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University of Birmingham

·September 23, 2024·4 min read

Older Adults More Prone to Impulsive Financial Influence

People aged 60 and over are more likely to be influenced by others' impulsive financial decisions than younger adults. Researchers found that older participants, especially those with higher emotional empathy, were more likely to change their financial preferences after observing impulsive behavior. In contrast, younger adults tended to stick with their original financial choices.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 21, 2024·5 min read

Childhood Inflammation Linked to Later Mental Health Risks

Children with persistent inflammation are at a higher risk of developing mental health disorders like psychosis and depression in early adulthood. A study found that elevated inflammation markers, particularly around age 9, significantly increase the risk of these disorders, as well as cardiometabolic diseases such as insulin resistance. The research suggests that early-life inflammation could be a critical factor in later mental and physical health issues, prompting the need for further investigation into its role.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 1, 2024·4 min read

Trusting Our Memories: We Know When They’re Accurate

New research shows that we can distinguish between accurate memories and those filled with general knowledge. A study revealed that when memories are based on 'prototypical' information, our confidence in them decreases. This awareness helps us accurately assess the reliability of our recollections. These findings have significant implications for the credibility of eyewitness accounts in legal cases.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 13, 2024·3 min read

Dopamine Levels Impact Mentalizing Abilities

Dopamine levels affect mentalizing abilities—understanding others' thoughts and feelings—in healthy people. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with 33 volunteers, researchers found that blocking dopamine receptors reduced participants' accuracy in ascribing mental states.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 7, 2024·5 min read

Epstein-Barr Virus Plays Critical Role in Multiple Sclerosis

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) may cause multiple sclerosis (MS) through higher levels of immune cross-reactivity than previously thought. Researchers found that T-cells targeting EBV can also recognize brain proteins, a misdirection seen in both MS patients and healthy individuals.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 27, 2024·5 min read

Brain Region Governing Helping Behavior Identified

A new study found that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is crucial for prosocial behaviors. Researchers studied patients with brain damage and found that damage to the vmPFC reduced willingness to help others. Understanding this brain region's role could improve treatments for social interaction disorders and motivate global problem-solving efforts.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 8, 2024·6 min read

Lack of Sleep in Childhood Linked to Increased Psychosis Risk

Children who consistently experience insufficient sleep from infancy through early childhood are significantly more likely to develop psychosis as young adults. Analyzing data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, researchers found that chronic sleep deprivation is a strong predictor of both psychotic disorders and psychotic episodes later in life.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 6, 2024·3 min read

Researchers Uncover Brain’s Internal Compass

Researchers identified a pattern of brain activity that acts like an internal compass, helping humans navigate through their environment. They used mobile EEG devices and motion capture to track this activity, overcoming the challenge of measuring neural activity in motion.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 22, 2024·5 min read

Socioeconomic Factors Linked to Chronic Pain

Socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and psychological factors significantly influence the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain after injury. The study found that individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are twice as likely to experience chronic pain, and those with additional risk factors such as smoking, fear of movement, and poor support networks are up to seven times more likely.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 22, 2024·4 min read

When Do Babies Begin to Be Conscious?

Researchers propose a new approach to determine when consciousness emerges in infancy. Their suggestion, based on identifying markers of consciousness in adults and tracking when these markers appear in babies' development, offers a potential pathway to understand this long-standing question.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 11, 2024·5 min read

Blood Test Detects 24-Hour of Sleep Deprivation

Researchers developed a blood test capable of detecting 24-hour sleep deprivation with high accuracy, offering promising applications for enhancing safety in various contexts. The test, which combines specific markers in the blood, was shown to identify individuals who had been awake for more than 24 hours with up to 99.2% accuracy under laboratory conditions.

This shows a stressed looking woman eating chips.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 6, 2023·8 min read

Stress and Snacks: How Fatty Foods Hinder Recovery

Consuming fatty foods during stressful times can hinder the body's recovery from stress effects. Researchers found that high-fat meals, like butter croissants, consumed before a stressful event, reduced vascular function and brain oxygenation, and negatively affected mood.