THEPSYCHOLOGYTURKEY

Researchers used fMRI and a genetic mouse model to study the effects of a neurotransmitter on brain network functional connectivity, a dynamic process crucial for human health and behavior. http://dlvr.it/SPXW01

Women's elevated anxiety, depression and stress during pregnancy altered key features of the fetal brain, which subsequently decreased their offspring's cognitive development at 18 months. These changes also increased internalizing and dysregulation behaviors, according to a new study. Researchers followed a cohort of 97 pregnant women and their babies. The findings further suggest that persistent psychological distress after the baby is born may influence the parent-child interaction and infant self-regulation. http://dlvr.it/SPVdxz

Researchers found animals that had taken methylphenidate performed better on a visual task of attention, and that the improvement happened exactly when that same metric of neuron activity shifted. http://dlvr.it/SPVdvP

Researchers have identified a specific neuropeptide and a neural circuit that transmit pleasant touch from the skin to the brain. The findings eventually may help scientists better understand and treat disorders characterized by touch avoidance and impaired social development. http://dlvr.it/SPTNp0

Scientists have been able to demonstrate that nerve signals are exchanged between arteries and the brain in atherosclerosis. http://dlvr.it/SPTNhP

Seven hours is the ideal amount of sleep for people in their middle age and upwards, with too little or too much little sleep associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health, say researchers. http://dlvr.it/SPRM4K

Researchers have shown how chronic pain leads to maladaptive anxiety in mice, with implications for treatment of chronic pain-related psychiatric disorders in humans. http://dlvr.it/SPMTT8

Researchers are studying why neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as apathy and irritability, appear in most Alzheimer's disease patients before the onset of memory loss. http://dlvr.it/SPM1TN

Under propofol general anesthesia very slow frequency traveling waves transform and dominate, redirecting and disrupting the higher frequency traveling waves associated with conscious function. http://dlvr.it/SPM1Pm

A new study found a 'bi-directional' relationship between gastrointestinal issues and internalized symptoms in children and adolescents with autism -- meaning the symptoms seem to be impacting each other simultaneously. The findings could influence future precision medicine research aimed at developing personalized treatments to ease pain for individuals with autism experiencing gastrointestinal issues. http://dlvr.it/SPJJ9R

Fearful events negatively impact the brain. For instance, war veterans often go through post-traumatic stress disorder months after the cessation of the triggering event. Now, the precise mechanism of suppression of such fearful memories has been uncovered. Using a mouse model, the researchers identified the associated biochemical pathways, thus paving the way for the development and clinical evaluation of therapeutic compounds such as KNT-127. http://dlvr.it/SPD15P

For years, the brain has been thought of as a biological computer that processes information through traditional circuits, whereby data zips straight from one cell to another. While that model is still accurate, a new study shows that there's also a second, very different way that the brain parses information: through the interactions of waves of neural activity. The findings help researchers better understand how the brain processes information. http://dlvr.it/SP4JHK

New research has revealed how fungus blocks and bursts blood vessels in the brain, helping scientists better understand how meningitis starts. http://dlvr.it/SP3LJN

Abnormalities in a type of brain cell called astrocytes may play a pivotal role in causing some behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, according to a preclinical study. http://dlvr.it/SP1XNS

With a comprehensive map of the wiring, researchers can now discern what information flows into the circuit to enable a key brain function. http://dlvr.it/SP0tRt

Immune cell responses to bacteria affect the intrinsic excitability of rat neuronal subtypes differently. Calcium-activated SK channels in pyramidal cells were modulated by microglia and upregulated, while they were downregulated in Purkinje cells. http://dlvr.it/SP0Rsq

Scientists describe novel methods for inferring the movement of human brain cells during fetal development by studying healthy adult individuals who have recently passed away from natural causes. http://dlvr.it/SNy1ML

