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behavioral neuroscience

·November 29, 2022·4 min read

Toward Early Detection of the Pathological Social Withdrawal Syndrome Known as ‘Hikikomori’

Hikikomori is a complex condition where a person withdraws from society and remains isolated at home for more than six months. The condition is becoming more prevalent in Western societies. Researchers have developed a new method designed to help detect hikikomori at an earlier stage and provide treatment.

This shows a little girl sleeping with her teddy bear

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 27, 2022·5 min read

How You Help a Child Go to Sleep Is Related to Their Behavioral Development

The method by which a parent helps their young child to sleep impacts their behavior, a new study reports. Children of parents who use passive sleep assistance methods, such as singing or cuddling, have higher sociability scores. Those with parents who use more active sleep methods, such as playing or car rides, are fussier and have more difficult temperaments.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 10, 2022·2 min read

Why Eye Contact Is Rare Among People With Autism

During eye contact, those with ASD have significantly reduced activity in the dorsal parietal cortex compared to those who are not on the autism spectrum.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 8, 2022·4 min read

Neuronal Mechanism Involved in the Learning of Maternal Behavior Discovered

Female mice who have not been pregnant or given birth show activation in the anterior cingulate cortex when they acquire maternal behaviors after exposure to pups. The findings reveal through repeated exposure to pups, virgin female mice are capable of learning maternal behaviors that resemble those of mothers following birth.

This shows a teen sitting on the side of the road with a bottle of beer

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 8, 2022·5 min read

Genetics May Explain Link Between Unhealthy Teen Lifestyles and Accelerated Biological Aging

The epigenetic clocks of those who indulged in unhealthy behaviors as teens were 1.7 to 3.3 years older than individuals who reported more healthy lifestyles as teens.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 6, 2022·6 min read

A Novel Instructive Role for the Entorhinal Cortex

Researchers have identified a new type of synaptic plasticity they call behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity (BTSP). The study reveals how the entorhinal cortex sends instructive signals to the hippocampus and directs it to specifically reorganize the specific location and activity of a neural subset to achieve altered behavior in response to changes in environment and spatial cues.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 4, 2022·3 min read

New Approach in Music Therapy to Help Trace Change in Depression

Changes in observed phatic behaviors, such as movements or vocal pitch during music interaction therapy could provide markers for a person's mental state and help therapists to diagnose and monitor depression in patients.

This shows a brain slice with serotonin neurons in the Nca highlighted

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 4, 2022·6 min read

Serotonin Key to Social Aversion During Withdrawal From Opioids

Opioid withdrawal cuts off the supply of serotonin to the nucleus accumbens, dramatically reducing sociability in mice and increasing social aversion.

This is a drawing of a mouse surrounded by chemical equations

Featured Neuroscience

·November 1, 2022·3 min read

How Gut Bacteria Influence the Effects of Cocaine in Mice

Cocaine use supports the growth of γ-proteobacteria, a common gut bacteria that consume glycine. As glycine levels become depleted mouse models exhibit a higher response to cocaine with abnormal behaviors including increased drug-induced locomotion and drug-seeking behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 30, 2022·5 min read

Teenage Brains: What Is Happening and Why It Leads to More Risky Behaviors

Decision-making requires two different brain areas that mature at different times during the teenage years. This may help parents understand why their teens are more prone to making risky decisions.

This shows the location of the thalamus in the brain

Featured Neuroscience

·October 17, 2022·4 min read

Nicotine Dose in a Single Cigarette Blocks Estrogen Production in Women’s Brains

The dose of nicotine from a single cigarette blocks estrogen production in the brain, causing behavioral changes. Findings may shed new light on why quitting smoking may be more difficult for women than men.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 14, 2022·4 min read

New Insights Into How Serotonin Regulates Behavior

Researchers identified a novel mechanism by which animals create and destroy serotonin. The findings could lead to new treatments for a range of mental health and eating disorders associated with serotonin.