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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 13, 2019·4 min read

How emotion affects action

Researchers have identified a comprehensive circuit mechanism that governs how emotional states can influence movement through connections in the basal ganglia. The mechanism represents a way in which emotional states relate to changes in action control in depression, anxiety, and OCD.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 4, 2019·4 min read

Receptor protein in brain promotes resilience to stress

S1PR3, a receptor found on the surface of brain cells, may play a key role in stress resilience. Veterans with severe PTSD symptoms had lower levels of the S1PR3 protein in their blood than peers without the disorder.

This shows a skateboarder pulling some moves

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 1, 2019·4 min read

Adolescents’ fun seeking predicts both risk taking and prosocial behavior

A positive correlation has been identified between prosocial and rebellious behaviors in teens. The more risk taking behaviors a teen exhibited, the more likely they were to act prosocially. The findings suggest the same developmental processes are at work for both types of behaviors. Also noted was faster brain development in the medial prefrontal cortex predicted a decrease in rebellious behavior.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 13, 2019·4 min read

Glial cells are critical players in brain’s response to social stress

The behavior of oligodendrocytes plays a critical role in determining whether we tolerate or succumb to stress.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 7, 2019·2 min read

Study examines cannabis’ effects on brain neurochemistry

Study evaluates the effects of regular cannabis use on cortical dopamine function in youth at high risk of psychosis.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 29, 2019·2 min read

Impaired brain activity in rats with family history of alcohol abuse

Neural patterns of activity in the medial prefrontal cortex associated with the intention to drink alcohol are influenced by the genetic risk for alcohol use disorder.

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 Neuroscience

·April 30, 2019·4 min read

To boldly go or anxiously hang back? Mouse Study

Inhibiting VIP interneurons disrupts medial prefrontal cortex representations of anxiety-related information which drive avoidance behaviors.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 30, 2019·4 min read

Possible link between autism and antidepressants use during pregnancy: Mouse Study

A new study in mice reveals a possible link between the use of SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism-like symptoms in offspring. Offspring exposed to fluoxetine (Prozac) in utero were more likely to exhibit impaired neurotransmission caused by an overactive serotonin receptor in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain implicated in modulating social behaviors. However, treating the mice with a compound that blocks the receptor alleviated the behavioral problems and improved working memory.

This is a collection of neuroimaging photos from the study.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 8, 2019·3 min read

How education may stave off cognitive decline

Neuroimaging reveals those who have spent more years studying have increased cortical thickness in the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal areas of the brain. Researchers also identified enhanced gene expression profiles in these brain regions that promote information processing and provide protection against some age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·December 9, 2018·6 min read

Learning From Mistakes: Neurons Which Catch Our Mistakes and Correct Our Behavior Identified

Researchers identified specific neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, called self monitoring error neurons, that fire immediately after people make a mistake.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 8, 2018·5 min read

Dopamine Primes the Brain for Enhanced Vigilance

Researchers have identified a brain network that may control the diversion of attention to focus on potential threats. Dopamine, they report, is key to the process.