Why is the brain disturbed by harsh sounds?
Harsh noises, such as alarm bells and sirens, hold the brain's attention by stimulating its aversion networks. ... Read More...
University of Geneva
How our brain filters sounds
The brain adjusts the attention it gives to identical sounds the moment they are perceived in the brainstem.... Read More...
Expert mathematicians stumped by simple subtractions
Our knowledge of the world has a critical impact on the ability to use mathematical reasoning, even for mathematicians. Findings reveal math professionals can be duped by some aspects of their knowledge about the world and fail to solve simple fifth-grade math problems.... Read More...
Is multiple sclerosis linked to childhood viral infections?
Exposure to viral infections in the brain during childhood has been linked to an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life. ... Read More...
Adolescence is the game-changer for schizophrenia
Teens with schizophrenia symptoms and a genetic abnormality of chromosome 22 had significant brain atrophy in the hippocampus compared to those with the genetic variant and no psychiatric symptoms.... Read More...
Music helps to build the brains of very premature babies
Music specially composed for preterm babies helps strengthen the development of neural networks and may help to limit neurodevelopmental delays often experienced by those born prematurely.... Read More...
When it comes to learning, what’s better: The carrot or the stick?
People are more confident in decisions, and execute choices more quickly, if they are chasing a reward. However, we become more flexible in our decisions when trying to avoid a negative outcome.... Read More...
How our body ‘listens’ to vibrations
Neurons in the somatosensory cortex encode vibration frequency in a similar manner to the way in which sound pitch is encoded in the auditory cortex. ... Read More...
A Gentle Method For Unlocking the Mysteries of the Deep Brain
Researchers report EEG technology has the ability to study activity of areas deep inside the brain, such as the thalamus and nucleus accumbens. The findings will help shed new light on disorders that affect these brain regions, such as Parkinson's disease and OCD.... Read More...
How Does the Brain Learn by Talking to Itself?
A new study reveals the role synaptic feedback systems play in shaping learning processes. The findings could help develop more efficient artificial intelligence techniques.... Read More...
Being Yelled At: Our Brain on Alert in a Flash
Researchers report our brain is on high alert while listening to voices, finding we respond much faster to vocal aggression than normal or happy voices. The reason, researchers say, could be that our attention is more focused on threatening voices to help us recognize the location of a potential threat.... Read More...
Resynchronizing Neurons to Erase Schizophrenia
Researchers report that by increasing the excitability of a subpopulation of hippocampal inhibitory neurons, certain behavioral symptoms associated with schizophrenia can be suppressed.... Read More...