Scientists used pharmacogenetic techniques to identify a dedicated neural circuit comprising the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. The activation of this circuit in the first few hours of sepsis induces anxious behavior two weeks after the infection has cleared. This behavior observed in mice mimics the post-traumatic stress disorder observed in patients recovering from sepsis. http://dlvr.it/SNwrxJ

In addition to memory problems and other cognitive symptoms, most people with Alzheimer's disease also suffer from mental health issues. It has long been unclear whether these occur because of tissue changes in the brain, or whether they represent psychological reactions to cognitive symptoms. http://dlvr.it/SNsG2z

Genetic studies of children with hydrocephalus ('water on the brain') combined with mouse models indicate that in certain genetic subtypes, the condition arises due to abnormal neurodevelopment that disrupts mechanical stability of the brain. Treatment strategies need to optimize brain development beyond the current standard of simply draining brain fluid. http://dlvr.it/SNrhQw

Gut microbiota by-products circulate in the bloodstream, regulating host physiological processes including immunity, metabolism and brain functions. Scientists have discovered that hypothalamic neurons in an animal model directly detect variations in bacterial activity and adapt appetite and body temperature accordingly. These findings demonstrate that a direct dialog occurs between the gut microbiota and the brain, a discovery that could lead to new therapeutic approaches for tackling metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity. http://dlvr.it/SNfCWb

Authors lay out an ethical framework that assumes brain organoids already have consciousness. The paper argues that this framework is not exclusive to brain organoids and can be applied to anything that is perceived to hold consciousness. http://dlvr.it/SNc9pl

Unlocking the molecular mechanism of PTSD treatment. Scientists discover that modulating NMDA receptor activity is the key to successful treatment. http://dlvr.it/SNbWyV

Disulfiram is a drug used to treat chronic alcoholism. However, studies suggest that it also inhibits chemokine receptor signaling pathways that are associated with the regulation of anxiety in rodents. Now, researchers show that disulfiram can effectively reduce anxiety without causing any of the adverse effects that are linked to other anxiolytic drugs. Thus, disulfiram could potentially become a safe and effective anti-anxiety drug. http://dlvr.it/SNb498

Scientists have found that social connections influence the brain structure of rhesus macaques. Specifically, the number of grooming partners an individual had predicted the size of brain areas associated with social decision-making and empathy. http://dlvr.it/SNXSjm

The brain structure of patients with recent onset psychosis and depression can offer important biological insights into these illnesses and how they might develop. http://dlvr.it/SNWZW1

Scanning the brains of newborns, researchers have found that maternal exposure to poverty and crime can influence the structure and function of young brains even before babies make their entrances into the world. http://dlvr.it/SNStjj

Conduct disorder (CD) is a common yet complex psychiatric disorder featuring aggressive and destructive behavior. Factors contributing to the development of CD span biological, psychological, and social domains. Researchers have identified a myriad of risk factors that could help predict CD, but they are often considered in isolation. Now, a new study uses a machine-learning approach for the first time to assess risk factors across all three domains in combination and predict later development of CD with high accuracy. http://dlvr.it/SNSVgs

A new study suggests a key protein molecule plays a major role in the accumulation of brain cholesterol, triggering the development of Alzheimer's and supporting the use of peptide inhibitors as a therapeutic treatment target. The study found that mice, when treated with the peptide inhibitor, demonstrated 50% restored memory function, based on testing such as navigating mazes. http://dlvr.it/SNS29h

Researchers use manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to capture time-lapse images of the living brain. http://dlvr.it/SNP11X

Innovative brain-wide mapping study shows that 'engrams,' the ensemble of neurons encoding a memory, is widely distributed including among regions not previously recognized. http://dlvr.it/SNNXV7

A team of scientists has discovered how working memory is 'formatted' -- a finding that enhances our understanding of how visual memories are stored. http://dlvr.it/SNLGsX

Mutant mice are providing scientists with a new neurobiological framework to understand the brain changes observed in distractible humans who carry a common gene variant whose frequency has been associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The scientists demonstrate that mice that express the variant adopt an inattentive phenotype similar to that seen in humans. http://dlvr.it/SNBKHt

