Imbalance between serotonin and dopamine in social anxiety disorder
Study reports the balance between serotonin and dopamine may be a risk factor for a person developing social anxiety disorder.... Read More...
putamen
Brain differences detected in children with depressed parents
The right putamen, a brain area linked to reward, motivation, and feelings of pleasure, is smaller in children with a genetic risk factor for depression. Previous studies implicated reduced putamen volume with anhedonia, which is often associated with depression, suicidal behaviors, and psychosis.... Read More...
Study identifies brain injury as a cause of dementia in some older adults
MRI neuroimaging can distinguish between memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. Using new image analysis software, researchers discovered TBI causes the most amount of damage to the ventral diencephalon, a brain area associated with memory and learning, and the least amount of atrophy to the hippocampus, a brain region most impacted by Alzheimer's.... Read More...
Gene variants influence size of brain stem and other structures
Researchers identified 48 common genetic variants that appear to play a role in the size of the brainstem and other subcortical structures. Forty of the variants were novel. The findings also revealed 199 genes related to the variants which regulate brain development and susceptibility to neurological disorders.... Read More...
Frog in your throat? Stress might be to blame for vocal issues
Stress can have an impact on voice disorders. Researchers found those with higher salivary cortisol levels also exhibited brain activity that impacted the larynx. Those who were more introverted were more likely to have stress reactions related to speech.... 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...
Obesity linked with differences in form and structure of the brain
Obesity is associated with alterations in brain structure, including lower gray matter volume and smaller globus pallidus volume.... Read More...
Schizophrenia Linked to Genetic Structural Abnormalities in Adolescent Brain
Researchers report a genetic mutation that causes structural abnormalities in the adolescent brain may predict an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life.... Read More...
Neanderthal Gene Gives Clues to Human Brain Evolution
Researchers report modern humans who carry particular Neanderthal DNA fragments have slightly less rounded heads. The findings shed light on the evolution of modern brain shape and function.... Read More...
How Bullying Affects the Brain
A new study reports children and teens who face chronic bullying have altered brain structure, as well as problems with anxiety and depression. Researchers found those who were bullies had structural changes to the putamen and caudate, contributing to the development of anxiety related behaviors and emotional processing.... Read More...
Playing High School Football Changes the Teenage Brain
Researchers say a single season of playing high school football is all it takes to cause microscopic alterations to the structure of the brain. ... Read More...
Alzheimer’s Risk Gene May Aggravate Neurological Air Pollution Effects in Children
According to researchers, children who carry the APOE4 gene and who are exposed to air pollution have higher behavior problem scores and their attention capacity was slower to develop.... Read More...