Quick Q&A Q: Can past injuries increase sensitivity to future pain or stress?A: Yes — this study shows that old injuries can prime the brain to overreact to new stressors,…
Tag: neurobiology
Intense Grief Can Raise Your Risk of Death by Nearly 90%
Summary: While grief is a natural part of loss, some people experience persistently high levels that can have long-term health consequences. A decade-long study in Denmark found that individuals with…
What Drives Women to Kill? Emotion & Threat, Not Psychopathy
Summary: Women who commit lethal violence rarely display psychopathy, instead acting out of provocation and perceived threats. A 15-year Swedish study of 175 cases found that about half of the…
Emotional Pain Brain Circuit Drives Cocaine Relapse
Summary: A new study reveals that a brain circuit driving negative emotions during cocaine withdrawal plays a key role in relapse. Researchers found that this “anti-reward” network becomes hyperactive during…
Inflammation Influences Cannabis’s Effects on Anxiety and Sleep
Summary: A new study shows that inflammation levels influence how cannabis affects anxiety and sleep quality. Researchers found no overall change in inflammatory markers after 4 weeks of cannabis use,…
Most Mental Illnesses Arise Without Family History
Summary: A massive Danish study shows that most mental illnesses—like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression—occur in people with no close family history of the condition. Analyzing data from over 3…
FoMO and Dark Personalities Drive Online Political Engagement
Summary: A large cross-national study examined how psychopathy, narcissism, fear of missing out (FoMO), and cognitive ability influence online political participation. Across eight countries, people high in psychopathy and FoMO…
Flavored Vapes Trigger Reward Centers Even Without Nicotine
Summary: A new study shows that some e-cigarette flavorings, like vanilla and cherry, can trigger reward-seeking behaviors in adolescent mice even without nicotine. Researchers found that these flavors alone could…
Genetic Link Between Cannabis Use Disorder and Mental Health
Summary: A large genetic study reveals that cannabis use disorder (CanUD) is strongly linked to increased risk for multiple psychiatric disorders, including depression, PTSD, ADHD, and schizophrenia. By analyzing global…
