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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 26, 2023·5 min read

Pandemic Pet Pals: Exploring the Complex Relationship Between Pet Ownership, Stress, and Loneliness During Lockdown

During the COVID-19 pandemic, US dog and cat owners became closer to their pets, though pet ownership did not consistently alleviate stress and loneliness. The relationship between mental health and pet ownership was complex, with dog owners experiencing a greater reduction in stress and loneliness compared to cat owners and non-pet owners.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 25, 2023·4 min read

Mind Over Muscle: The Surprising Power of the Exercise Placebo Effect

If a person believes an exercise program has been optimized and created specifically for them, the regime will have a positive effect, regardless of the content of the program. Researchers say the placebo effect has health benefits when it comes to exercise.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 24, 2023·5 min read

Prioritizing Brain Health: Blood Pressure Control Reduces Alzheimer’s Risk and Minimizes Brain Aging

A recent study suggests that intensive blood pressure treatment with a target of less than 120 mm Hg can reduce the risk of adverse cerebrovascular events and improve overall brain health in adults over 50. Patients who more intensely managed their hypertension had fewer white matter lesions in the brain. White matter lesions are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline, and accelerated brain aging.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 21, 2023·3 min read

Reality or Illusion? The Human Battle with Distinguishing Imagination from Reality

The more vividly we imagine something, the more likely we are to believe it's real, a new study reports. Researchers found the brain encodes the vividness of perceived and real stimuli in a similar manner, resulting in a confusion between reality and imagination.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 20, 2023·3 min read

Gene Activity Analysis Provides Better Classification for Brain Diseases

Analyzing the gene activity map or transcriptome of different brain diseases can help identify underlying mechanisms and comorbidity. The method could also uncover new relationships among diseases and improve treatment options.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 19, 2023·4 min read

Mapping the Psyche of Extreme Altruists

While more altruistic people can be distinguished from typical adults by their unselfish traits and actions, they are generally not different in other ways. Altruistic people are no more agreeable or conscientious than other adults, nor do they report higher levels of empathy.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 17, 2023·4 min read

Long COVID Smell Loss Linked to Changes in the Brain

Anosmia, or the loss of the sense of smell caused by long COVID is linked to changes in the brain that prevents correct olfactory processing.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 16, 2023·3 min read

How High Blood Pressure Affects Mental Health

Researchers have discovered high blood pressure, depression, and emotion-related brain activity are linked to the development of hypertension.How High Blood Pressure Affects Mental Health

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 13, 2023·3 min read

Study Casts Doubt on Causal Link Between Cognitive Ability and Obesity

The associations between cognitive ability and body mass index (BMI) may largely reflect confounding by other factors related to family background. The study suggests that previous findings on the link between cognitive ability and BMI may be biased by shared family factors, rather than being causal.

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Featured Neuroscience

·April 12, 2023·4 min read

Decoding Insomnia: Machine Learning Model Predicts Sleep Disorders From Patient Records

Analyzing demographics, lifestyle data, physical exam results, and laboratory values, a new machine-learning algorithm can accurately predict whether a person is at risk of sleep disorders. Age, weight, and depression are three factors the AI technology identified as being significant predictors of insomnia.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 12, 2023·6 min read

Whether Physical Exertion Feels Easy or Hard May Be Due to Dopamine Levels

Dopamine plays a vital role in why exercise and physical activity feels easy to some, but exhausting to others, a new study reports. The findings could lead to more effective ways to help people begin and stick to exercise regimes, and sheds new light on fatigue associated with depression and Parkinson's disease.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Visual Neuroscience

·April 8, 2023·5 min read

How the Brain Slows Down When We Focus Our Gaze

A new study reveals that the brain can switch between slow and fast integration of information, allowing it to modulate the timescales on which it operates. The study also provides insight into how the structure of neural networks determines the speed at which information is integrated, which may have implications for future research on brain function and cognitive processes.