Summary: A new theory suggests that psychedelics promote empathy, insight, and psychological flexibility by making the brain’s right hemisphere temporarily dominant over the left. Known as HEALS—Hemispheric Annealing and Lateralization…
Tag: neurobiology
Early Bonding Buffers Kids from Lasting Effects of Maternal Depression
Summary: A new study highlights the lasting impact of postpartum maternal depression and mother-to-infant bonding on children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes. Researchers found that early bonding can partially offset the…
Tiny Gene Fragment Key to Memory Revealed
Summary: Researchers have discovered that a nine–amino acid microexon spliced into the DAAM1 gene is critical for memory formation, functioning exclusively in neurons. Deleting this microexon in mice resulted in…
Chronic Illness Combinations Double Depression Risk
Summary: A new study reveals that people with multiple chronic physical conditions face a significantly higher risk of developing depression, especially when conditions like heart disease and diabetes co-occur. Researchers…
Why OCD, Tics, and ADHD Keep You Up at Night
Summary: People with obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs), chronic tic disorders (CTDs), and ADHD often suffer from significant sleep disturbances, and a new review suggests that disruptions in the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC)…
Does the TikTok Grounding Trend Really Improve Sleep?
Summary: Grounding, or physically connecting the body to the Earth, has gained traction as a wellness trend, now even through high-tech mats and sheets designed to replicate direct Earth contact.…
Verbal Abuse in Childhood Rewires the Developing Brain
Summary: New neuroscience research highlights how verbal abuse in childhood can alter brain development and increase the risk of mental health issues later in life. Children who are routinely shamed,…
