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…
Category: Life
Playful behavior in rats is controlled by a specific area of their brains
Rats are extremely playful creatures. They love playing chase, and they literally jump for joy when tickled. Central to this playfulness, a new study finds, are cells in a specific…
7,000+ rare diseases remain untreatable. The genetic revolution and federal research funding offers hope for cures, but vaccine hesitancy and a lack of newborn screening pose hurdles
There are an estimated 7,000 known rare diseases affecting 30 million people; for 95% of them, there are no treatment options. That dire situation is expected to gradually improve as…
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…
How geometry solves architectural problems for bees and wasps
Honeybees and yellow jackets don’t look much like mathematicians — for one thing, they’re smaller. But collectively, the insects can solve a common architectural conundrum using a geometric solution that…
Mushroom hallucinogen sales booming despite reports of serious side effects
When a hemp dispensary in this Florida city started to stock edibles with certain mushroom extracts last year, state regulators quickly ordered it to stop selling the items. The shop…
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…
Balanced Parenting Is Key to Nurturing Harmonious Sibling Bonds
Summary: A new study suggests that equal treatment of siblings by parents fosters better sibling relationships. Analyzing retrospective reports of 325 college-age adults, the researchers found that parental differential treatment…
Glutamate Receptor Activation: A Potential Cure for Opioid Addiction?
Summary: Scientists discovered a potential new weapon in the battle against opioid use disorder (OUD), a condition that affects over two million people in the U.S. alone. The drug, ADX106772,…
Happily Ever After? How Films Portray Facial Surgery Outcomes
Summary: A new study scrutinizes the portrayal of characters with facial disfigurements in films, revealing inherent cultural biases and potential psychological benefits of plastic surgery. Researchers analyzed 48 characters from…
