How the Brain Decides to Make an Effort
A new study sheds light on the neural mechanisms behind how we make effortful decisions. ... Read More...
Emory Health Sciences
Direct Amygdala Stimulation Can Enhance Memory in Humans
Researchers report in a new PNAS study that direct stimulation of the amygdala can enhance memory of images a day later, if the stimulation is applied immediately after the images are viewed.... Read More...
Helping the Brain Prune Bad Habits
Emory researchers report a drug approved in Japan for stroke, can help to stimulate neural pruning and help reduce habit driven behaviors in mice.... Read More...
New Wake Promoting Node Pinpointed in Brain
A new study reports supamammillary glutamate neurons in the caudal hypothalamus play a critical role in wakefulness.... Read More...
Granulins Are Brain Treasure, Not Trash
A new tool allows researchers to observe granulins inside cells. ... Read More...
Insight into Learning via ‘Friend of Fragile X’ Gene
Researchers report FMR1 and ZC3H14 proteins both regulate mRNA, which may explain their importance in memory and learning.... Read More...
How Children Look at Mom’s Face Is Guided by Genetics and Disrupted in Autism
According to a new Nature paper, variation in how children seek social information is under genetic control. Such behaviors are decreases in children with autism, adding further evidence for the link between behavioral presentation in ASD and underlying genetics causes.... Read More...
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Spurred By Same Enzyme
Researchers have implicated an enzyme that appears to make both Tau and alpha synculein more toxic in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Inhibiting this enzyme has already proved helpful in treating animal models of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers report they are moving on to testing drugs that inhibit AEP in animal models of Parkinson's disease.... Read More...
How Hearing a Warning Sound Turns Into Fearing It Over Time: Mouse Study
Researchers identify a new mechanism that contributes to learning an association between a warning noise and a fearful event.... Read More...
How Dads Bond With Toddlers
According to a new study, fathers given a boost of oxytocin expressed increased activity in brain areas associated with empathy and reward when viewing photos of their small children.... Read More...
How Hearing ‘Twist My Arm’ Engages the Brain
Researchers discover metaphors that involve body parts such as arms or legs, such as 'twist my arm, engage a brain region responsible for the visual perception of those parts.... Read More...
Toddlers With Autism Don’t Avoid Eye Contact, But Do Miss Its Significance
A new study reports young children with autism don't avoid eye contact on purposes, but do miss the significance of the social information in others' eyes.... Read More...