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University of Pennsylvania

This shows a mouse and a diagram of a mouse brain

·July 4, 2019·5 min read

Unraveling the brain’s reward circuits

Study reveals how ArGP and dopamine neurons are linked, and how food and drugs affect them differently. The findings offer clues for the development of new treatments for obesity and substance use disorders.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·June 21, 2019·4 min read

A new drug target for chemically induced Parkinson’s disease

Mitochondrial CYP2D6 may be a powerful target for the treatment of Parkinson's disease induced by MPTP.

This shows a young boy taking a nap on his school desk

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 2, 2019·5 min read

Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems

Children aged 10 to 12 have greater happiness, self-control, fewer behavioral problems, increased cognitive performance and academic achievement when they take a brief midday nap, a new study reports.

This shows brain scans with the lack of anterior cingulate cortex activity

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 29, 2019·4 min read

Seeing disfigured faces prompts negative brain and behavior responses

Neuroimaging reveals people experience a diminished neural response in the anterior cingulate cortex when shown images of others with facial disfigurements. A similar response is also seen when people view other stigmatized people, such as those who are homeless. The diminished activity may explain why people are less empathetic toward those who have facial disfigurements and may help explain the underlying neural mechanism for dehumanization.

This shows a person looking at the Twitter load screen on a cell phone

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 15, 2019·3 min read

Twitter image colors and content could help identify users with depression, anxiety

Combining artificial intelligence and computer vision technology, researchers were able to determine anxiety and depression risks from peoples' Twitter profile pictures.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 22, 2019·5 min read

Brain regions linked to memory and emotion help humans navigate smell

During navigation tasks using a 'smell scape', the entorhinal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex elicit grid cell-like activity.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 18, 2019·5 min read

How superstitions spread

A new game theory model demonstrates how superstitious beliefs become established in a society's social norms. The model shows how distinct belief systems can evolve as a coordinated set of behaviors which are enforced by a consistent set of social norms.

This is a drawing of two heads with the word empathy under them

Featured Psychology

·April 9, 2019·5 min read

Empathy and cooperation go hand in hand

A capacity for empathy is key in sustaining cooperation between a social group. Findings reveal empathy can evolve through a process of social contagion.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 8, 2019·4 min read

Childhood trauma has lasting effect on brain connectivity in patients with depression

Study finds an association between resting state network connectivity abnormalities in those with major depressive disorder who experienced childhood trauma.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 5, 2019·6 min read

Unlocking the female bias in lupus

Disruptions in maintaining X chromosome inactivation of T cells may explain why women are more prone to developing SLE than males.

Brain scans are shown as described in the caption.

Featured Genetics

·March 4, 2019·2 min read

Genetic Factors Influence Human Brain Expansion

Results provide new insight into evolution, IQ and development of the human brain.

Featured Genetics

·February 1, 2019·3 min read

Newly Discovered Gene Governs Need for Sleep When Sick

Researchers have identified a single gene that increases the need for sleep when we are fighting sickness. NEMURI helps fight infections with its antimicrobial activity, and is secreted by neurons to drive prolonged sleep during infection.