THEPSYCHOLOGYTURKEY

Researchers have developed a small, soft, flexible implant that relieves pain on demand and without the use of drugs. The first-of-its-kind device could provide a much-needed alternative to opioids and other highly addictive medications. It works by softly wrapping around nerves to deliver precise, targeted cooling, which numbs nerves and blocks pain signals to the brain. After the device is no longer needed, it naturally absorbs into the body -- bypassing the need for surgical extraction. http://dlvr.it/ST7wWj

A collaboration between a former cosmologist and a computational neuroscientist generates a new way to identify essential connections between brain cells. http://dlvr.it/ST7wVP

Researchers have developed a novel approach to treating eating disorders. The scientists showed that a group of nerve cells in the hypothalamus (so-called AgRP, agouti-related peptide neurons) control the release of endogenous lysophospholipids, which in turn control the excitability of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex, which stimulates food intake. http://dlvr.it/ST1VW3

Researchers have discovered electrical brain-wave patterns given off during social interactions in mice. They also observed that mice showing signs of stress, depression, or autism lacked these brain waves. The results reveal more about the mechanics underlying brain activity when socializing. http://dlvr.it/SSxK3R

Severe 'brain bleeds' experienced by some babies in the first year following their birth can lead to long-term sight problems, researchers have found as part of a ten-year follow-up study. http://dlvr.it/SSnpJ6

The neural and cognitive complexity of the octopus could originate from a molecular analogy with the human brain, according to a new study. The research shows that the same 'jumping genes' are active both in the human brain and in the brain of two species, Octopus vulgaris, the common octopus, and Octopus bimaculoides, the Californian octopus. http://dlvr.it/SSnPv4

Researchers have developed a mathematical model of motor learning that reflects the motor learning process in the human brain. Their findings suggest that motor exploration -- that is, increased variability in movements -- is important when learning a new task. These results may lead to improved motor rehabilitation in patients after injury or disease. http://dlvr.it/SSmvZK

Researchers have discovered two important novel aspects of the gene: 1) human genetic background inherited with APOE4 is unique to APOE4 patients and 2) the mechanistic defects due to APOE4 are unique to human cells. http://dlvr.it/SSl96h

Breathing in polluted air could lead to toxic particles being transported from lungs to brain, via the bloodstream -- potentially contributing to brain disorders and neurological damage, a new study reveals. http://dlvr.it/SSktHc

Scientists map prominent differences in the neural circuits of mice, monkeys, and human. http://dlvr.it/SSkX9V

Researchers conducted studies to explain the neural mechanisms of the pons-corticolimbic network in perpetuating sad mood in depression. http://dlvr.it/SSg8RJ

A new study finds that having a portable air cleaner in the home can reduce the negative impacts of air pollution on brain development in children. Scientists are studying the benefits of using air filters to reduce exposure to air pollution during pregnancy, and assessed the impact on children's intelligence. http://dlvr.it/SSg8Px

Following trauma, feeling detached from one's surroundings may suggest a higher risk of later developing serious mental health conditions. It's important to screen for feeling detached to identify patients who might benefit from preventive care. http://dlvr.it/SSfjMT

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease of the nervous system. It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord called motor neurons. Motor neurons control muscle movement and ALS causes them to deteriorate and eventually die. The motor neurons lose the ability to send messages to the muscles in the body, affecting voluntary muscle movements. There have been recent advances in treating ALS, but current treatments can only slow disease progression. That is why it is important to diagnose ALS as early as possible. http://dlvr.it/SSc5nQ

New research provides insights into a neural mechanism involved in how the brain interprets sensory information. The research may have applications for treating brain disorders and designing artificial intelligence. http://dlvr.it/SSbkyP

It has long been thought that when walking is combined with a task -- both suffer. Researchers have now found that this is not always the case. Some young and healthy people improve performance on cognitive tasks while walking by changing the use of neural resources. http://dlvr.it/SSbkwg

A single MRI scan of the brain could be enough to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. http://dlvr.it/SSWxsg

Scientists have discovered that an injury to one part of the brain changes the connections between nerve cells across the entire brain. http://dlvr.it/SSRFlm

Researchers found that recordings from the retina could identify distinct signals for both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), providing a potential biomarker for each condition. http://dlvr.it/SSQlWX

