AI Brain Model Reveals How Fear Works in Real Life

Summary: Researchers have developed an AI-driven brain model that can track fear as it unfolds in real-world situations, offering a major shift from traditional lab-based approaches. Classic fear studies often…

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…

Motherhood Flips Brain Switch That Triggers Aggression

Summary: Researchers discovered that female mice gain access to aggression after giving birth through a brain circuit usually dormant in non-pregnant females. The same neurons drive aggression in males but…

Oxytocin Protects Mood During Sleep Loss

Summary: New research suggests oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” may help protect women from mood disturbances caused by sleep disruption and hormonal changes during postpartum and menopause. In a controlled…

Oxytocin Powers Altruistic Responses via Parallel Brain Circuits

Summary: A new study reveals that mice instinctively display rescue-like behaviors toward anesthetized peers, offering powerful evidence that prosociality may be hardwired in mammals. Researchers identified oxytocin as a key…

Oxytocin Influences Social Behavior and Emotional Response

Summary: New research reveals how oxytocin profoundly influences social behavior and emotional responses in the brain. Animal models have shown how this hormone impacts social fear and how chronic stress…

Context Matters: Oxytocin Influenced by Context of Social Touch

Summary: The hormone oxytocin, which is released in social bonding and touch, functions like a dimmer switch, influenced by the situation, according to researchers. A study of 42 women found…