Study finds allele-specific open chromatin variants are likely to be linked to several neuropsychiatric traits and illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Read More
In socially awkward situations when a person is caught staring and averts their eyes, a third-party observer does not reflexively follow their gaze. The brain tells the observer there is no significance to the location where the embarrassed person has turned their attention. Read More
Children who experience early life adversity experience faster biological aging than children with no history of exposure to abuse. Trauma was associated with biological aging in early puberty, cellular aging, and alterations in brain structure. The findings may explain why children who experienced adversity early in life often suffer poor health as they age. Read More
Repetitive transcranial memory stimulation applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modifies the negative effects of fear memories. The findings could have implications for the treatment of PTSD. Read More
60% of authors say they can hear their characters' voices as they write. Some even say they could enter into a dialogue with their characters, and sometimes their characters 'talk back'. Researchers explore why this phenomenon occurs. Read More
During the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, people reported an increase in symptoms of depression, fear, anxiety, psychological trauma, and suicidal ideations. Read More
Vitamin D3 supplements do not help to lift mood in those who suffer from depression. Researchers say there is no significant benefit for vitamin D supplements to help prevent depression or to improve mood. Read More
Compared to typically developing children, those with disruptive behavioral disorders, characterized by antisocial behaviors and aggression, had less gray matter in the amygdala and hippocampus. Read More
Bipolar disorder affects about 1% of the population and typically begins during adolescence. Researchers explain the biological, psychological, and behavioral implications of bipolar disorder. Read More
Study reveals Google searches for information about financial difficulties and disaster relief increased significantly during March and April compared to pre-pandemic months, while searches related to suicide decreased. Previous research found financial distress was strongly linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Researchers warn that, despite the decrease in searches related to suicide directly, the increase in searches linked to financial hardship may be an indicator of increased death rates from suicide. Read More
Researchers have developed a new technique that can potentially link serial killer victims based on subtle facial similarities. The concept was based on the victims' notorious killer, Ted Bundy, selected for his crimes. The researchers found a number of the victims had similar facial geometrics than those randomly selected from a public database. The application of the research could be a new tool to help law enforcement working on unsolved cases, linking victims to known killers. Read More
Study reports that almost 30% of women and 17% of men experience major depressive disorder episodes over the course of their lives. Read More
