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Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 21, 2020·4 min read

Why Obeying Orders Can Make Us Do Terrible Things

Coercion to perform detrimental actions against others reduces empathy and guilt, a new study reports. The findings may explain why people are able to commit immoral acts that go against their ethical stance when coerced.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 4, 2020·4 min read

Anterior insula activation restores prosocial behavior in animal model of opioid addiction

Using chemogenetic methods, researchers activated neurons in the anterior insular and increased prosocial behavior in rodent models of opioid addiction.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 21, 2020·4 min read

The practice of meditation leaves marks in the brain

Three months of transcendental meditation reduced anxiety and resulted in marked changes in connectivity between the precuneus, left parietal lobe, and insula.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 25, 2019·5 min read

How our dreams prepare us to face our fears

Study identified the neural correlates of fear during dreaming and reports similar areas are activated when experiencing fear during wakeful states.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 29, 2019·5 min read

Which came first: Brain size or drinking propensity?

Reduced gray matter volume in the insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may represent a genetically conferred predispositional risk factor for alcohol use disorder.

This shows a teenage girl with flowers in her hair

Featured Neuroscience

·September 25, 2019·5 min read

Brain anatomy changes with maturation to adolescence

White matter tracts show increasing maturation with age from the back to the front of the brain. The maturations begin as a child reaches 9-12 years of age. The maturity correlates with a critical and formative period of development.

This is a drawing of a mouse on a tiny island

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 28, 2019·4 min read

An island for negative emotions

In mice, the insular cortex processes negative emotions and bodily discomfort. The findings shed light on emotional processing in animals and humans.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 28, 2019·4 min read

Frog in your throat? Stress might be to blame for vocal issues

Stress can have an impact on voice disorders. Researchers found those with higher salivary cortisol levels also exhibited brain activity that impacted the larynx. Those who were more introverted were more likely to have stress reactions related to speech.

This shows the prefrontal cortex in the brain

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·May 21, 2019·2 min read

Multiple brain regions moderate and link depressive mood and pain

People with higher levels of depressive moods exhibited heightened sensitivity to pain, and had greater activation in the prefrontal cortex, insula and somatosensory cortex.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 20, 2019·4 min read

Anxious people quicker to flee danger

Those with anxiety escape from non-imminent threats of danger sooner than those who are not anxious.

Featured Neurology

·January 31, 2019·3 min read

Exercise Benefits Brains and Blood Flow Changes in Older Adults

Exercise is associated with improved brain function and a decrease in cerebral blood flow in older people with mild cognitive impairment, a new study reports.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 20, 2018·4 min read

Personality and Mood Affect Brain Response to Personal Choice

Researchers report personality traits and psychological health impact how we value personal control when making decisions. The study reports brain activity in the motivation system is dampened in those with passive personalities and depression when we receive rewards that we have earned or feel in personal control of situations.