Hungry Brain Rewrites Emotional Priorities
Summary: New research reveals that hunger can flip female mice from nurturing to aggressive—but only during specific hormonal phases. Scientists discovered that neurons controlling appetite (AgRP neurons) interact with a brain region linked to parental care, the medial preoptic area (MPOA). When mice were hungry, these neurons suppressed parental responses, prompting aggression toward pups. The […]
Long-Term Keto Diet May Damage Your Body
Summary: A new study reveals that while the ketogenic diet can prevent weight gain, it may cause severe long-term metabolic problems. Researchers found that mice on a long-term keto diet developed fatty liver disease and impaired blood sugar regulation due to stressed pancreatic cells. These issues were especially pronounced in males, though females showed partial […]
Hearing Voices May Stem from the Brain Misreading Its Own Inner Speech
Summary: A new study reveals that auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may arise when the brain fails to recognize its own inner voice as self-generated. Normally, the brain predicts the sound of one’s inner speech and dampens auditory responses accordingly, but this prediction breaks down in people who hear voices. EEG readings showed that instead of […]
What Makes Certain Memories Impossible to Forget?
Summary: Scientists are asking the public to share their most vivid memories to uncover why some moments feel as fresh as the day they happened. The project blends cognitive neuroscience with literature, examining how vivid memories are experienced, evolve with age, and even differ across centuries. Using AI tools, researchers will analyze thousands of responses […]
When a Hug Turns Dark: How Manipulative Partners Use Touch
Summary: Touch can strengthen bonds and calm stress, but not all affection is sincere. A new study reveals that people with “dark triad” traits—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism—often use physical touch to control or manipulate their romantic partners. Women with these traits were more likely to use touch manipulatively while disliking being touched themselves, whereas anxious […]
Tobacco and Cannabis Together Alter Brain’s “Bliss Molecule” System
Summary: People who use both cannabis and tobacco show unique brain chemistry linked to higher anxiety, depression, and difficulty quitting. Brain scans revealed increased levels of FAAH, an enzyme that breaks down the brain’s “bliss molecule,” anandamide. This imbalance means less natural mood regulation and greater vulnerability to stress and relapse. The findings uncover a […]
Your Brain Navigates Mental Maps Differently Than Real Ones
Summary: When you picture a map in your mind, your brain uses different pathways than when you actually look at one. In a study on spatial attention, participants recalled the map of France and judged which city was closer to Paris. Brain recordings revealed that visual attention relied on posterior brain regions, while mental imagery […]
How the Brain Learns New Facts About Imaginary Worlds
Summary: Learning new information about the world—like details from a fantasy realm—engages brain regions distinct from those used to recall personal experiences. In a new study, participants learned fictional facts about imaginary civilizations and were later tested on what they remembered. Brain scans revealed specific areas that encoded semantic information about people and places, with […]
How Storytelling Style Shapes the Way the Brain Forms Memories
Summary: The way an event is described—through feelings or sensory detail—changes how the brain stores and recalls it. In this study, participants listened to stories that emphasized either conceptual details (thoughts and emotions) or perceptual details (sights and sounds). Brain imaging showed that these two types of narratives activated distinct memory networks, which later predicted […]
Theta Brain Waves Act Like Radar to Boost Visual Working Memory
Summary: New research shows that the brain’s ability to detect subtle visual changes—like spotting an anomaly on a security monitor—depends on theta-frequency brain waves (3–6 Hz) that rhythmically sweep across the cortex. These traveling waves act like a radar, scanning different parts of the visual field and influencing when and where attention peaks. The study […]