Key Questions Answered Q: Can empathy be learned through emotional reward?A: Yes. The study found that when someone else’s joy is consistently paired with personal reward, the brain begins to…
Category: brain research
Murder-Suicide Rates in U.S. Higher Than Previously Estimated
Key Questions Answered Q: How common are murder-suicide events in the U.S.?A: The study found an average of 820 deaths per year from murder-suicide events—higher than previous estimates. Q: Who…
Poverty Isn’t the Key Driver in Family Mental Health Struggles
Key Questions Answered Q: Does poverty amplify mental health problems between parents and children?A: The study found no evidence that poverty strengthens the relationship between parental distress and child mental…
Women’s Scent During Ovulation Alters Male Stress and Attraction
Key Questions Answered Q: What did the study find about female body odor during ovulation?A: Researchers identified three specific scent compounds that increase during ovulation and found they made armpit…
Childhood Trauma May Rewire Brain for Lifelong Aggression
Key Questions Answered: Q: What brain region is being studied to understand aggression?A: Researchers are focusing on the thalamic nucleus reuniens, which connects memory, emotion, and decision-making areas of the…
Discovering Life’s Meaning Through Emotion and Exploration
Key Questions Answered: Q: What is the “Geographic Model of Meaning in Life”?A: It’s a conceptual framework proposing that life’s meaning is not fixed but emerges as individuals explore their…
Old Injuries Rewire the Brain to Feel Fear and Pain Forever
Quick Q&A Q: Can past injuries increase sensitivity to future pain or stress?A: Yes — this study shows that old injuries can prime the brain to overreact to new stressors,…
Intense Grief Can Raise Your Risk of Death by Nearly 90%
Summary: While grief is a natural part of loss, some people experience persistently high levels that can have long-term health consequences. A decade-long study in Denmark found that individuals with…
What Drives Women to Kill? Emotion & Threat, Not Psychopathy
Summary: Women who commit lethal violence rarely display psychopathy, instead acting out of provocation and perceived threats. A 15-year Swedish study of 175 cases found that about half of the…
Inflammation Influences Cannabis’s Effects on Anxiety and Sleep
Summary: A new study shows that inflammation levels influence how cannabis affects anxiety and sleep quality. Researchers found no overall change in inflammatory markers after 4 weeks of cannabis use,…
