Fear Distorts Reward Decisions Differently for Women and Men

Summary: Fear can significantly influence women’s preference for immediate financial rewards over larger, delayed ones, a decision-making bias known as “delay discounting,” while men’s choices remain unaffected by their emotional…

Social Isolation Linked to Accelerated Aging

Summary: Researchers have uncovered a significant correlation between social isolation and accelerated biological aging, indicating that individuals with limited social connections are at a higher risk of premature mortality. Utilizing…

New research finds a direct communication path between the lungs and the brain

Credit: Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.001 University of Calgary researchers have discovered the lungs communicate directly with the brain when there is an infection. Findings show that the brain plays a…

Astrocytes Remember: A New Layer of Immune Memory Uncovered

Summary: Astrocytes, traditionally non-immune cells within the central nervous system, possess the ability to develop an immune memory, responding more vigorously to subsequent immune challenges. This groundbreaking study reveals that…

AI Matches Humans in Vocal Emotion Detection

Summary: Machine learning (ML) models can accurately identify emotions from brief audio clips, achieving a level of accuracy comparable to humans. By analyzing nonsensical sentences to remove the influence of…

Unlocking Potential: A Short Course Boosts Grit and Self-Belief

Summary: A novel method offers a promising approach to enhancing grit and self-belief. Through a pilot study involving 38 Norwegian students, this method, encapsulated in a 35-40 minute online course…

How much stress is too much? A psychiatrist explains the links between toxic stress and poor health − and how to get help

COVID-19 taught most people that the line between tolerable and toxic stress – defined as persistent demands that lead to disease – varies widely. But some people will age faster…

Serotonin-Producing Gut Bacteria in Newborns Shields Against Allergies

Summary: New research highlights the critical role of unique gut bacteria in newborns, producing serotonin to educate immune cells and prevent allergic reactions early in life. The study reveals that…

Paws for Thought: Dog Interaction Boosts Brainwaves and Relaxation

Summary: A new study highlights the psychological and neurological benefits of interacting with dogs, revealing that activities such as playing and walking with dogs enhance brain wave strengths linked to…

Brain Abnormalities in Children with Developmental Language Disorder

Summary: Researchers have discovered that the anterior neostriatum, a part of the brain linked with movement, shows abnormalities in children with developmental language impairments. This study utilized a novel computational…