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Open Neuroscience Articles

Open access neuroscience articles are research articles that use at least one open access research paper as a reference. Open access articles are free for anyone to read.

This shows an ape looking at a computer monitor.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Visual Neuroscience

·November 26, 2024·3 min read

Great Apes’ Gaze Reveals Human-Like Event Perception

Great apes track events involving agents and patients, like humans, suggesting shared cognitive mechanisms. When watching video clips, apes alternated their gaze between agents (e.g., a cat) and patients (e.g., a mouse), similar to adult humans, though apes paid more attention to background details.

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·November 19, 2024·4 min read

Birth Spurs a Surge in Brain Connectivity

Brain imaging of fetuses and infants reveals a rapid increase in functional brain connectivity at birth, aiding adaptation to the external world. Researchers observed distinct growth patterns, with subcortical, sensorimotor, and superior frontal regions undergoing major reorganizations.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 14, 2024·4 min read

How Decision-Making Improves with Age

Adolescents are known for making less optimal, noisy decisions, but a recent study reveals that these tendencies decrease with age and are linked to improvements in complex decision-making skills. Researchers found that decision noise, or variability in choices, mediates age-related gains in goal-directed behaviors and adaptability.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·October 13, 2024·5 min read

Teen Friendships Shape Long-Term Wellbeing

New research reveals that teenage friendships lay crucial foundations for adult wellbeing, with the timing and nature of these friendships playing a pivotal role. Early adolescence social acceptance is linked to better adult mental health, while close friendships in later teens impact job satisfaction and romantic stability.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·October 3, 2024·2 min read

Faulty Brain Processes Behind Hearing Voices in Schizophrenia

A new study reveals that auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may be caused by two faulty brain processes: a failed suppression of self-generated sounds and an overactive response to internal noises. The research showed that patients with hallucinations had a "broken" corollary discharge and an enhanced response to unintended sounds, compared to those without hallucinations. These findings suggest that future treatments for auditory hallucinations could target these disrupted processes.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·October 2, 2024·3 min read

Humans Slow Speech to Help Dogs Understand

A new study reveals that humans naturally slow their speech when talking to dogs, which helps dogs better understand commands. Researchers analyzed speech rates and brain responses in 30 dogs and 27 humans across five languages, finding that humans speak at around three syllables per second to their pets, compared to four syllables when talking to other humans.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·October 1, 2024·3 min read

BRAIN Initiative Launches Major Data Release to Map Brain Cells

The BRAIN Initiative® Cell Atlas Network (BICAN) has released its first major dataset, providing single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles from human, mouse, and other mammalian brain cells. This open-access release is designed to accelerate neuroscience research, offering raw data that will help define brain cell types and their molecular characteristics.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 21, 2024·5 min read

Neuroticism Alters How Personality Affects Self-Control

Personality traits like conscientiousness and extraversion are linked to higher self-control, while neuroticism can weaken this effect, especially in specific types of self-control like resisting temptation or initiating proactive behaviors. A study involving 480 military cadets reveals that neuroticism moderates the relationship between other personality traits and self-control, suggesting that the interaction effects differ based on the type of self-control. These findings could inform strategies for selecting individuals for roles requiring high self-control and designing interventions for personal growth.

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·July 15, 2024·6 min read

OpenScope Project Unveils Brain’s Secrets

The OpenScope program is investigating neural activity through four new projects, exploring topics like psilocybin's effects, motion perception, visual texture recognition, and subtle changes in appearance. By using advanced imaging techniques in mice, researchers aim to understand how the brain processes these complex functions.

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·June 27, 2024·2 min read

Hypothalamus Key in Switching Between Survival Behaviors

The hypothalamus helps humans switch between survival behaviors like hunting and escaping. Researchers used AI-enhanced fMRI scans to analyze brain activity in 21 participants playing a survival game. They found distinct hypothalamus activity patterns linked to behavior switching. This discovery highlights the hypothalamus's crucial role in survival strategies.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 20, 2024·4 min read

Decision Speed Reveals Hidden Social Preferences

People can infer hidden social preferences by observing how quickly others make decisions. The study used the Dictator Game to show that decision speed, even without knowing the actual choices, can predict preferences. This finding challenges the notion that only choices reveal social preferences. Incorporating response times into predictive models offers a more nuanced understanding of human behavior.

This shows emoji faces and a person's hand.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 12, 2024·4 min read

Tactile Emoticons Boost Social Media Communication

Incorporating tactile emoticons into social media interactions enhances feelings of support and approval. Participants using a mock platform preferred receiving feedback through both visual and tactile cues over visual-only feedback. Tactile feedback, such as a stroke on the forearm, conveyed additional emotional context. The findings suggest touch can improve digital communication, informing future technology developments.