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Schizophrenia

Featured Neuroscience Psychology Visual Neuroscience

·December 18, 2024·5 min read

Study Ties Visual Errors to Paranoid Beliefs

A new study suggests complex beliefs like paranoia may have roots in visual misperception. Participants prone to paranoia or teleological thinking were more likely to wrongly identify one moving dot as chasing another in a visual task.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 12, 2024·6 min read

Schizophrenia’s Unique Brain Network Identified

A new study has identified a distinct brain network connecting areas of atrophy associated with schizophrenia, offering a unified view of its neuroanatomy. By analyzing data from over 90 studies and more than 8,000 participants, researchers created an atrophy connectivity map that overlaps with regions linked to schizophrenia, such as the insula and hippocampus.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 12, 2024·4 min read

Emotional Memory Cells Driving Empathy Discovered

Researchers have uncovered a brain mechanism in the prefrontal cortex that determines how animals respond to others’ emotions based on their own past experiences. These neurons, producing corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), act as emotional memories, modulating responses to socio-emotional stimuli.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·December 5, 2024·6 min read

Gene Defect Linked Brain Size and Social Behavior in ASD, Schizophrenia

A new study reveals how genetic deficits, particularly in the Tbx1 gene, are linked to reduced brain volume and altered social behavior, findings relevant to autism and schizophrenia. Researchers observed smaller amygdala volumes in Tbx1-deficient mice, a brain region key to emotional regulation and social behavior. These mice displayed less interest in social interaction, relying more on non-social cues like bedding preferences.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 3, 2024·6 min read

How We Filter Out Background Sounds When Speaking

Researchers have traced how the brain filters out background noise during speech using signals between the motor and auditory cortices. These milliseconds-long electrical signals, called auditory corollary discharge, originate in the motor cortex's precentral gyrus and travel to the auditory cortex's superior temporal gyrus.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 26, 2024·4 min read

Brain Biomarker Could Predict Psychosis Before Symptoms Emerge

Researchers have identified a brain biomarker that may predict psychosis onset before symptoms appear, enabling earlier interventions and personalized care. MRI scans revealed abnormal connectivity patterns in sensory brain networks, with weaker connections between sensory regions and stronger connections to the thalamus.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 21, 2024·4 min read

Brain Mapping Approach Reveals Hidden Clues to Schizophrenia

A new study identifies previously hidden brain network patterns in schizophrenia by focusing on nonlinear connectivity, offering potential biomarkers for early diagnosis. Traditional imaging methods often overlook these patterns, but researchers developed advanced statistical tools to uncover this new dimension of brain organization.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 13, 2024·6 min read

Schizophrenia Risks Tied to Psychedelic Use

A new study links hallucinogen-related emergency department visits to a 21-fold increased risk of schizophrenia compared to the general population. Even after accounting for other mental health disorders and substance use, individuals faced a 3.5-fold higher risk.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 12, 2024·6 min read

Glial Cells May Influence Depression and Schizophrenia

New research highlights neuroglia (or glia cells) as critical players in mental health, potentially influencing conditions like depression and schizophrenia. Glia cells, long considered "support cells" in the brain, have now been shown to communicate through unique calcium signaling, impacting neuronal function and stress responses. Studies suggest that compromised astrocyte function, a glial cell type, may relate to depressive symptoms and schizophrenia.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 7, 2024·5 min read

Brain Struggles with Conflicting Information in Schizophrenia

Researchers have developed a potential diagnostic tool for schizophrenia by observing how patients process conflicting information. By analyzing neural activity between the cortex and thalamus, they found distinct patterns that make schizophrenia patients more sensitive to uncertainty.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·October 11, 2024·4 min read

New Genetic Mutations Linked to Schizophrenia Risk

A study has identified mutations arising during brain development that may contribute to schizophrenia. Unlike inherited genes, these somatic mutations occur after conception and were found more frequently in schizophrenia patients' brain tissue. By sequencing DNA from neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, researchers identified single-nucleotide variants linked to disrupted brain functions. This discovery highlights the importance of studying both inherited and non-inherited genetic factors.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 9, 2024·6 min read

3D Gene Regulation Map Sheds Light on Brain Development

Researchers have developed the first 3D map of gene regulation in the human brain, offering insights into how early brain development influences lifelong mental health. This map, focusing on regions tied to memory and emotional regulation, reveals how chromatin structure controls gene activity, especially during key developmental stages.