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emotion

This shows a man and a woman looking at screens.

·January 8, 2025·3 min read

Emotional News Alters Men’s Financial Choices

New research reveals that men are more likely than women to let emotions from unrelated situations affect their financial decisions. After watching emotional news stories, men opted for safer financial choices, while women’s decisions remained unchanged.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 27, 2024·4 min read

Oxytocin Influences Social Behavior and Emotional Response

New research reveals how oxytocin profoundly influences social behavior and emotional responses in the brain. Animal models have shown how this hormone impacts social fear and how chronic stress or early life experiences shape behavioral patterns.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 16, 2024·4 min read

Accurate Parkinson’s Detection via Emotional Brain Responses

A new study has achieved near-perfect accuracy in detecting Parkinson's disease by analyzing brain responses to emotional stimuli using EEG and AI. Researchers found that Parkinson's patients process emotions differently, struggling with recognizing fear, disgust, and surprise and focusing more on emotional intensity than valence.

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Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·December 13, 2024·7 min read

Genetic Mechanism Links Emotional Experiences to Behavior Changes

Researchers have identified a genetic mechanism that regulates behavioral adaptations to emotional experiences by forming R-loops, unique RNA:DNA structures that activate target genes. The study focused on NPAS4, a gene implicated in stress and drug addiction, showing how blocking R-loops prevents maladaptive behaviors like cocaine seeking and stress-induced anhedonia in mice.

This shows a brain and a person listening to music.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 8, 2024·6 min read

Music Can Change the Emotional Tone of Your Memories

New research reveals that music can do more than trigger memories—it can alter their emotional tone. When participants recalled neutral stories while listening to emotionally charged music, they later remembered the stories as matching the music’s mood. Brain scans showed increased communication between emotion, memory, and sensory processing areas, suggesting music infuses new emotional details into memories. These findings hint at music’s potential for therapeutic interventions, like reframing negative memories in depression or PTSD.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 7, 2024·3 min read

Why Fidgeting Bothers Some People

Misokinesia, affecting about one-third of individuals, is an aversion to repetitive bodily movements like fidgeting, causing emotional, cognitive, and physical distress. New research explores its impact on daily life, relationships, and mental well-being, revealing challenges such as intense distraction, rage, and social strain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 7, 2024·4 min read

Why Your Child Keeps Rewatching That Show (and Why It’s Good)

Children’s love for repeating shows, books, or activities is more than a quirk—it supports learning and emotional wellbeing. Cognitive science reveals that repetition helps kids detect patterns, a process critical for language and cognitive development.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 6, 2024·5 min read

Why Do We Remember? Study Explores the ‘Why’ Behind Human Memory

A new review examines why people remember certain events, focusing on the emotional, personal, and contextual factors that shape memory. Researchers categorized memory into the "what, where, and when," highlighting how emotional resonance, location, and timing influence retention.

Featured Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·December 6, 2024·4 min read

Facial Expressions of Pain Are Linked to Distinct Brain Activity

Facial expressions triggered by pain are deeply tied to brain activity, revealing distinct neural mechanisms compared to verbal pain reports. Researchers developed a neurobiological model, using MRI and machine learning, to predict pain-induced facial expressions.

This shows the change in the anger body map.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 4, 2024·5 min read

Angry Feet: How the Emotional Body Map Changed Over Time

Researchers analyzing 1 million Akkadian words from ancient Mesopotamian texts revealed unique insights into how emotions were experienced in the body. While many emotions align with modern perceptions, the ancients notably linked happiness to the liver and anger to the feet, contrasting with modern experiences in the chest and hands.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 2, 2024·4 min read

Decoding Emotions Through Skin Signals

Skin conductance offers a promising new way to measure emotional states, bypassing the limitations of facial recognition. In an experiment, volunteers watched videos evoking fear, humor, and family bonding while their skin's electrical properties were recorded.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 25, 2024·4 min read

Moms’ Baby Talk Boosts Infant Oxytocin

A new study reveals that when mothers regularly discuss their infants’ thoughts and feelings, it is associated with higher oxytocin levels in their babies. Oxytocin, a hormone crucial for social bonding and emotional development, is influenced by the way mothers reference their child’s internal states during interactions.