FeaturedNeurosciencePsychologyVisual Neuroscience·December 18, 2024·5 min readStudy Ties Visual Errors to Paranoid BeliefsA new study suggests complex beliefs like paranoia may have roots in visual misperception. Participants prone to paranoia or teleological thinking were more likely to wrongly identify one moving dot as chasing another in a visual task.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·June 13, 2024·6 min readStudy Links Brain Region to ParanoiaResearchers discovered that a specific brain region, the mediodorsal thalamus, may provoke feelings of paranoia. By aligning data from studies on monkeys and humans, they found that lesions in this brain region led to erratic behavior and increased perceptions of environmental volatility.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·June 26, 2023·4 min readThe Psychology of Conspiracy Theorists: More Than Just ParanoiaA new study delves into the intricate psyche of conspiracy theorists, attributing their beliefs to a mixture of personality traits and motivations. The study suggests conspiracy theorists are not necessarily 'mentally unwell', but often resort to conspiracy theories to fulfill unmet needs and rationalize distress.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·October 13, 2022·4 min readListen! Birdsong Is Good for Mental HealthListening to birdsong reduces anxiety and paranoia, a new study reports.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 27, 2021·3 min readParanoia Is Another Byproduct of the PandemicThe coronavirus pandemic has sparked an increase of people reporting feelings of paranoia, especially in states where there is low adherence to mask mandates. Researchers report paranoia was associated with an increased acceptance of conspiracy theories, including believing anti-vaccine information and Q-Anon conspiracies.Read More
FeaturedOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·July 11, 2021·8 min readFeeling Safe: An Effective Treatment for ParanoiaFeeling Safe is a novel, effective treatment method that significantly reduces symptoms for those with persecutory delusions and paranoia.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·September 30, 2019·3 min readCannabis study reveals how CBD offsets the psychiatric side-effects of THCCBD blocks the ability of THC to overstimulate the ERK pathway in the hippocampus, preventing negative side effects associated with cannabis use.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·March 31, 2019·5 min readTeenage psychotic experiences more common in areas with high air pollutionExposure to nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxides through air pollution is linked to an increased risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms in teenagers. Accounting for other known risk factors, exposure to both NO2 and NOx accounted for 60% of the link between symptoms of psychosis and living in an urban environment.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·January 25, 2019·4 min readTobacco Use in Adolescence Tied to Paranoia, Due Largely to Shared Genetic InfluencesResearchers have discovered a link between teenage tobacco use and an increased risk of psychotic experiences, such as paranoia and hallucinations. They report this may be due, in part, to some shared genetic influences.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·November 12, 2018·6 min readWhat Mass Shootings do to Those Not Shot: Social Consequences of Gun ViolenceResearchers report on the social and psychological consequences exposure to mass shootings have on survivors, first responders and the community as a whole.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience VideosOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 6, 2016·6 min readVirtual Reality Can Help Treat Severe ParanoiaA new study reports virtual reality can help treat severe paranoia by allowing people to face situations they fear.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·February 17, 2016·5 min readThe Teenage Brain and SchizophreniaResearchers are developing new imaging techniques that are able to reveal where and over what time scale abnormalities in the brain develop in people with mental health problems.Read More
