Hormonal contraception disrupts signal transmission between cells in the prefrontal cortex of adolescents. Hormonal birth control also elevates levels of stress hormones in the brain.
Decision-making requires two different brain areas that mature at different times during the teenage years. This may help parents understand why their teens are more prone to making risky decisions.
When actors hear their own names during a performance, their response is suppressed by activity in the left anterior prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with self-awareness.
Greater impairment of the prefrontal cortex-habenula pathway was correlated with earlier age of first drug use.
Interacting with dogs leads to greater activation in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with emotional and social processing.
DHA consumption was associated with improved capacity for selective and sustained attention in adolescents, while ALA lowered impulsive behaviors.
A new genetically based scoring model can accurately detect children most at risk of developing impulsive behaviors.
Down-regulation of the PRDM2 protein increases the consolidation of fear-related memories in the brain.
Rhythmic bursts of activity in the prefrontal cortex reduce variability as an animal focuses on a task.
Researchers have identified human-specific cell types in the prefrontal cortex. These unique cells may explain why humans are more susceptible to neuropsychiatric diseases than other primate species.
Extended intense cognitive work causes potentially toxic byproducts to build up in the prefrontal cortex. This alters control over decision-making, causing a shift toward low-cost actions that require less effort as cognitive fatigue sets in.
AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus play a critical role in shaping the structure and function of the prefrontal cortex in mice. The findings shed light on how the prefrontal cortex is altered in disorders such as schizophrenia.
