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brain research

Research articles and news stories tagged with brain research

This shows a woman surrounded by red balls.

·September 23, 2023·5 min read

Jamais Vu: When the Familiar Turns Eerily New

Repetition in the brain gives rise to two peculiar phenomena: déjà vu and its lesser-known counterpart, jamais vu. The latter makes familiar experiences feel eerily new and unsettling.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 23, 2023·7 min read

New Tools Illuminate Myelin Growth in Infants

Researchers are grappling with vast datasets to unravel brain mysteries. A team employed new software to analyze MRIs from 300 infants, revealing that myelin in white matter grows slower after birth.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 22, 2023·6 min read

From Vinyl to Visions: Fruit Flies Showcase Decision-Making Prowess

Using a comparison to vinyl record collectors, researchers delve into the concept of matching—a behavior where decisions are based on reward expectations—observed from pigeons to humans. In a recent study, the team found that fruit flies also demonstrate this behavior, deciding based on their reward predictions.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 22, 2023·5 min read

Jellyfish Show Remarkable Learning Skills

Jellyfish, despite lacking centralized brains, can learn similarly to more advanced organisms, a new study reveals. Scientists trained Caribbean box jellyfish to dodge obstacles, showcasing the animal's capability for associative learning.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology Visual Neuroscience

·September 22, 2023·5 min read

Upside Down World: Unique View Offers Clues to Face Recognition

Claudio's unique head orientation—rotated nearly 180 degrees—allowed researchers to explore the evolutionary and experiential factors in face recognition. While most people struggle to recognize inverted faces, Claudio's distinct vantage point put this ability to the test.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 22, 2023·4 min read

Brain’s Blue Spot, Locus Coeruleus, Is A Key Player in Sleep Quality and Memory

Researchers have shed light on the vital role of the locus coeruleus in regulating REM sleep and its effects on cognitive processes. Located deep in the brain, this nucleus manages noradrenaline, influencing memory, emotions, and sleep initiation.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 22, 2023·3 min read

Coffee Component Boosts Memory

Trigonelline (TG), a compound in coffee and certain vegetables, is believed to improve cognitive decline in aging. Researchers administered TG to aging mice, noting enhancements in spatial learning and memory.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 21, 2023·4 min read

Predicting PTSD: Brain Scans Unravel Trauma’s Long-term Effects

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 2% to 10% of trauma survivors, manifesting as intense anxiety from emotional disbalance. Researchers employed brain scans on 104 trauma survivors to determine which ones were more susceptible to PTSD.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 21, 2023·5 min read

Brain’s Molecular Response to Psychological Loss

Psychological loss, be it from job loss or the death of a loved one, affects well-being immensely, yet its molecular mechanism in the brain remains enigmatic. Researchers utilized the method of enrichment removal (ER) to discern these elusive processes. The study spotlighted a specific brain area central to psychological loss and unveiled potential molecular targets to mitigate its adverse effects.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience

·September 21, 2023·5 min read

Brain’s Dual-Chemical Switch for Attention Revealed

Researchers have unveiled the brain's chemical mechanism behind our attention span. Historically, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine was considered the sole regulator of attention.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 21, 2023·3 min read

Brain Region That Links Language to Social Cognition Identified

Researchers discovered that neural activity in the left ventral temporoparietal junction (vTPJ) and the lateral anterior temporal lobe (lATL) during sentence processing is tied to social-semantic working memory. Previously, these regions were attributed to general language processing. Using fMRI experiments, the study demonstrated that these regions respond to sentences with social meaning and maintain activity even after the linguistic stimulus is gone. This insight reshapes our understanding of the brain's cortical language network.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 21, 2023·5 min read

The Brain Wiring for Sleep Prep

Researchers have discovered how mice's brains are wired to instinctively prepare for sleep by nesting, highlighting a survival feature likely shared among mammals. When mice were deprived of sleep, a robust urge to nest emerged, which is controlled by dedicated brain cells in the prefrontal cortex.

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