Home » Archives by category » Psychology news (Page 657)

Study of sleeping fur seals provides insight into the function of REM sleep

All land mammals and birds have two types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (also called slow-wave sleep). Earlier evidence had suggested that REM sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being and learning, but the underlying funct…

Normal eye dominance is not necessary for restoring visual acuity in amblyopia

Research published today may lead to changes in how amblyopia is treated, particularly in adults. The research shows that eye dominance and visual acuity are controlled by different areas of the brain, and that one can be corrected without correcting t…

In building the brain, cell pedigree matters

Research in mice shows that a protein made by the stem cells that give rise to neurons, but not by neurons themselves, is key to brain cells’ ability to migrate during development and assume their proper positions This primordial protein acts by clingi…

Sharing spaces: Your brain considers other people’s personal space as your own

Peripersonal space (PPS) is the area immediately around your body used when interacting with people and objects. Recently, researchers have shown that some neurons in the primate brain respond to an infringement of another individual’s PPS as if their …

Negative vs. positive social media experiences and depressive symptoms

Negative experiences on social media carry more weight than positive interactions when it comes to the likelihood of young adults reporting depressive symptoms, according to a new analysis. The finding may be useful for designing interventions and clin…

Immunization with beneficial bacteria makes brain more stress resilient

Rats immunized weekly for three weeks with beneficial bacteria showed increased levels of anti-inflammatory proteins in the brain, more resilience to the physical effects of stress, and less anxiety-like behavior. If replicated in humans, researchers s…

Human drug addiction behaviors tied to specific impairments in 6 brain networks

Systematic review of task-related neuroimaging studies found addicted individuals demonstrate increased activity in these networks during drug-related processing but decreases across all other functions.

Link found between neurotransmitter imbalance, brain connectivity in those with autism

Researchers have identified a link between a neurotransmitter imbalance and brain connectivity between regions of the brain that play a role in social communication and language. The study found two tests that could lead to more precise medical treatme…

How the brain performs flexible computations

Neuroscientists have found that by analyzing neural activity using a mathematical concept known as a dynamical system, they can accurately model how the brain performs tasks that require flexible timing.

A typical communication pattern of people with Alzheimer’s disease

Dementia, in any form, is a heartbreaking disease that can take away one’s thinking and judgement abilities before they pass. To save face, people with dementia often pretend to know answers to questions, even if they really don’t. This often hides the…