How We Filter Out Background Sounds When Speaking

Summary: Researchers have traced how the brain filters out background noise during speech using signals between the motor and auditory cortices. These milliseconds-long electrical signals, called auditory corollary discharge, originate…

Empathy Loss in Dementia Linked to Brain Activity Changes

Summary: Frontotemporal dementia, affecting about 3% of dementia patients in Sweden, is characterized by a loss of empathy that challenges patients and their families. Using functional MRI, researchers found that…

How Alcohol Increases Pain Tolerance, and Aggression

Summary: Alcohol not only raises pain tolerance but also amplifies aggression, according to a new study. Researchers found that participants who drank alcohol had higher pain thresholds and were more…

Masculine Ideals Double Suicide Risk in Men

Summary: Men who strongly adhere to traditional masculine ideologies, such as suppressing emotions and valuing independence, are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those with more…

Family History of Mental Illness Increases Aggression Risk in CTE

Summary: A new study reveals that individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and a family history of mental illness have a heightened risk of aggression during adulthood, particularly between ages…

Depression Linked to Increased Menstrual Pain

Summary: Depression may increase the risk of menstrual pain, or dysmenorrhea, through mechanisms such as sleep disturbances. Using genetic analysis, researchers found that depression likely causes period pain, rather than…

Finger Lengths May Reveal Insights Into Drinking Habits

Summary: The relative lengths of your fingers might be linked to your alcohol consumption patterns. Researchers found that individuals with longer 4th (ring) fingers relative to 2nd (index) fingers, indicating…

How Memories Shape Decisions and Future Well-Being

Summary: A new framework integrates psychology and economics to show how memorable experiences influence long-term decision-making. Their model separates the immediate utility of consumption from the lasting “remembered utility” derived…

Fitness Trackers Detect Mood Episodes in Bipolar Disorder with High Accuracy

Summary: Data from fitness trackers can detect mood episodes in individuals with bipolar disorder with up to 89.1% accuracy for mania and 80.1% for depression. Researchers used passively collected, noninvasive…

Feeling Beautiful Spurs Kindness and Generosity

Summary: A new study shows that enhancing one’s appearance, even virtually, increases prosocial behavior such as kindness and charitable giving. Participants who saw enhanced images of themselves were twice as…