Summary: The removal of excitatory synapses by astrocytes, triggered by stress hormones, can lead to mental illnesses induced by childhood neglect or abuse. The study reveals that synthetic glucocorticoids, or…
Category: brain research
How Our Own Sleep Ratings Shape Our Next-Day Mood
Summary: According to a recent study people’s feelings about their sleep have a stronger influence on their well-being than data from sleep-tracking technology. Over 100 participants kept daily sleep diaries…
A Fresh Look at Free Will: Challenging the Libet Paradigm
Summary: A recent study challenges the long-standing Libet paradigm about free will. The team discovered that the EEG activity, dubbed readiness potential, registered before decision-making in Libet’s original experiment has…
Microchip Links Brain, Spine and Body, Allowing Paralyzed Man to Move and Feel
Summary: In a historic clinical trial, researchers successfully implanted microchips into the brain of a paralyzed man. This pioneering procedure, combined with developed AI algorithms, has established a “double neural…
Bridging the Sex Gap: Personalizing Treatments for Mood Disorders
Summary: Researchers explore the advancements made in understanding sex differences in mood disorders since the 2016 NIH mandate to include sex as a biological variable in basic research. Their review…
Journeys Beyond: Contrasting Psychedelic Trips and Near-Death Experiences
Summary: A research study scrutinizes the parallels and differences between a near-death experience (NDE) during a coma and the experience induced by a potent psychedelic drug, 5-Methoxy-DMT (5MeO-DMT). The researchers…
Amotivation and Anhedonia Key to Social Functioning in Schizophrenia
Summary: Amotivation and anhedonia, rather than expressive dysfunction, are crucial to determining the social functioning of individuals with schizophrenia. The transdiagnostic network analysis examined the relationship between negative symptoms, other…
Investigating Stress Response in PTSD and Depression Through Gene Analysis
Summary: Researchers conducted an analysis of genes in nearly 575,000 brain cells from individuals with and without post-traumatic stress and major depressive disorders (PTSD and MDD), yielding new insights into…
