Summary: Humans have a “hidden” sensory relationship with the environment that bypasses conscious hearing. A new study reveals that infrasound, sound waves below 20 Hertz (Hz), can physically alter our…
Tag: stress
Everyday Skills Protect the Developing Brain from Prenatal Stress
Summary: Building strong adaptive skills in early childhood, such as communication and self-care, can shield a child’s brain from the long-term impact of prenatal stress. Researchers used Superstorm Sandy as…
Cortisol Kill-Switch: Exercise Rewires Stress Biology
Summary: We’ve long known that a run can clear your head, but a landmark one-year randomized clinical trial has finally mapped the long-term biological “why.” The study is the first…
Stressed Out? Diverse Gut Bacteria Might Be to Blame
Summary: Does the community of bacteria in your gut determine how you handle a high-pressure situation? A new study provides fresh evidence that the human gut microbiome is intrinsically linked…
Double Shifts Wreck the Body’s Stress Rhythm
Summary: For most people, the “stress hormone” cortisol hits its lowest point at midnight, allowing the body to recover and rest. However, new research reveals that for nurses working double…
Direct Link Between Stress and Addiction Found
Summary: Why does a stressful day at work make a drink feel like a necessity rather than a choice? Researchers have mapped a previously unknown “direct line” in the brain…
Stress Shift: From Alarm Mode to Reflection in 60 Minutes
Summary: True psychological resilience isn’t about how “tough” you are in the heat of the moment—it’s about how your brain reorganizes itself once the danger has passed. A groundbreaking study…
Emotional Stress Triggers Instant Arousal From Deep Sleep
Summary: A new study uncovers a precise brain pathway that rapidly converts emotional stress into sudden wakefulness during NREM sleep. Researchers found that GABAergic neurons in the BNST activate glutamatergic…
Stress Levels Predict Cannabis Use
Summary: New research shows that rats with naturally higher baseline stress hormone levels are significantly more likely to self-administer cannabis vapor. Over several weeks, rats were allowed to nose-poke for…
