Summary: New research suggests that fluoxetine, commonly used as an antidepressant, may also help protect against infections and sepsis. Scientists found that the drug has antimicrobial properties and helps regulate…
Tag: brain research
Perfect Pitch Can Be Learned: Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs
Summary: Absolute pitch, once thought to be an innate ability or only attainable through early childhood training, may be learnable in adulthood. Researchers trained 12 adult musicians in an eight-week…
AI vs. Human Therapists: Study Finds ChatGPT Responses Rated Higher
Summary: A new study suggests that ChatGPT’s responses in psychotherapy scenarios are often rated higher than those written by human therapists. Researchers found that participants struggled to distinguish between AI-generated…
Cerebellar Serotonin Acts as a Brake to Reduce Anxiety
Summary: New research reveals that serotonin in the cerebellum plays a crucial role in anxiety regulation. Scientists found that mice with lower cerebellar serotonin levels displayed increased anxiety-like behaviors, while…
How the Brain Detects Novelty to Predict the Future
Summary: A new study shows that the cerebral cortex acts as a “memory machine,” constantly detecting novel stimuli to refine its predictions of the future. By imaging the auditory cortex…
Ketogenic Diet May Stabilize Mood in Young People with Bipolar
Summary: Researchers are launching a multi-site pilot study to assess whether a ketogenic diet, alongside standard medications, can stabilize mood symptoms in young people with bipolar disorder. The 16-week trial…
How CBD Modulates THC’s Impact on the Brain
Summary: Researchers have identified how CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors to mitigate the negative effects of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis. Unlike THC, which fully activates the receptor and…
How the Brain Overcomes Instinctive Fear and Adapts to New Threats
Summary: Researchers have identified brain mechanisms that help animals suppress instinctive fear responses when threats prove harmless over time. Using a visual threat model in mice, they found that specific…
Ancient Ear Muscles Reactivate When We Struggle to Listen
Summary: Humans have vestigial ear muscles that once helped our ancestors focus on sounds. New research shows these muscles still activate when we strain to hear in noisy environments. Scientists…
