Childhood Trauma May Rewire Brain for Lifelong Aggression

Key Questions Answered: Q: What brain region is being studied to understand aggression?A: Researchers are focusing on the thalamic nucleus reuniens, which connects memory, emotion, and decision-making areas of the…

Could Mental Illness Begin Before You’re Born?

Key Questions Answered: Q: When do genes linked to mental illness start affecting the brain?A: Many genes associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases are active during the earliest stages of…

Discovering Life’s Meaning Through Emotion and Exploration

Key Questions Answered: Q: What is the “Geographic Model of Meaning in Life”?A: It’s a conceptual framework proposing that life’s meaning is not fixed but emerges as individuals explore their…

Old Injuries Rewire the Brain to Feel Fear and Pain Forever

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,…

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,…

Why the Psychopathic Brain Struggles With Emotion and Control

Summary: New research reveals how structural brain connectivity shapes psychopathic traits and externalizing behaviors. Using advanced connectome modeling, scientists identified two key networks: one tied to impaired emotional processing, the…

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…