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prefrontal cortex

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·September 18, 2017·4 min read

Learning and Unlearning Fear: The Two Faces of Noradrenaline

RIKEN researchers report neurons in the locus coeruleus play a key role in emotional and flexible learning.

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·September 15, 2017·3 min read

Brain Halves Increase Communication to Compensate for Aging

Duke researchers report the brain may maintain healthy cognitive function as we age by increasing bilateral communication.

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·September 12, 2017·4 min read

Researchers Reverse Negative Effects of Adolescent Marijuana Use

Researchers were able to reverse the neural and behavioral effects of THC exposure and eliminate schizophrenia like symptoms in rats by using drugs to activate GABA, a new study reports.

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·September 4, 2017·5 min read

New Insight Into Self-Control Through Neuroimaging

A new neuroimaging study reveals self control varies depending on the importance of the decision. Self control, researchers note, may also be augmented when people are asked to justify their decisions.

Image shows the location of the pfc in the brain.

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·August 25, 2017·5 min read

New Light on Link Between Gut Bacteria and Anxiety

Researchers discover gut microbes may influence microRNA in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, two areas of the brain associated with depression and anxiety.

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·August 20, 2017·5 min read

Why Teens Take Risks: It’s Not a Deficit in Brain Development

Researchers report it might not be slowed prefrontal cortex development that drives teens to embark in risky behavior, as some common theories state. Instead, they argue, teens may make risky decisions as a means of experience building so they are better equipped at making important decisions later in life.

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·August 18, 2017·3 min read

CRISPR Advances Autism Research

Using CRISPR gene editing technology, researchers target the Shank3 gene in monkey embryos. Research backs previous findings of the importance of the Shank3 gene for brain development and its role in autism.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 7, 2017·4 min read

Women Have More Active Brains Than Men

A large scale SPECT imaging study reveals women's brains are significantly more active in more regions than males, including the prefronal cortex and limbic areas. Visual and areas associated with coordination were more active in males, researchers noted.

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·July 23, 2017·5 min read

High-Fat Diet in Pregnancy Can Cause Mental Health Problems in Offspring

Mothers who eat high fat diets during pregnancy could be elevating the risk of future depression and anxiety symptoms for their children, a new study in Frontiers in Endocrinology reports. High fat diets may impair the development of the central serotonin system, researchers discovered. Further studies noted that introducing a healthy diet to the offspring at an early age did not reverse the effect.

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·July 21, 2017·5 min read

Study Reveals Most Impactful Neuroscience Research

A new paper identifies 100 of the most cited neuroscience research papers. Of these papers, 78 focus on five topics. According to the authors of the paper, the most cited neuroscience research topics include the prefrontal cortex, neural connectivity, methodology, brain mapping and neurological disorders. The findings could have significant impact for future neuroscience studies.

Image shows a brain scans with the dlPFC highlighted.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 28, 2017·7 min read

How the Cortex Assigns Credit for Causality

A new study implicates the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in our ability to assign credit for whatever action leads to a desired outcome. While the study does not rule out the involvement of other brain areas to credit assignment, it does show the dlPFC is a key player in how we assess causality.