More than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, scientists have become increasingly aware of a group of patients -- so-called 'long haulers' -- who remain plagued by a combination of symptoms long after the infection passes. In a new study, researchers describe their findings related to their multidisciplinary clinical work in this area. http://dlvr.it/SSQlTZ

Researchers have found that even the oldest adults can benefit from a game-like intervention that targets cognitive and physical function by combining body movement with tasks that stimulate frontal, temporal, and occipital brain activity to prevent age-associated declines. http://dlvr.it/SSNDrS

Higher exposure to air pollution is associated with higher functional brain connectivity among several brain regions in preadolescents, while exposure to traffic noise was not, according to a study. The findings also identify the first years of life as the most sensitive period of exposure to air pollution. http://dlvr.it/SSNDd9

A new study reveals that opioid analgesic fentanyl may induce autism-like behaviors in young male and female mice. The findings indicate that reduced expression of the gene Grin2b in the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain following fentanyl treatment accounts for the autism-like behavior in the mice. However, there is no current evidence that fentanyl is associated with a similar effect in humans. The outcomes of the animal study are not an indication to avoid fentanyl in clinical use. http://dlvr.it/SSNDLs

Stress -- in the form of traumatic events, job strain, everyday stressors and discrimination -- accelerates aging of the immune system, potentially increasing a person's risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and illness from infections such as COVID-19, according to a new study. The research could help explain disparities in age-related health, including the unequal toll of the pandemic, and identify possible points for intervention. http://dlvr.it/SSND3f

A new study finds that the more a person stares at themself while talking with a partner in an online chat, the more their mood degrades over the course of the conversation. Alcohol use appears to worsen the problem, the researchers found. http://dlvr.it/SSND2h

In the United States, substance use disorders are a leading cause of death among young people. Treatments such as deep brain stimulation hold promise for helping people overcome addiction, but many questions remain about what brain areas should be targeted. Researchers are gaining new insights from patients who are no longer addicted to nicotine after experiencing a brain lesion, such as a stroke. Using a new technique known as lesion network mapping, researchers have mapped addiction remission to entire brain circuits rather than specific brain regions, pointing to new targets for treatment. http://dlvr.it/SSB425

Researchers propose a new method to differentiate signals from the epileptic focus from those recorded in other parts of the brain without the presence of an epileptic seizure. This technique may help detect epilepsy-induced features from these signals much quicker than conventional analysis techniques. http://dlvr.it/SS9W22

New research has shown that normal human brain temperature varies much more than we thought, and this could be a sign of healthy brain function. The new study has produced the first 4D map of healthy human brain temperature. This map overturns several previous assumptions and shows the remarkable extent to which brain temperature varies by brain region, age, sex, and time of day. http://dlvr.it/SS761C

Researchers might have found an explanation for why people with self-injury behavior generally feel less pain than others. The key seems to be a more effective pain-modulation system, a discovery that can benefit people seeking help for their self-harm. http://dlvr.it/SS75zC

A new study finds a relationship between bed sharing, sleep and mental health. Adults who share a bed with a partner or spouse sleep better than those who sleep alone, according to a new study. http://dlvr.it/SRzhyp

Understanding how brain areas communicate is one of the oldest questions in neuroscience. Researchers used causal techniques to uncover how two neocortical areas in the brain communicate with one another and found that their influence on each other changes over much faster-timescales than previously thought. http://dlvr.it/SRzN0l

Transition to middle school can be a stressful time for adolescents. They must adjust to a new peer group and social environment while going through the developmental changes of puberty. A recent study looks at how emotional aspects of parenting can help youth better cope with peer stressors during this transitional period. http://dlvr.it/SRzMzD

Intestinal flora plays an important role in health -- including mental health. Researchers have shown that probiotics can support the effect of antidepressants and help to alleviate depression. http://dlvr.it/SRyyLj

Researchers have developed a tiny, flexible neural probe that can be implanted for longer time periods to record and stimulate neural activity, while minimizing injury to the surrounding tissue. The probe would be ideal for studying small and dynamic areas of the nervous system like peripheral nerves or the spinal cord. http://dlvr.it/SRyRwd

Researchers examining the brain at a single-neuron level found that computation happens not just in the interaction between neurons, but within each individual neuron. Each of these cells, it turns out, is not a simple switch, but a complicated calculating machine. This discovery promises changes not only to our understanding of how the brain works, but better understanding of conditions ranging from Parkinson's disease to autism. The findings are also expected to advance machine learning, offering inspiration for new architectures. http://dlvr.it/SRwWTV

