Home » Archives by category » Psychology news (Page 401)

‘Brain’s steering wheel’ in the brainstem of mice

In a new study in mice, neuroscientists have found neurons in the brain that control how the mice turn right and left. They hope that the new knowledge can be used in connection with motor disorders in humans.

Our ability to focus may falter after eating one meal high in saturated fat

Fatty food may feel like a friend during these troubled times, but new research suggests that eating just one meal high in saturated fat can hinder our ability to concentrate — not great news for people whose diets have gone south while they’re workin…

Presence of spouse alters how parents’ brains react to children stimuli

A study has revealed how the physical presence of spouses who are co-parenting can alter each other’s brain activity.

Are our brains hard-wired for longing?

A new brain imaging study of prairie voles — which are among only about 5% of mammalian species besides humans who are monogamous — found that when it comes to forming bonds, longing may be as important as being together. The study also sheds light o…

A ‘consciousness conductor’ synchronizes and connects mouse brain areas

New research shows that slow-wave brain activity, a characteristic of sleep and resting states, is controlled by the claustrum. The synchronization of silent and active states across large parts of the brain by these slow waves could contribute to cons…

How does the brain link events to form a memory? Study reveals unexpected mental processes

The brain has a powerful ability to remember and connect events separated in time. And now, in a new study in mice, scientists have shed light on how the brain can form such enduring links.

Lipid metabolism controls brain development

A lipid metabolism enzyme controls brain stem cell activity and lifelong brain development. If the enzyme does not work correctly, it causes learning and memory deficits in humans and mice, as researchers have discovered. Regulating stem cell activity …

The feeling a limb doesn’t belong is linked to lack of brain structure and connection

People with body integrity dysphoria (BID) often feel as though one of their healthy limbs isn’t meant to be a part of their bodies. They may act as though the limb is missing or even seek its amputation ‘to feel complete.’ Now, researchers have found …

See a 3D mouse brain with single-cell resolution

A manually constructed 3D atlas offers a cellular-level view of the entire mouse brain. This reference brain, called the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework (CCFv3), is derived from serial two-photon tomography images of 1,675 mice.

Sleep difficulties linked to altered brain development in infants who later develop autism

New research finds that sleep problems in a baby’s first 12 months may not only precede an autism diagnosis, but also may be associated with altered growth trajectory in a key part of the brain, the hippocampus.