Why Do We Yawn and Why Is Yawning So Contagious?
Researchers investigate the biological aspects of yawning and consider why yawning is so contagious. ... Read More...
ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Our Brains Are Obsessed with Being Social
Researchers report the temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex experience increased connectivity during rest following encoding new social information.... Read More...
Magnetic Stimulation Dampens Brain Response to Drug Cues in Addiction
Researchers report a single session of transcranial magnetic stimulation can significantly reduce drug cue reactivity for those with substance abuse problems.... Read More...
How the Brain Decides to Make an Effort
A new study sheds light on the neural mechanisms behind how we make effortful decisions. ... Read More...
No Future for Egotists – That’s What Their Brain Says
A new neuroimaging study reveals people who consider themselves to be egotistical have no increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex when they think about the distant future. By contrast, altruistic people have increased activity in this region when asked to consider the consequences of the distant future.... Read More...
Having an Audience May Help You Perform Better
According to researchers, when people are aware they are being observed, brain areas associated with social awareness and reward activate a part of the brain that affects motor control, helping them to perform better at skilled tasks.... Read More...
Overcoming Bias About Music Takes Work
Researchers reveal telling people whether a musician in a professional or student can change the way the brain responds to the music they are playing. ... Read More...
Memory Researchers Link Two Brain Regions to Conceptual Organization
Researchers implicate the hippocampus in conceptual memory formation. The study reveals activity within the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex is consistent with the retrieval of new concepts.... Read More...
Brain Has Separate ‘Fear Circuits’ for Dealing with Immediate and Distant Threats
According to a new PNAS study, two areas of the brain are responsible for fear processing. ... Read More...
Can Brain Lesions Contribute to Criminal Behavior?
Researchers report lesions within a brain network involved in moral decision making can contribute to criminal behavior.... Read More...
Journaling Inspires Altruism Through an Attitude of Gratitude
University of Oregon researchers report those who write online journals that note feelings of gratitude develop an increase in altruism. ... Read More...
Self Esteem Mapped in the Human Brain
UCL researchers use a new math equation to identify brain signals that explain why our self esteem rises, or lowers, when we find out what others think of us.... Read More...