Summary: A new analysis shows that anti-inflammatory medications may help reduce symptoms for a subset of people with depression who also have chronic, low-grade inflammation. By reviewing randomized controlled trials…
Category: Neuroscience
Reading Habits Predict Hidden Biases Toward Autism
Summary: A new study shows that the newspapers people read are strong predictors of their automatic, unconscious biases toward autism—even after accounting for age, education, political views, and personal experience.…
Nicotine Withdrawal Makes Smokers More Sensitive to Pain
Summary: A new study shows that abstinent smokers experience heightened pain sensitivity linked to altered activity in specific brain regions. Compared to nonsmokers, abstinent smokers required more postoperative pain relief—especially…
PTSD Linked to Accelerated Brain Aging
Summary: A new study using advanced deep-learning brain age estimation shows that World Trade Center responders with PTSD exhibit signs of accelerated brain aging. Using BrainAgeNeXt, a model trained on…
Blocking a Key Protein Greatly Reduces Alzheimer’s Damage
Summary: New findings show that removing Centaurin-α1, a protein elevated in Alzheimer’s disease, significantly reduces inflammation, plaque buildup, and cognitive deficits in a well-established mouse model. Eliminating this protein normalized…
Warmth and Hugging Strengthen the Feeling of Being You
Summary: Changes in skin temperature play a key role in how strongly we experience our bodies as our own. Thermoception influences emotion, identity, and mental health by acting as a…
Growing Fear of Nature: Study Reveals Causes of Rising Biophobia
Summary: An increasing number of people experience fear, discomfort, or disgust toward nature—a phenomenon known as biophobia. The findings reveal that negative emotions form through both external factors such as…
Mental Illness Can Also Bring Strengths
Summary: Mental illness is typically defined by its challenges, but growing evidence shows it is also linked to surprising strengths. Certain psychological conditions are associated with enhanced creativity, social sensitivity,…
AI Is Changing the Way Humans Grieve, Remember, and Face Death
Summary: Generative artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping how humans process grief, remembrance, and mortality. Digital reconstructions of the deceased may offer comfort, but they also risk blurring the natural boundary…
Cognitive Profiles in Schizophrenia Are Being Ignored
Summary: A major scientific review reveals a deep knowledge gap in how cognition is affected when schizophrenia and personality disorders occur together. Despite the high prevalence and severe outcomes tied…
