygdala—during memory recall.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·June 28, 2025·6 min read

One Gene Rewires Fear Circuits and Fuels Anxiety

Researchers have uncovered how losing the autism-linked gene PTEN in a specific set of inhibitory neurons reshapes brain circuits tied to fear and anxiety. Using advanced circuit-mapping techniques, they found that deleting PTEN in somatostatin-expressing neurons of the amygdala disrupted local inhibition by 50% while strengthening excitatory input from nearby brain regions.

This shows a brain surrounded by stinky objects.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 17, 2025·5 min read

How the Brain Decides a Smell Is Stinky

A new study reveals how the brain determines whether a smell is pleasant or revolting, highlighting why scent evokes such strong emotional responses. Researchers focused on the amygdala, the brain’s emotional hub, and found two genetically distinct cell types that can make any odor feel good or bad, depending on where they project in the brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 27, 2025·3 min read

Amygdala Shapes Social Choices in Song-Learning Young Birds

Young zebra finches learn their birdsong by observing and imitating adult "tutor" birds, but they don’t follow just anyone. A new study shows that juvenile finches prefer tutors who sing longer but less often, suggesting social cues guide their choices.

This shows a person sitting under a tree.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 25, 2025·5 min read

Boredom Is Good for You: Why Embracing It Calms the Brain

Boredom, often seen as a negative state to avoid, may actually serve an important role in emotional regulation and brain health. When we're bored, the brain shifts away from external attention networks and activates introspective systems like the default mode network, encouraging creativity and self-reflection.