Summary: Researchers found artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots can significantly enhance physical activity, diet, and sleep patterns. The study, the first systematic review and meta-analysis of its kind, shows that chatbots…
Category: Life
Untangling the Ties Between Chronic Pain and Mental Health
Summary: A recent commentary underscores the complex relationship between chronic pain and mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. The interaction is revealed to be driven by a bi-directional feedback…
Negative Memory Replay Offers PTSD Insight
Summary: Scientists discovered that rats intensify their memories of negative experiences in familiar places by repetitively replaying them. This mental map, generated by specific neurons known as place cells, can…
Linking Childhood Trauma to Mental Illness: Astrocytes Key to the Puzzle
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…
How Insulin-Like Growth Factors Bolster Brain Plasticity
Summary: Researchers discovered a mechanism linking insulin-like growth factors (IGF) to brain plasticity. This study uncovers how IGF1 and IGF2 promote brain health and functionality, including learning and memory, through…
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…
Meet the beetles: Mealworms could be a food of the future
I have a special fondness for the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor. As a child, I fed the mealworm stage of this beetle to my pet chameleon. As a teen, I…
