FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·December 12, 2021·3 min readSchizophrenia: Altered Brain Structural Connectivity and Association With Neurological Soft SignsA new study found altered cortical and subcortical networks in those with schizophrenia and their unaffected first-degree relatives. Findings suggest brain regions associated with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia are partly separated from brain regions implicating neural abnormalities.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·November 30, 2021·6 min readCertain Brain Waves Aren’t Just Background NoiseFindings shed new light on how brain states are regulated and how the brain can switch between them.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 15, 2021·5 min readHow the Brain Deals With UncertaintyHow do we make decisions during times when we are uncertain? A new study may have clues. Researchers identified a specific set of neurons that prevent the brain from using unreliable information when faced with decision-making.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·September 27, 2021·5 min readWithdrawal From Psychostimulants Restructures Functional Architecture of BrainWithdrawal from psychostimulants including methamphetamines, cocaine, and nicotine, produced restructuring of brain regions and major increases in functional connectivity, a new mouse study reveals.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·August 9, 2021·5 min readPoverty Associated With Smaller, Slower Growing Subcortical Regions in ChildrenA study spanning 17 years has found children born and raised in poverty had smaller subcortical brain regions, including the hippocampus, caudate, putamen, and thalamus. These brain areas also showed less growth over time.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeurosciencePsychology·July 30, 2021·4 min readNew Findings on Thalamus Could Drive Treatments for Schizophrenia and Other DisordersFindings reveal how individual neurons in the thalamus can merge signals coming from different regions of the cortex. The findings could lead to new treatment options for schizophrenia, epilepsy, and other brain disorders where thalamus dysfunction is related to clinical symptoms.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·July 5, 2021·6 min readCommon Mechanism Underlies Some Behavioral Traits Seen in Autism and SchizophreniaCertain genes that are mutated or missing in those with schizophrenia and autism cause similar dysfunction in neural networks within the thalamus.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·April 27, 2021·5 min readAnesthesia Doesn’t Simply Turn Off the Brain, It Changes Its RhythmsPropofol, the commonly used anesthetic, alters and controls the dynamics of the brain's rhythms. The findings can help doctors better monitor patients under anesthesia with the aid of EEG.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·December 28, 2020·3 min readThe Brain Network Driving Changes in ConsciousnessA brain network consisting of the thalamus, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, and angular gyri was implicated in the loss, and return, of consciousness under both anesthetic and natural sleep.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·October 15, 2020·3 min readAutomatic Decision-Making Prevents Us Harming OthersPeople make automatic and efficient decisions when learning to avoid others. When learning to avoid harming themselves, people make become more deliberative. The study also found people were more willing to repeat decisions that were previously harmful to themselves if they believed better results would occur in the future.Read More
ElectrophysiologyFeaturedNeuroscience·September 29, 2020·5 min readA Revised Map of Where Working Memory Resides in the BrainWorking memory isn't confined to one area of the brain. It requires synchronous activity of at least two brain areas.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·September 18, 2020·5 min readMapping the Decision-Making Pathways in the BrainResults from a new study implicate the ventromedial thalamus in cost-benefit decision making.Read More
