Infant children whose mothers experienced neglect when they were young showed altered brain circuitry in areas associated with anxiety and fear response. Read More
NAA, a compound in the brain, plays a key role in emotional agency and flexibility in healthy people. Read More
Smaller brain volumes in the cingulate cortex, insular, and superior frontal cortex predict an increased likelihood of developing PTSD three months after brain injury. Read More
Familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 (FHM2) causes a malfunction of astrocytes in the cingulate cortex. Manipulating astrocytes in the cingulate cortex reversed the disfunction, preventing an increase in migraine-like symptoms in mice carrying the FHM2 defect. Read More
Study reveals how the brain's opioid system is linked to mood changes associated with depression and anxiety. Neuroimaging revealed, in those with depression, there is a decreased number of opioid receptors in specific areas of the brain. Read More
Patients with psychosis who have higher levels of an antioxidant called glutathione responded more quickly to medications and had improved outcomes. Researchers estimate a 10% increase in antioxidants could lead to reduced time spent in hospital for those with psychosis. Read More
Neuroimaging reveals areas of the brain associated with visual and auditory processing are more active when anxiety slowly increases during horror movies. After a shocking scene, brain areas associated with emotional processing, threat evaluation, and decision making increase in activity. Read More
Yoga has a positive effect on the structure and function of key brain areas associated with memory. Findings provide evidence that yoga may hold promise in mitigating age-related and neurodegenerative decline. Read More
The left and right brain areas are more similar in those with ASD. Reduced asymmetry was identified in cortical thickness across various brain regions in those on the autism spectrum. Read More
For some, insomnia may be caused by failing to neutralize emotional distress. Researchers speculate the sleep disorder could be caused by brain circuits that regulate emotion. Read More
A study of macaque monkeys reveals low-intensity ultrasound can both generate and suppress signalling in the brain and modulate normal function. The ultrasonic stimulation alters counterfactual thinking, allowing the ability to decide upon a better alternative in decision-making tasks. Read More
Researchers report the neural code of the prefrontal cortex is more efficient than the amygdala in both humans and primates. The lower resistance of the amygdala to errors in humans may play a role in exaggerated survival responses, such as those seen in anxiety and PTSD. Read More
