AutismFeaturedOpen Neuroscience Articles·August 4, 2020·4 min readGreater Excitability in Social Brain Regions of Autistic Men Compared to WomenMales with autism have atypically enhanced excitation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This area of the brain is associated with social cognition and self-reflection. Autistic women showed a more intact mPFC response, which was associated with a better ability to camouflage social difficulties in real-world settings.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 19, 2020·4 min readComputer model can process disparate sources of clinical data to predict brain ageA new computer model can analyze different types of brain scans and accurately predict the age of the human brain based on the images.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 9, 2020·4 min readRare, damaging inherited mutations work together to reduce lifespanPeople who have a high burden of ultra-rare protein-truncating variants (PTVs) have a shorter healthspan and lifespan. Each additional ultra-rare PTV in a person's genome accounted for a six-month reduction in lifespan and a two-month reduction in healthspan.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·April 7, 2020·3 min readSuicide attempt survivors have lower sensitivity to bodily signalsSuicide survivors have higher pain tolerance and are less sensitive to bodily signals associated with their breathing and heart. Researchers found those who attempted suicide were able to tolerate the breath-hold and cold-pressor interoceptive challenges significantly longer than those who had no history of suicidal behavior. The interoceptive numbing was linked to lower brain activity in the insular cortex.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·March 31, 2020·3 min readAmyloid formation drives brain tissue lossAnimal study reveals the formation of amyloid plaques drives brain tissue loss and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. However, lithium, a drug commonly used to treat bipolar disorder, reduces the life-shortening effects of the loss.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·March 3, 2020·3 min readThe neural processes behind our desire for revengeDuring a conflict between two groups, oxytocin levels increase, influencing the medial prefrontal cortex. This results in a greater feeling of empathy among the group and a desire to seek revenge on rivals. The findings shed light on how conflict contagion can occur in social groups.Read More
Auditory NeuroscienceElectrophysiologyFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·January 28, 2020·3 min readMouse brain region processes sound and motion at the same timeMovement and sound are processed simultaneously in the inferior colliculus, a new mouse study reveals.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·November 12, 2019·3 min readChronic adversity dampens dopamine productionThose who experience chronic adversity throughout life have impaired ability to produce sufficient dopamine levels to help them cope with stressful situations.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·August 6, 2019·3 min readHow we perceive vibrations through touchRegardless of receptor types, spiking patterns determine vibrotactile frequency perception. The findings challenge existing theories about how Pacinian receptor channels work together in response to vibrotactile stimulation.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 16, 2019·3 min readGut microbes protect against neurologic damage from viral infectionsA healthy and diverse microbiome is essential for quickly clearing viral infections in the nervous system to prevent risks associated with multiple sclerosis. Mice with lower gut bacteria had weaker immune responses and were unable to eliminate viruses, leading to worsening paralysis. Those treated with antibiotics before infection had fewer microglia.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 10, 2019·3 min readImpaired learning linked to family history of Alzheimer’sPeople with a family history of Alzheimer's disease perform worse on learning tasks than those without a genetic link to the disease. The learning impairments appear to be exacerbated by the APOE E4 gene and diabetes.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·July 2, 2019·3 min readBrain imaging may help identify teens at risk of increasing alcohol useNeuroimaging study reveals teens with more gray matter in the caudate nucleus and left cerebellum were at increased risk of problem alcohol use over time. The findings reinforce the idea that brain structure differences may contribute to both psychiatric and substance use disorders.Read More
