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anxiety

·May 3, 2025·4 min read

Shared Brain Circuit Links Insomnia, Anxiety, and Depression

A large brain imaging study suggests that insomnia, depression, and anxiety—often co-occurring—share overlapping brain abnormalities. Researchers found reduced cortical surface area, smaller thalamic volume, and weaker brain connectivity across all three disorders, while each also displayed unique neural patterns.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 30, 2025·7 min read

Girls With ADHD Face Higher Risk of Anxiety

A new study reveals that in girls, symptoms of inattentive-type ADHD significantly increase the likelihood of developing anxiety during adolescence. Inattention and anxiety appear to reinforce each other in girls, but not in boys, where hyperactivity is the more predictive factor.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 29, 2025·4 min read

Anxiety and Depression Linked to Persistent Low Self-Belief

New research reveals that individuals with anxiety and depression tend to focus more on their moments of low confidence rather than successes, fueling persistent low self-belief. Despite performing just as well as others and responding positively to feedback, these individuals build an overly negative self-image by discounting their confident performances.

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·April 29, 2025·3 min read

Noninvasive Sound Wave Therapy Eases Depression and Anxiety

New research shows that low-intensity focused ultrasound can safely target the amygdala and significantly reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. In a double-blind study, patients experienced marked improvements after three weeks of daily, noninvasive ultrasound sessions.

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·April 23, 2025·5 min read

Psychedelics May Reset Brain-Immune Link Driving Fear and Anxiety

A new study reveals that chronic stress activates immune cells that travel to the brain, amplify inflammation, and heighten fear responses. Researchers found that psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin disrupt this immune-brain crosstalk, reducing stress-related fear in mice and showing similar effects in human tissue samples.

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·April 22, 2025·4 min read

Temporary Anxiety Impairs Threat Recognition and Learning

A brief episode of anxiety can significantly impair a person’s ability to distinguish between safe and dangerous environments, according to new research using a virtual reality flower-picking game. Participants who developed clear spatial memory of which areas contained “stinging bees” (simulated by mild shocks) exhibited lower anxiety, while those who couldn’t differentiate the zones maintained high anxiety—even in safe spaces.

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·April 16, 2025·4 min read

From Anxiety to Alzheimer’s, Music Makes a Difference

Music therapy is proving to be a powerful adjunct treatment for a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, movement disorders, and mental health issues. Research highlights how music can regulate heart rate, reduce anxiety, and even improve communication in patients with memory loss.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 13, 2025·5 min read

When Obsession Masquerades as Love: Understanding Limerence

Limerence is an intense, involuntary obsession with another person, often marked by intrusive thoughts, emotional dependency, and a fixation on perceived signs of interest or rejection. Coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in 1979, limerence differs from love due to its compulsive and often one-sided nature.

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·April 7, 2025·8 min read

Immune Signals Shape Social Behavior and Anxiety in the Brain

New research reveals that the immune molecule IL-17 can influence behavior by acting directly on specific regions of the brain. IL-17 reduces neuron excitability in the cortex to enhance sociability, while in the amygdala, it increases excitability and induces anxiety.

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·March 5, 2025·4 min read

Anxiety and Apathy Affect Decision-Making in Opposite Ways

A new study reveals that anxiety and apathy lead to fundamentally different patterns in decision-making under uncertainty. Anxious individuals perceive their environment as highly volatile, leading them to explore more options, especially after negative outcomes.

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·February 10, 2025·2 min read

Cerebellar Serotonin Acts as a Brake to Reduce Anxiety

New research reveals that serotonin in the cerebellum plays a crucial role in anxiety regulation. Scientists found that mice with lower cerebellar serotonin levels displayed increased anxiety-like behaviors, while those with higher serotonin levels were less anxious.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 6, 2025·5 min read

How the Brain Overcomes Instinctive Fear and Adapts to New Threats

Researchers have identified brain mechanisms that help animals suppress instinctive fear responses when threats prove harmless over time. Using a visual threat model in mice, they found that specific areas of the visual cortex are necessary for learning to override fear, but not for storing the memory. Instead, the ventrolateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) retains these learning-induced memories, regulating fear suppression.