FeaturedNeuroscience·February 27, 2020How the brain forms habitsAs the brain starts to develop new habits, activity in the dorsolateral striatum increases. As the activity bursts increase, the habit becomes stronger. Inhibiting neural activity with optogenetics reduces habit behaviors in mice. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 28, 2019Train the Brain to Form Good Habits Through RepetitionAccording to researchers, forming both good and bad habits depends more on how often you perform an action than the satisfaction you get from the action. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·February 8, 2018Distinctive Brain Patterns Help Habits FormMIT researchers have identified neurons that fire at the start and conclusion of a behavior as it becomes a habit. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·November 30, 2017Helping the Brain Prune Bad HabitsEmory 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
FeaturedMost PopularNeuroscience·May 26, 2016How the Brain Makes and Breaks HabitsResearchers report they have identified a neural pathway involved in switching between habitual behavior and deliberate decision making. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 21, 2016Why It’s So Hard to Break HabitsA new study reveals habits leave lasting marks on specific brain circuits, priming us to feed our cravings. Read More
FeaturedPsychology·September 30, 2015Infants Resort to Habits When StressedA new study reports that it's not just adults who resort to habits when under stress, infants do too. Additionally, less cognitive flexibility children have due to stress could impact their acquisition of knowledge. Read More
FeaturedPsychology·June 27, 2013Breaking Habits Before They StartUsing optogenetics to control cells in the IL cortex, researchers were able to 'block' habits from forming. Read More
