A new study sheds light on how highly sensitive people process information. After experiencing something emotionally evocative, brain activity displayed a depth of processing while at rest. Depth of processing is a key feature of high emotional sensitivity.
Heart insufficiency has a negative impact on gray matter in the brain. Weak heart function was linked to decreased gray matter in areas of the brain associated with memory and learning, including the hippocampus and parietal medial cortex. This may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Three months of transcendental meditation reduced anxiety and resulted in marked changes in connectivity between the precuneus, left parietal lobe, and insula.
Males on the autism spectrum have significantly lower levels of a protein in their brains' that plays a role in inflammation and metabolism.
Shorter sleep duration can increase the risk of children developing depression, anxiety, and cognitive problems. Children who routinely suffered sleep disruptions or shorter sleep durations had reduced brain volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, precuneus, supramarginal gyrus, and temporal cortex.
Telomere lengthening resulted in structural changes in the brain, including cortical thickening. By contrast, telomere shortening is associated with gray matter reduction, specifically in the precuneus.
Researchers shed light on the neural networks that appear to govern human consciousness.
A new neuroimaging study reveals methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin, increases the level of dopamine available in the caudate. Along with increased dopamine levels, researchers also notice greater functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and precuneus, three areas of the brain associated with memory and attention.
Researchers say those who use both cannabis and nicotine have greater brain connectivity that those who take one or the other. The networks of those who used both substances closely resembled those who people who took neither drug.
Researchers have identified a neural link between depression and sleep problems. The study reports brain regions associated with short term memory, self and negative emotions are strongly connected in those with depression, and this may lead to bad sleep quality.
A new study sheds light on how the brain tunes into relevant changes in natural sound to optimize behavior.
Researchers report a link between exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and abnormal brain development in the offspring, which can lead to cognitive problems throughout life.