Brain-computer interfacing technology uses music to make people happy
A new brain-machine interface technology can enhance emotional interaction with music. ... Read More...
prefrontal cortex
How can you tell if another person, animal or thing is conscious? Try these 3 tests
From artificial intelligence to animals and people in comas, researchers evaluate different methods to test the presence of consciousness.... Read More...
How we tune out distractions
A pathway linking the basal ganglia to the thalamus enhances sensory discrimination and is used to suppress 'background noise'. The pathway, which is controlled by the prefrontal cortex, selectively suppresses sensory input as it flows to the thalamus.... Read More...
Altered Brain Activity in Antisocial Teenagers
Neuroimaging reveals lower activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and angular gyrus in teenage girls with conduct disorder. Findings suggest that a reduction in prefrontal brain regions and functional connectivity during effortful emotional regulations contribute to behaviors associated with antisocial behavior in teenage girls.... Read More...
Growing up high: Neurobiological consequences of adolescent cannabis use
Researchers evaluate the psychological and neurobiological impact of teen cannabis use. The findings, to be presented at the 13th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, will cover how cannabis contributes to cognitive impairments, psychosis and deficits in decision making in adolescents.... Read More...
Multiple brain regions moderate and link depressive mood and pain
People with higher levels of depressive moods exhibited heightened sensitivity to pain, and had greater activation in the prefrontal cortex, insula and somatosensory cortex.... Read More...
Brain changes in autism traced to specific cell types
Studying brain tissue samples from people with ASD revealed a common set of alterations in genes associated with synaptic communication between neurons. The changes were identified mainly in neurons in the uppermost layers of the neocortex. ... Read More...
Why visual stimulation may work in fight against Alzheimer’s: Mouse study
Inducing gamma oscillations with visual stimulation via a process known as gamma entrainment using sensory stimuli, or GENUS, was shown to reduce amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau in mouse models of dementia. Providing GENUS daily during the early stages of neurodegeneration helps preserve neural and synaptic density across multiple brain areas and improves cognitive performance for learning and spatial memory tasks.... Read More...
Autism gene linked to brain and behavior deficits in mice
A deficiency of the SHANK3 gene, a gene associated with ASD, results in structural and functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex. The functional and structural alterations in the PFC were linked to an impairment in social interaction in male mice.... Read More...
Hotspot in the genome may drive psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
A cluster of epigenetic marks in an enhancer at IGF2 could enhance dopamine synthesis associated with psychosis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The findings may help in devising more effective treatments and screening strategies for both disorders.... Read More...
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. ... Read More...
Autism diagnoses prove highly stable as early as 14 months
Autism diagnosis becomes stable starting at 14 months of age, researchers report. The accurate diagnosis of ASD, four months earlier than previously believed, leads to more opportunities for early interventions.... Read More...