Linking Childhood Trauma to Mental Illness: Astrocytes Key to the Puzzle

Summary: The removal of excitatory synapses by astrocytes, triggered by stress hormones, can lead to mental illnesses induced by childhood neglect or abuse. The study reveals that synthetic glucocorticoids, or…

How Our Own Sleep Ratings Shape Our Next-Day Mood

Summary: According to a recent study people’s feelings about their sleep have a stronger influence on their well-being than data from sleep-tracking technology. Over 100 participants kept daily sleep diaries…

A Fresh Look at Free Will: Challenging the Libet Paradigm

Summary: A recent study challenges the long-standing Libet paradigm about free will. The team discovered that the EEG activity, dubbed readiness potential, registered before decision-making in Libet’s original experiment has…

Social Media Algorithms Distort Social Instincts and Fuel Misinformation

Summary: Social media algorithms, designed to boost user engagement for advertising revenue, amplify the biases inherent in human social learning processes, leading to misinformation and polarization. As humans naturally learn…

Bridging the Sex Gap: Personalizing Treatments for Mood Disorders

Summary: Researchers explore the advancements made in understanding sex differences in mood disorders since the 2016 NIH mandate to include sex as a biological variable in basic research. Their review…

Behavioral Parallels: The Shared Routes of Aggression and Psychopathy

Summary: Aggressive and psychopathic individuals have difficulty shedding hostile behaviors once they’ve adopted them, according to new research. A mathematical model applied to a task assessing hostile responses confirmed this…

Plasma Proteins Predict Mental Health Risk in Teens

Summary: Researchers discovered plasma protein-based biomarkers that could predict mental health risks in adolescents. These markers offer a potential for early detection of mental health issues, which currently afflict 10-20%…

Personal Music Choices Enhance Fitness Experiences

Summary: Personal music selection significantly improves the motivation, emotional response, and satisfaction of gym-goers. Participants choosing their own music were found to be more motivated compared to those for whom…

AI Traces Emotional Contagion – Neuroscience News

Summary: Researchers artificial intelligence (AI) to measure the risk of “emotional contagion” among relationship professionals, such as social workers and psychologists. This emotional contagion, an unconscious transfer of emotions, can…

Journeys Beyond: Contrasting Psychedelic Trips and Near-Death Experiences

Summary: A research study scrutinizes the parallels and differences between a near-death experience (NDE) during a coma and the experience induced by a potent psychedelic drug, 5-Methoxy-DMT (5MeO-DMT). The researchers…