Interdisciplinary study shows changes to brain structures associated with memory and cognitive function are directly linked to social isolation. The data shows that socially isolated people are 26% more likely to develop later dementia. The study has implications for health and social care policy, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. http://dlvr.it/SRsCG0

Neuroscientists identified three circuits in the thalamus that influence the development of motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. And by manipulating these circuits, they could reverse Parkinson's symptoms in mice. http://dlvr.it/SRrrdP

A new study in hamsters and human tissue samples provides a better understanding of how the pandemic virus causes depression, anxiety, and the loss of concentration known as 'brain fog' in patients that develop long COVID. http://dlvr.it/SRrPwZ

New findings highlight clear differences in grey matter for people with anorexia nervosa and point to the importance of early treatment interventions. http://dlvr.it/SRnTd2

A new study in mice finds that a gene therapy appears to correct a rare creatine deficiency disorder that commonly results in intellectual disabilities, problems with speech, involuntary movements and recurrent seizures. http://dlvr.it/SRnTZp

Researchers found that music with a groove can enhance executive function and brain activity in relevant brain regions. However, this effect was only observed in individuals who reported that the music elicited a strong groove sensation and who felt more clear-headed after listening. These findings could lead to new strategies for enhancing cognitive function in normal and patient populations, such as accessible and effective exercise programs (enriched exercise). http://dlvr.it/SRkn66

New research shows that brain changes in the size, white matter integrity and functional connectivity of the visual processing systems of six-month olds are evident well before they show symptoms of autism as toddlers. http://dlvr.it/SRkn5j

It is currently known that brain waves express synchronized activity of tens of thousands of nerve cells (neurons), so a normal increase in wave intensity expresses synchronized activity of different groups of neurons for the purpose of transmitting information. But why and how do these waves contribute to the proper transmission of information in the brain? A new study focuses on this key question. In the study, the researchers altered the level of synchronization in the area of the brain that transmits information. They then examined how this affected the transfer of information and how the area of the brain that received the information understood it. http://dlvr.it/SRkW0J

Scientists have made a breakthrough discovery about the development of the brain. This new information contributes to our understanding of how the part of the brain that makes humans more intelligent than other mammals develops, and offers insights into what causes intellectual disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders. http://dlvr.it/SRZjTG

High-resolution microscopy now enabled an international research team to enlarge the knowledge about species-specific differences of the architecture of cortical neurons. http://dlvr.it/SRZjQT

Researchers are conducting pioneering research into the concept that unpredictable parental behaviors, together with unpredictable environment, such as lack of routines and frequent disasters, disrupt optimal emotional brain circuit development in children, increasing their vulnerability to mental illness and substance abuse. http://dlvr.it/SRWtl4

A new study shows that patients diagnosed with IBD were nine times as likely to develop depression than the general population. In addition, their siblings who did not suffer from IBD were almost two times as likely to develop depression. Conversely, patients with depression were two times as likely to develop IBD, and their siblings without depression were more than one and a half times as likely to develop IBD. http://dlvr.it/SRW6GN

Brain scans of people taken while they performed various tasks -- and even did nothing -- accurately predicted whether they were politically conservative or liberal, according to the largest study of its kind. http://dlvr.it/SRW6Dr

Neuroscientists have been studying the formation of fear memories in the emotional hub of the brain -- the amygdala -- and think they have a mechanism. http://dlvr.it/SRSHFZ

MIT researchers have found that one key role of the neuromodulator noradrenaline, produced by the locus coeruleus, is to help the brain learn from surprising outcomes. http://dlvr.it/SRRqrW

Researchers analyzed the blood of Hikikomori patients and found key biomarkers for the condition included higher ornithine and long-chain acylcarnitine levels and lower levels of bilirubin and arginine. Further analysis was able to distinguish between hikikomori and healthy volunteers and even predict with high accuracy the severity of the condition. The team hopes their findings can lead to better specialized treatments and support for hikikomori. http://dlvr.it/SRRqQh

The study reports a novel neuron type in the hippocampus, defines its functional role in the brain, discloses its connectivity with other nerve cells and brain areas and progresses the understanding of brain circuits underlying fast brain waves that are often associated with memory. http://dlvr.it/SRRqPH