medial prefrontal cortex

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medial prefrontal cortex

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 1, 2020·4 min read

Study Sheds Light on Brain Mechanism Activated by Uncertainty

Neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex respond more to loss than to gain. Avoidance of risk-taking is affected by an area of the hippocampus that is associated with memory and anxiety. The findings suggest a close relationship between memory processing and decision making when risk is present, especially in stressful situations. The fresh insights might help guide new psychiatric therapies for disorders marked by excessive avoidance, such as anxiety, and depression, and also mania and addiction, where excessive risk-taking is a common feature.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 31, 2020·4 min read

Researchers Discover a Specific Brain Circuit Damaged by Social Isolation During Childhood

Social isolation experienced during childhood has an impact on adult brain function and behavior. Following two weeks of social isolation immediately following weaning in male mice, researchers noticed a failure in activation of medial prefrontal cortex neurons projecting to the posterior paraventricular thalamus during social exposure in adulthood. Findings suggest medial prefrontal cortex neurons required for sociability are profoundly affected by social isolation at a young age.

Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 11, 2020·5 min read

Aging Memories May Not Be ‘Worse,’ Just ‘Different’

Aging may alter neural processes for remembering continuous real-world experiences and segmenting memories.

Autism Featured Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 4, 2020·4 min read

Greater Excitability in Social Brain Regions of Autistic Men Compared to Women

Males 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.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 14, 2020·4 min read

Autism Researchers Map Brain Circuitry of Social Preference

Study reveals how two neural circuits dictate the choice between social approach and avoidance. The network connecting the infralimbic cortex to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) impairs social behavior if there is a decrease in neural activity. Another network connecting the prelimbic cortex to the BLA similarly impairs social behavior if the neural activity is increased.

This shows a brain and print out from the study

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 16, 2020·4 min read

Your brain shows if you are lonely or not

In the medial prefrontal cortex, loneliness is associated with a reduced representational similarity between the self and others. Feeling socially disconnected may be mirrored by a self-representation of being a "loner."

Featured Neuroscience

·June 15, 2020·1 min read

Loneliness alters your brain’s social network

Loneliness alters how the brain represents relationships, a new study reports.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 27, 2020·3 min read

The brain and socially motivated behavior

The lateral hypothalamus is an integral component of social brain networks. It shapes socially motivated behaviors via functional coordination with neocortical regions.

This shows two women looking at a smart phone

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 9, 2020·5 min read

Our brains can predict the virality of online videos, without us even knowing it

Scanning people's brains when watching videos, researchers found both neural and behavioral responses to the content could predict how long others would watch the same video on the internet.

This shows two people looking at one another

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 3, 2020·3 min read

The neural processes behind our desire for revenge

During 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.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 2, 2020·2 min read

Coping strategies, a matter of neuron

Researchers uncover a key role of medial prefrontal cortex corticotropin-releasing factor interneurons for bidirectionally controlling motivated behavioral styles under stress. The findings could help in the development of new treatments for PTSD.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 24, 2020·3 min read

Generosity and selfishness: A neural dance

Unique signatures of neural synchrony reflect whether pro-social or anti-social decisions are made. Brain regions, including the cingulate gyrus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex, are highly synchronized when pro-social behavior is exhibited but decreases in the presence of anti-social behavior.

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