Summary: Personality tests like Myers-Briggs promise insight and self-discovery but often fall short of scientific reliability. Their appeal lies in fulfilling our psychological drive for identity and belonging, but many…
Tag: neurobiology
Music After Learning Boosts Memory, But Only at the Right Emotion Level
Summary: A new study reveals that listening to music immediately after an experience can enhance memory—if the emotional response is just right. Researchers found that volunteers who experienced moderate arousal…
New Drug Aims to Block Pain Without Addiction Risks
Summary: Chronic pain affects millions, but opioid medications bring high risks of dependence and side effects. Researchers have now pinpointed specific neurons in the amygdala that make pain feel unpleasant,…
Brain Study Reveals Circuit Controlling Depression and Anxiety
Summary: A new study identifies brain area 46 in the marmoset dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as a key regulator of mood-related behavior. When this region was inactivated, the animals showed less…
How Stress Types Differently Impact Brain and Behavior
Summary: Stress is a universal experience, but not all stress affects the brain in the same way. A new study in rats reveals that acute stress provokes anxiety-like behaviors, especially…
Education Gap Is Speeding Up Aging in Millions of People
Summary: A new study reveals that Americans with less education are aging faster than those with more schooling, and the divide has widened over the past three decades. Biological age—measuring…
Parenting strategies are shifting as neuroscience brings the developing brain into clearer focus
A friend offhandedly told me recently, “It’s so easy to get my daughter to behave after her birthday – there are so many new toys to take away when she’s…
Experimental Drugs Reverse Autism Symptoms
Summary: Researchers have identified hyperactivity in the reticular thalamic nucleus as a driver of autism-like behaviors in mice. This brain region, which gates sensory information, was found to be overactive…
“Eureka!”: Surprising Brain Clues Predict When Inspiration Will Hit
Summary: A new study has shown that the brain leaves subtle traces of creativity minutes before an “aha!” moment. By filming mathematicians solving difficult problems, researchers found that behavior grew…
Eight New Genes Linked to Schizophrenia Revealed
Summary: The largest exome-sequencing study of schizophrenia to date has uncovered eight new genes tied to the disorder. Two genes, STAG1 and ZNF136, were strongly implicated, while six others showed…
