Cannabis users experienced 14% more pain in the first 24 hours following surgery than non-cannabis users. Additionally, cannabis users consumed 7% more opioids post surgery. | Continue reading
Neurons derived from stem cells of combat veterans with PTSD react differently to stress hormones than those derived from veterans without PTSD. The findings shed new light on how genetics can cause some to develop PTSD following a traumatic event. | Continue reading
D-Cycloserine, an antibiotic used for the treatment of tuberculosis, increases the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation for those with major depressive disorder. | Continue reading
Daydreaming activates the hippocampus, inducing electrical impulses that help us to encode memories. | Continue reading
Some senescent (zombie) cells are embedded in young, healthy tissue and promote normal repair from damage, researchers say. | Continue reading
Pain neurons engage in direct cross-talk with goblet cells, or mucus-containing cells within the gut. During states of inflammation, pain cells stimulate goblet cells to release more mucus. Findings suggest the nervous system plays a key role in gut barrier maintenance and trigge … | Continue reading
Color perception can be affected by cultural influences, learning experiences, and our mother tongue. | Continue reading
Motivation influences neural networks associated with perception and impacts our decision-making skills. | Continue reading
Researchers have identified risk genes for adhesive capsulitis, also known as "frozen shoulder". Carriers of these genes are at a six-fold increased risk of developing frozen shoulder. | Continue reading
For the first time, researchers have captured in near-atomic detail the structure of a key part of the inner ear responsible for hearing. The results could pave the way for developing new treatments for those with hearing impairments. | Continue reading
Those with treatment-resistant depression showed significant improvement in symptoms and became more receptive to positive experiences following a one-week ketamine treatment regimen. | Continue reading
A new theory of consciousness suggests decisions are made unconsciously, then about half a second later, they become conscious. | Continue reading
A new study offers guidelines and methods for consistently generating high-quality, well-structured brain organoids. | Continue reading
Consciousness can not simply be reduced to neural activity alone, researchers say. A novel study reports the dynamics of consciousness may be understood by a newly developed conceptual and mathematical framework. | Continue reading
50% of a person's happiness is determined by their genetic makeup, researchers discovered. A new study considers the roles both nature and nurture play in a person's happiness. | Continue reading
Low to moderate stress can help build resilience and may reduce the risk of developing more serious mental health disorders including depression and anti-social behavior, a new study reports. | Continue reading
Rather than spending your free time browsing through social media or staring at your cell phone, researchers suggest taking a moment to just sit and think. Spending time alone with your thoughts can help problem-solving, enhance creativity, and improve overall well-being. | Continue reading
Researchers discovered how the TGF-beta protein controls the process by which hair follicles, including stem cells, divide and form new cells or orchestrate apoptosis. The findings could provide new treatment options for baldness and therapies to speed up wound healing. | Continue reading
A new AI algorithm used fMRI data to identify novel brain patterns linked to mental health disorders. | Continue reading
Researchers critique the latest findings on serotonin's role in depression and report people should maintain their current therapies to help control their symptoms of depression. | Continue reading
Researchers have developed a new implantable device that can "cool" nerves and provide on-demand pain relief for those suffering from neuropathic or chronic pain. | Continue reading
Defensive pessimism can help individuals, especially those who are more anxious, to improve positive thinking and decision-making. | Continue reading
Medications that block serotonin and dopamine enable the life extension effect of the FMO protein in C. elegans, even in the presence of the smell of food. | Continue reading
A new study reveals a link between brain activation, cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function in older adults. | Continue reading
Aggression toward members in an "outgroup" was associated with increased activity in areas of the brain associated with reward. Activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex impacted the level of aggression a person demonstrated against an outsider. | Continue reading
A new rat study exposed to everyday endocrine-altering chemicals, such as BPA during pregnancy, interfered with fetal brain development. | Continue reading
The highly dynamic, new "expanding hole" optical illusion can be perceived by 86% of people. The illusion is so good at deceiving the brain, it causes pupillary dilation as though we are walking into a darkened room. | Continue reading
Researchers discover the brain and immune system are directly linked through vessels previously thought not to exist. | Continue reading
A new computational model of the C. elegans neural activity serves to unmask the roles of different neurons. | Continue reading
Researchers explore the impact of different cultures and languages on the development of abstract thoughts in the brain, reporting those who grew up in different cultures and speak different languages form abstract concepts in the same brain region. | Continue reading
Anti-inflammatories may relieve pain in the short term, but blocking inflammation can lead to longer-term chronic pain, a new study reports. | Continue reading
Researchers reveal dopamine, a neurotransmitter commonly associated with reward plays a key role in social cognition and emotional recognition. | Continue reading
Musical training influences visual working memory, researchers discovered. The study found regions of the brain may share a common component that influences both visual and musical working memory. | Continue reading
The stress hormone cortisol reduces altruistic behaviors and alters brain activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in people with higher levels of empathy. | Continue reading
People who experience visual imagination have pupillary responses that optimize the amount of light hitting the retina and change in response to imagined items. This pupillary response does not occur in those with aphantasia. | Continue reading
An abundance of newly acquired mutations in the mutations that occur at an accelerated speed is a telling pattern of Alzheimer's disease, researchers report. | Continue reading
In other primate species, the brain areas that comprise the default mode network involve two systems that are not strongly connected to each other. The regions, one responsible for cognitive tasks and the other for the suppression of external events, appear to be only recently li … | Continue reading
Using electrocorticogram technology to capture brain waves, researchers found the meaning of what people imagine can be determined from brain wave patterns, even if the image differs from what a person is looking at. | Continue reading
The repetitive nature of days we faced during the COVID-19 lockdowns may have made our memories and time perception murky. Researchers report on how COVID-19 has impacted our memory, causing a pandemic memory fog. | Continue reading
Body temperature exerts a greater effect on longevity and lifespan than metabolic rate, researchers report. | Continue reading
Study reveals how psychedelic drug-induced changes in subjective awareness are rooted in specific neurotransmitter systems. | Continue reading
Lifting weights for just three seconds a day can have a positive impact on muscle strength, a new study reveals. | Continue reading
Cognitive deficits as a result of long-COVID can be significantly improved within 3 - 4 days following alternating non-invasive brain stimulation using microcurrents. | Continue reading
Up to 12% of adult drinkers experience anxiety during a hangover. Researchers examine how some are prone to feeling more anxious when experiencing a hangover. | Continue reading
Cannabis use leads to cognitive impairments that extend beyond the period of intoxication. | Continue reading
Norepinephrine is locally regulated in the visual cortex. More norepinephrine is released when and where visual information is processed. | Continue reading
A virtual rollercoaster ride in combination with EEG helped researchers determine how emotions are processed in the brain. | Continue reading
A popular hip hop song by Logic has led to an increase in calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and a reduction in suicide, a new study reports. | Continue reading