Your Psychology Psychology articles and news

New research in rodents reveals for the first time how dopamine changes the function of the brain’s prefrontal cortex. Researchers found that dopamine has little effect on individual cells. Instead, it generates sustained activity in the ensemble of ce…

New research reveals the impact of poverty on children’s brain activity. Researchers studied the brain function of children aged between four months and four years in rural India, and compared their results with children from families in Midwest Americ…

A new longitudinal cohort study has confirmed a link between experiencing mental health problems throughout adulthood and having poorer memory in midlife.

New research in nonhuman primates shows that heavy use of alcohol can actually slow the rate of growth in developing brains. The study, to be published April 1, in the journal eNeuro, shows that heavy alcohol use reduced the rate of brain growth by 0.2…

Neuroscientists have discovered a group of neurons that are responsible when a frightening memory re-emerges unexpectedly, like Michael Myers in every ‘Halloween’ movie. The finding could lead to new recommendations about when and how often certain the…

Major depression, obesity and chronic pain are all linked to the effects of one protein, called FKBP51. Researchers have now developed a highly selective compound that can effectively block FKBP51 in mice, relieving chronic pain and having positive eff…

New research has found a simple psychological technique that could reduce stress and anxiety and make people happier in just 12 minutes.

Can music soothe pain? A new study in mice finds that listening to Mozart alongside taking standard pain medication works better than drugs alone.

Researchers have linked disruption of a child’s gastrointestinal microbiome triggered by early-life adversity — such as parental separation — with activity in the regions of the brain associated with emotional health.

In this Spotlight feature, we look at the benefits of practicing meditation or mindfulness, and we weigh up some of the potential unwanted effects.