Home » Archives by category » Psychology news (Page 339)

Tiny high-tech probes reveal how information flows across the brain

A new study collected and analyzed the largest single dataset of neurons’ electrical activity to glean principles of how we perceive the visual world around us. The study captures the hundreds of split-second electrical signals that fire when an animal…

Treating moms with postpartum depression helps their babies’ brains

For the study 40 infants of women diagnosed with postpartum depression were matched with 40 infants of non-depressed mothers on infant age, gender and socioeconomic status. The mothers with postpartum depression received nine weeks of group CBT. The in…

How the brain learns that earmuffs are not valuable at the beach

Fast-spiking neurons in the basal ganglia allow monkeys to associate different values with the same objects based on the surrounding environment. Blocking input from these cells inhibited learning of new scene-based values, but did not erase already le…

Size of connections between nerve cells determines their signaling strength

Nerve cells communicate with one another via synapses. Neuroscientists have now found that these connections seem to be much more powerful than previously thought. The larger the synapse, the stronger the signal it transmits. These findings will enable…

Brain cell network supplies neurons with energy

Until recently, oligodendrocytes were primarily thought to be a kind of cellular insulating tape that accelerates the transmission of electrical signals in the brain. A study now shows that they are also important for the energy supply of neurons in so…

Where do our minds wander? Brain waves can point the way

Anyone who has tried and failed to meditate knows that our minds are rarely still. But where do they roam? New research has come up with a way to track the flow of our internal thought processes and signal whether our minds are focused, fixated or wand…

Study finds COVID-19 attack on brain, not lungs, triggers severe disease in mice

Researchers have found that infecting the nasal passages of mice with the virus that causes COVID-19 led to a rapid, escalating attack on the brain that triggered severe illness, even after the lungs were successfully clearing themselves of the virus.

Eggs reveal what may happen to brain on impact

Our brains consist of soft matter bathed in watery cerebrospinal fluid inside a hard skull, and in a new article, researchers describe studying another system with the same features, an egg, to search for answers about concussions. Considering that in …

Prenatal BPA exposure may contribute to the male bias of autism spectrum disorder

Autism has a higher prevalence in males than females. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common chemical found in plastics, our food, and even the human placenta. Higher prenatal exposure to BPA is thought to increase the risk of autism. Researchers have identifie…

Research identifies genetic risk factor for stroke

A team of researchers has identified a common genetic variant as a risk factor for stroke, especially in patients older than 65.