Empathy Can Be Emotionally Conditioned

Key Questions Answered Q: Can empathy be learned through emotional reward?A: Yes. The study found that when someone else’s joy is consistently paired with personal reward, the brain begins to…

Murder-Suicide Rates in U.S. Higher Than Previously Estimated

Key Questions Answered Q: How common are murder-suicide events in the U.S.?A: The study found an average of 820 deaths per year from murder-suicide events—higher than previous estimates. Q: Who…

New Drug Targets Brain Glial Cells to Reverse PTSD Symptoms

Key Questions Answered Q: Why do PTSD patients struggle to forget traumatic memories?A: The study reveals that excessive GABA, produced by astrocytes via the MAOB enzyme, disrupts the brain’s ability…

Poverty Isn’t the Key Driver in Family Mental Health Struggles

Key Questions Answered Q: Does poverty amplify mental health problems between parents and children?A: The study found no evidence that poverty strengthens the relationship between parental distress and child mental…

Online Hate Speech Resembles Mental Health Disorder Language

Key Questions Answered Q: What did this study find about hate speech and psychiatric disorders?A: Posts in online hate speech communities show speech-pattern similarities to posts in communities for personality…

What You Expect Shapes How Much Pain You Feel

Key Questions Answered Q: How do expectations influence pain perception?A: Expectations shaped by external cues (like visual signals) and those shaped by treatment information (like placebo explanations) both reduce pain,…

Women’s Scent During Ovulation Alters Male Stress and Attraction

Key Questions Answered Q: What did the study find about female body odor during ovulation?A: Researchers identified three specific scent compounds that increase during ovulation and found they made armpit…

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…