THEPSYCHOLOGYTURKEY

Using MRI scans of almost 1,000 Dutch people, researchers show that there is indeed a connection between brain structure and ideology. However, the connection is smaller than expected. Nevertheless, the researchers find it remarkable that differences in the brain are linked to something as abstract as ideology. http://dlvr.it/TDV933

Neuronal pathways originating from the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of the brain participate in different adaptive behaviors, but which pathways are used for distinct adaptive strategies remains unclear. In a recent study, researchers from Japan conducted behavioral experiments on monkeys whose OFC pathways could be selectively silenced chemically. Findings demonstrate how these independent pathways are linked to experience-based adaptation and knowledge-based adaptation in primates. http://dlvr.it/TDTv5k

Signals in our brain are not always processed in the same way: certain receptors modulate these mechanisms, influencing our mood, perception, and behavior in various ways. One of these is the 5-HT2A receptor, which has a recently discovered unique characteristic: it dampens incoming visual information, giving our brain more space for internal processes and interpretations. This discovery could also help explain the effects of drugs like LSD. When this receptor is overactivated, external sensory input is suppressed, and the brain generates more internally-driven images. http://dlvr.it/TDTtnr

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking soft cortical device that could revolutionize the treatment of epilepsy and other neurological disorders. http://dlvr.it/TDSKMq

The superior colliculus is a midbrain region that is traditionally thought to help animals orient themselves toward important locations in space, like directing their eyes and head toward a bright flash of light. New research shows that this part of the brain also plays a role in complex cognitive tasks like visual categorization and decision making. http://dlvr.it/TDS7zQ

A study more closely links obesity to dementia, finding that leptin, a hormone that helps maintain normal body weight, is associated with better signal-transmitting brain white matter in middle-aged adults. http://dlvr.it/TDPbwN

Researchers published a study showing that several measurements of the brain, including blood flow and the brain's ability to compensate for the lack of it, are better predictors of mild cognitive impairment than risk factors like hypertension and high cholesterol. http://dlvr.it/TDPKtm

Using piezoelectricity, an engineering team developed wearable sensors to examine eye movement to assess brain disorders or damage to the brain. http://dlvr.it/TDPKct

Medical researchers conducted the largest-ever genome-wide association study of all-cause dementia, finding substantial genetic overlap with vascular dementia. http://dlvr.it/TDMK4S

Those mesmerizing blue and orange hues in the sky at the start and end of a sunny day might have an essential role in setting humans' internal clocks. A novel LED light that emits alternating wavelengths of orange and blue outpaced two other light devices in advancing melatonin levels in a small group of study participants. The finding appears to establish a new benchmark in humans' ability to influence their circadian rhythms, and reflects an effective new approach to counteract seasonal affective disorder (SAD). http://dlvr.it/TDKBpb

Researchers follow the dramatic changes that occur in the brain throughout the course of pregnancy. http://dlvr.it/TDKBd8

Contrary to common perceptions and years of research that autistic people can't describe their emotions or often have muted emotional responses, a new study concludes that many autistic adults are in fact acutely aware of their feelings and can label them in vivid, often colorful detail. http://dlvr.it/TDK15s

When surgeons perform brain surgery on people with brain tumors or epilepsy, they need to remove the tumor or abnormal tissue while preserving parts of the brain that control language and movement. A new study may better inform doctors' decisions about which brain areas to preserve, thereby improving patients' language function after brain surgery. The study expands the understanding of how language is encoded in the brain and identifies key features of critical sites in the cerebral cortex that work together to produce language. http://dlvr.it/TDK0qz

Scientists zeroed in on brain circuitry powering the desire of spiny mice to live in large groups, opening the door to a new model for the study of complex social behaviors in mammals. http://dlvr.it/TDK0bs

A technology which uses harmless light waves to measure activity in babies' brains has provided the most complete picture to date of brain functions like hearing, vision and cognitive processing outside a conventional, restrictive brain scanner. http://dlvr.it/TDGs3T

Each additional day of exposure to wildfire smoke and other extreme forms of dirty air boosts risk of mental illness in youth a little more, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study of 10,000 9 to 11 year olds. http://dlvr.it/TD9CnL

Young people with chronic pain are three times more likely than their peers to also have clinical anxiety or depression, a new review has found. http://dlvr.it/TD8wLd

Researchers have for the first time identified degeneration-associated 'molecular markers' -- observable changes in cells and their gene-regulating networks -- that are shared by several forms of dementia that affect different regions of the brain. Critically, the research also identified markers specific to different forms of dementia, and the combined findings represent a potential paradigm shift in the search for causes, treatments and cures. http://dlvr.it/TD78GD

With maps of the connections between neurons and artificial intelligence methods, researchers can now do what they never thought possible: predict the activity of individual neurons without making a single measurement in a living brain. http://dlvr.it/TD788Q

A study found that new monoclonal antibody drugs for Alzheimer's may slow cognitive impairment through boosting levels of a specific protein in the brain. http://dlvr.it/TD6fX5

Neuroscientists have revealed how sensory input is transformed into motor action across multiple brain regions in mice. The research shows that decision-making is a global process across the brain that is coordinated by learning. The findings could aid artificial intelligence research by providing insights into how to design more distributed neural networks. http://dlvr.it/TD6fHf

