Researchers report a link between gut bacteria and psychological distress associated with obesity. Switching mice to high fat diets, researchers reported the animals experienced more depressive and anxiety symptoms. These were improved when antibiotics that alter the gut bacteria were administered. Read More
Fluctuations in the dopaminergic midbrain play a critical role in risky decision making. Read More
Children who experienced higher levels of distress and less physical contact had a lower epigenetic age than those who were picked up and held more frequently, researchers report. Lower epigenetic age, researchers note, may impede a child's ability to thrive. Read More
According to a new study, an 'enriched environment' can help in rehabilitation for those with TBI. Read More
A new insect study reveals a preference for ethanol persisted for five generations following paternal exposure. The findings shed light on the role paternal experience plays across generations in disease and risks for addiction in humans. Read More
Using optogenetics, researchers have identified a causal association between dopamine and avoidance behavior linked to pain and fear. Read More
Learning produces changes in connectivity via multiple synaptic mechanisms that are consistent with observed behavioral changes. Read More
Children as young as three enact costly punishments. Additionally, findings reveal a sense of authority can foster group regulatory behavior amongst children of various different age groups. Read More
UCLA researchers have for the first time measured the activity of a brain region known to be involved in learning, memory and Alzheimer's disease during sleep. They discovered that the entorhinal cortex behaves as if it's remembering something, even under anesthesia, a finding that counters conventional theories about memory consolidation during sleep. Read More
In times of uncertainty, noradrenaline helps us learn and adapt our behaviors, researchers report. Read More
A new study implies boys may be overrepresented as autistic based on normal sex differences. Read More
Researchers explore what goes on in the teen brain during this critical point of development and say that it might be time to put some age-old stereotypes to rest. Read More