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brain research

Research articles and news stories tagged with brain research

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·April 18, 2022·3 min read

Recreational Marijuana Access Reduces Demand for Prescription Drugs

Legalized marijuana for recreational use reduces the demand for prescription medications, a new study reveals. Researchers found the volume of medical prescriptions for pain, sleep disorders, anxiety, and some neurological conditions declined significantly when recreational marijuana was legalized.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 18, 2022·3 min read

The Brain Employs an Alarm System to Suppress Intrusive Thoughts

The anterior cingulate cortex generates a reactive alarm, increasing its activity to signal to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to stop intrusive thoughts and memories.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 16, 2022·3 min read

Machine Learning Predicts Conduct Disorder in Kids

A new AI algorithm assesses risk factors across three domains to predict the risk of children developing conduct disorders with a high degree of accuracy.

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 16, 2022·6 min read

Modulating NMDA Receptor Activity Is the Key to Successful Treatment of PTSD

NYX-783, a newly discovered drug, helps modulate NMDA receptor function in neurons. The drug appears to be effective at suppressing the return of PTSD symptoms in rodent models.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 16, 2022·5 min read

A Key Brain Region for Substance Use Disorders Now Has a Searchable Atlas of Distinct Cell Populations

Researchers identified 16 distinct cell populations in the ventral tegmental area, a brain area involved in dopamine neurotransmission involved in reward-directed behaviors.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 16, 2022·3 min read

Altruism May Not Seem to Make Sense Until You Dig Deep

Game theory may help explain our motivation to embark on altruistic and social activities, researchers say.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 15, 2022·4 min read

Giving Zebrafish Psychotropic Drugs to Train AI Algorithms

Researchers trained an AI to determine which psychotropic agent a zebrafish had been exposed to based on the animal's behaviors and locomotion patterns.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 15, 2022·4 min read

Grey Matter Volume Could Inform Treatment Decisions for Developing Mental Health Disorders

Lower gray matter volume in the brain is indicative of a higher risk of developing mental health disorders including depression and psychosis. However, those with slightly greater gray matter volume were more likely to recover from their disorders. Researchers believe reduced gray matter volume may be linked to higher levels of inflammation, reduced concentration, and other cognitive impairments associated with disorders like schizophrenia.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 15, 2022·2 min read

Managing Excessive Weight Gain in Patients Being Treated With Antipsychotics

Researchers say 80% of people taking antipsychotics to manage schizophrenia or bipolar disorder experience considerable weight gain. Some patients report up to 33kg of weight gain following taking antipsychotic medications. A new study aims to explore ways of managing weight gain for patients taking antipsychotics.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 15, 2022·4 min read

Decoding a Direct Dialog Between the Gut Microbiota and the Brain

Hypothalamic neurons directly detect variations in bacterial activity and adapt appetite and body temperature accordingly. The findings demonstrate a direct dialog occurs between the brain and the gut microbiota.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 15, 2022·7 min read

Socioeconomic Factors Affect Response to Depression Treatment

A person's socioeconomic background may impact how well they respond to treatments for depression. Depressed people without a college degree had 9.8% less improvement in symptoms following treatment compared to graduates, and those who were unemployed had 6.6% less improvement than those with a steady job.