Frontotemporal dementia patients with extrapyramidal symptoms have brainstem atrophy and reduced metabolism in certain areas of the brain significantly more often than patients without extrapyramidal symptoms, a new study shows. This observation can facilitate differential diagnostics in frontotemporal dementia. http://dlvr.it/SN9fzp

A new study suggests that people with epilepsy associated with head injuries, especially the type not well controlled by medication, are more likely to have other health conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), back pain and headache that may result in them reporting a lower quality of life. Other conditions included chronic conditions like high blood pressure, sleep disorders, and behavioral health conditions such as anxiety. http://dlvr.it/SN9FqR

Researchers have identified the complete series of 10 factors that regulate the development of brain cell types in the visual system of fruit flies -- including in what order these neurons develop. The findings open new avenues of research to understand how brain development evolved in different animals and hold clues for regenerative medicine. http://dlvr.it/SN6PPW

An international team of researchers has created a series of brain charts spanning our entire lifespan -- from a 15 week old fetus to 100 year old adult -- that show how our brains expand rapidly in early life and slowly shrink as we age. The charts are the result of a research project spanning six continents and bringing together possibly the largest ever MRI datasets ever aggregated -- almost 125,000 brain scans from over a 100 different studies. Although not currently intended for clinical use, the team hopes the charts will become a routine clinical tool similar to how standardised paediatric growth charts are used. http://dlvr.it/SN643B

Scientists presents evidence that adults can generate new brain cells, and that this process is dramatically altered in patients with long-term epilepsy. The study details the presence of newborn neurons and an immature version of a related cell type, known as astroglia, in patients with epilepsy, furnishing new evidence of neurogenesis in adults and new insights into how immature astroglia might contribute to epilepsy. The study also opens an unexplored avenue toward the development of new anti-seizure medications for millions of people. http://dlvr.it/SN5925

Scientists use brain organoids to understand how a mutated gene affects brain development. http://dlvr.it/SN4Zkj

Researchers have discovered 15 'hotspots' in the genome that either speed up brain aging or slow it down -- a finding that could provide new drug targets to resist Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain disorders, as well as developmental delays. http://dlvr.it/SN2nyv

Faces and voices are more likely to be judged as male when they are angry, and as female when they are happy, new research has revealed. The study found that how we understand the emotional expression of a face or voice is heavily influenced by perceived sex, and vice versa. He said: "This study shows how important it is not to rely too much on your first impressions, as they can easily be wrong. "Next time you find yourself attributing happiness or sadness to a woman be aware of your bias and possible misinterpretation." http://dlvr.it/SN239B

Clinical awareness of connection between alcohol and dementia is paramount to providing the best patient care management. http://dlvr.it/SN1XgW

What happens when we smell a rose? How does our brain process the essence of its fragrance? Is it like a painting -- a snapshot of the flickering activity of cells -- captured in a moment in time? Or like a symphony, an evolving ensemble of different cells working together to capture the scent? New research suggests that our brain does both. http://dlvr.it/SMynrn

What smells we like or dislike is primarily determined by the structure of the particular odor molecule. A collaborative study shows that people share odor preferences regardless of cultural background. http://dlvr.it/SMyJCd

Very premature babies need extra oxygen and mechanical intervention to breathe, but this damages their lungs, causing a chronic lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). http://dlvr.it/SMxmzZ

In recent years, subcortical small-vessel disease has become an increasingly common cognitive diagnosis. Researchers have now shown that it is possible to identify patients with the disease by combining two biomarkers that are measured in spinal fluid and blood, increasing the potential for both treatment and development of medication. http://dlvr.it/SMrfJg

A potential link between inflammation and the structure of specific regions of the brain has been identified by researchers. http://dlvr.it/SMpPpB

Researchers have shown in detail how COVID-19 affects the central nervous system, according to a new study. The findings are the first comprehensive assessment of neuropathology associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in a nonhuman primate model. http://dlvr.it/SMnXFq