Researchers have published a novel study exploring the effects of delayed feedback on learning in individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of delayed vs. immediate performance feedback on learning in individuals with TBI and to examine the associated brain networks. http://dlvr.it/TD4Khp

Scientists have developed a new AI algorithm that can separate brain patterns related to a particular behavior. This work promises to improve brain-computer interfaces and aid with the discovery of new brain patterns. http://dlvr.it/TD2W9Q

A new study examines how the brain initiates spontaneous actions. In addition to demonstrating how spontaneous action emerges without environmental input, this study has implications for the origins of slow ramping of neural activity before movement onset--a commonly-observed but poorly understood phenomenon. http://dlvr.it/TD2Vwv

New research has found that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unusually accelerated brain maturation in adolescents. This maturation was more pronounced in females. http://dlvr.it/TD2Jc8

Investigators studying the nature of consciousness have successfully used a drug to identify the intricate brain geometry behind the unconscious state, offering an unprecedented look at brain structures that have traditionally been difficult to study. http://dlvr.it/TD2JC2

Medaka fish that lacked functional Hmgn2 genes were unable to distinguish between simple shapes, revealing a new function for the regulatory gene. http://dlvr.it/TCyTtT

Researchers are using works by Johann Sebastian Bach, along with MEG and MRI scans, to investigate how the brain compensates for age-related changes. http://dlvr.it/TCyJBQ

Scientists found that certain changes in neural activity predicted which patients would benefit from a type of cognitive behavioral therapy. http://dlvr.it/TCy4CK

Serotonin in depression is highly relevant in diagnosis, treatment, and drug development. To better study this area, a team has now developed a fluorescent probe for imaging processes that is highly sensitive and selective toward serotonin. http://dlvr.it/TCwlP4

Brain scans reveal that mindfulness meditation engages different neural pathways compared to placebo, demonstrating that pain relief from mindfulness meditation is not the result of the placebo effect. http://dlvr.it/TCwW0Q

A study on the effects of commonly used anaesthetic and sedative drugs on cerebrospinal fluid flow and volume has uncovered findings regarding their impact on the brain's vital glymphatic system. These findings may affect neuroanaesthesia practices. http://dlvr.it/TCtYsP

By repeatedly scanning the brains of a small group of patients for a year and a half, researchers have identified a distinct pattern of neuronal interactions that appears to predispose some people to developing depression. http://dlvr.it/TCt5yR

Researchers have developed ultra-flexible brain probes that accurately record brain activity without causing tissue damage. This opens up new avenues for the treatment of a range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. http://dlvr.it/TCsNPs

Most exercisers stop 'exer-gaming' when the program gets too tough or dull -- could sensors that tune into a person's emotional state reverse low adherence? http://dlvr.it/TCsMnP

Green Social Prescribing is the practice of supporting people with mental health needs to engage in nature-based activities. Referrals will typically come from GPs, community mental health teams, or social workers, but people can also self-refer. Social Prescribing Link Workers, and other trusted professionals, then connect people to community groups and agencies for practical and emotional support. There are many different types of nature-based activities and therapies, including conservation, horticulture and gardening, care farming, exercise and sports, or talking therapies in the outdoors. http://dlvr.it/TCqbRn

Researchers have designed, in mice, an approach to minimizing the damage from a spinal cord injury through the use of engineered immune cells. Mice given the treatment had improved recovery from injuries, demonstrating potential for developing the therapy for people. http://dlvr.it/TCqGtK

Resting brain stem cells hardly differ from normal astrocytes, which support the nerve cells in the brain. How can almost identical cells perform such different functions? The key lies in the methylation of their genetic material, which endowes these special astrocytes with stem cell properties. In mice, the researchers showed that experimentally induced lack of blood supply in the brain epigenetically reprograms astrocytes into brain stem cells, which in turn can give rise to nerve progenitor cells. This discovery shows that astrocytes could potentially be used in regenerative medicine to replace damaged nerve cells. http://dlvr.it/TCqGNf

The majority of mental health disorders manifest during adolescence and relate to a multiplex interplay of neurobiological and environmental factors. Instead of considering these factors in isolation, a newly developed manifold learning technique can model brain-environmental interactions, which vastly improves detection of existing mental health symptoms and prediction of future ones compared to current methods. The study underscores the importance of considering the adolescent brain in conjunction with the environment in which it develops. http://dlvr.it/TCnG8q

We all know the adage, 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks.' As we age, our ability to learn new skills, like mastering a foreign language or picking up a musical instrument, seems to fade. The culprit? A decline in brain plasticity - the brain's capacity to rewire itself and adapt to new challenges. But what if we could rewind the clock on this age-related decline? A new study offers a tantalizing glimpse into this possibility. http://dlvr.it/TCnFpM

Researchers have discovered how two brain areas, neocortex and thalamus, work together to detect discrepancies between what animals expect from their environment and actual events. These prediction errors are implemented by selective boosting of unexpected sensory information. These findings enhance our understanding of predictive processing in the brain and could offer insights into how brain circuits are altered in autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. http://dlvr.it/TCdSHt

A research team evaluated the reliability of human experts in comparison to an automated algorithm in assessing the quality of intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) data. http://dlvr.it/TCdHcr