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University of New South Wales

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·May 6, 2025·8 min read

Emotional Regulation Offers a New Path to Relief

A new study shows that improving emotional processing can significantly reduce chronic pain and improve quality of life. Researchers developed Pain and Emotion Therapy, an online intervention teaching emotional regulation, which led to notable pain reduction in participants.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 24, 2024·6 min read

Ketamine Tablet Shows Promise for Treating Severe Depression

A new slow-release ketamine tablet has shown potential in treating severe depression, offering a convenient and safe at-home alternative to existing treatments. In a randomized-controlled trial, patients on the highest dose of ketamine saw significant reductions in depression symptoms compared to placebo. The tablet form avoids the dissociative effects associated with other ketamine treatments. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and achieve clinical approval.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 12, 2024·6 min read

Why Sad Songs Feel Good: Music’s Emotional Paradox

A new study explores why listening to sad music can be pleasurable. The research involved 50 music students who found that removing the element of sadness from their chosen music decreased their enjoyment, indicating a direct link between sadness and pleasure.

This shows a woman with psychedelic images around her.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 16, 2023·5 min read

Harnessing Psychedelics for Mental Health

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the prescription of MDMA and psilocybin by authorized psychiatrists for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. This decision, a first worldwide, has sparked a debate among experts. While some hail it as a breakthrough for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies, others express concerns about its implementation.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 9, 2023·5 min read

AI Detects Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease in Patients’ Blood

Researchers developed an AI tool that can detect signs of Parkinson's disease in patients' blood samples, up to 15 years before the onset of symptoms. The tool uses machine learning to analyze combinations of metabolites in the body, revealing unique markers that may signal the onset of Parkinson's. Although validation studies are needed, the tool was able to predict Parkinson's disease with up to 96% accuracy in the study's limited cohort.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 29, 2023·5 min read

Social Connections Combat Dementia and Prolong Lifespan

Spending time with family and friends not only gives us a positive psychological boost, it can also reduce dementia risks and improve longevity, a new study reports. Researchers found those with strong social connections have a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and death. The study reports improving social connections and frequently taking time to spend with others has positive implications for health and cognition.

This shows a woman clutching her back in pain

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·March 2, 2023·4 min read

Fledgling Chronic Back Pain Therapy Needs More Rigorous Study

Cognitive functional therapy (CFT), a popular new therapy for the management of chronic back pain, appears to be no better than traditional therapies for pain management, a new study reports.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 7, 2023·7 min read

Small Exposures to Body Positive Content Can Improve Body Image

Following people on social media who promote body positivity by posting images of different body shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities rather than images that focus on typical societal beauty standards can help to boost a person's positive body image.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 28, 2022·5 min read

Ten Minutes of Aerobic Exercise With Exposure Therapy Found to Reduce PTSD Symptoms

Augmenting exposure therapy with ten minutes of aerobic exercise reduces PTSD symptom severity for up to six months after a nine-week course of treatment ends.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 21, 2022·6 min read

Children as Young as 10 Are Repeat Self-Harming

One-quarter of teens and young adults engaged in episodes of self-harm on more than one occasion. Repeated self-harm episodes are more likely to occur during the first year of the first episode, with the greatest risk within the first month.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 26, 2022·5 min read

What’s So Super About Superfoods?

Researchers question if so-called "superfoods" are really as good for you as people claim and, if so, how should they be consumed as part of a balanced diet.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 31, 2022·6 min read

Good Face Recognizers Can Learn Faces From Fragments

People who are exceptionally good at recognizing faces, or super-recognizers, divide areas of the face into parts before storing them as a composite image in the brain.