Brain Coupling May Predict Psychosis

Summary: Individuals with the 22q11.2DS genetic deletion show unique patterns of brain activity and structure, which could predict their risk of psychosis. By studying brain “coupling” from childhood to adulthood,…

Dogs Detect Human Stress Smell, Affecting Their Mood and Choices

Summary: New research finds that dogs exposed to human stress odors make more ‘pessimistic’ choices, indicating a negative emotional state. The study shows how human stress affects dogs’ learning and…

Childhood Vision Loss Affects Sound Distance Judgement

Summary: New research reveals that individuals who experience vision loss before age 10 struggle more with judging sound distance compared to those who lose sight later in life. This difficulty…

Consciousness in AI: Distinguishing Reality from Simulation

Summary: A new study examines the possibility of consciousness in artificial systems, focusing on ruling out scenarios where AI appears conscious without actually being so. Using the free energy principle,…

Late bedtimes and not enough sleep can harm developing brains – and poorer kids are more at risk

Shorter sleep and later bedtimes are linked to potentially harmful functional changes to parts of the brain important for coping with stress and controlling negative emotions, our recently published research…

Research shows young infants use their mother’s scent to perceive faces

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Humans see the world through the five senses, but how and when the ability to integrate across the senses arises is debated. Research shows that humans…

New Technique Shows Promise in Fighting Brain Cancer

Summary: Researchers developed a new method, burst sine wave electroporation (B-SWE), to treat glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain tumor. B-SWE disrupts the blood-brain barrier more effectively than traditional methods, allowing cancer…

Mindfulness Can Induce Altered States of Consciousness

Summary: Mindfulness training can lead to altered states of consciousness, such as disembodiment and unity. Researchers found that participants were twice as likely to experience these states compared to a…

Mind-Bending: Psilocybin Reshapes Brain Networks for Weeks

Summary: A new study reveals that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, temporarily disrupts brain networks involved in introspective thinking, like daydreaming and memory. These changes persist for weeks,…

Overestimation of Opponents’ Immorality Fuels Political Divide

Summary: A study reveals that Democrats and Republicans overestimate how much the opposing party approves of clearly immoral acts like theft or animal abuse. This “basic morality bias” is evident…