Neuroimaging

A new study has found that first-time fathers experience significant cortical gray matter volume reductions, linked to stronger prenatal bonding and greater parenting engagement, but also associated with worse sleep quality and mental health issues.

New research has identified that neurons in the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB) are crucial for learning from negative experiences.

Researchers found that dopamine is crucial for social cognition, including understanding emotions and mental states. Dopamine imbalances, as seen in disorders like Parkinson's, directly cause social difficulties, suggesting potential for dopamine-based treatments to improve social skills.

The severity of autism symptoms is linked to brain overgrowth during early embryonic development, with larger brain cortical organoids correlating with more severe social and cognitive challenges in children with autism.

Exposure to extreme temperatures during early life is associated with alterations in children's brain white matter microstructure, particularly in lower socioeconomic status neighborhoods, highlighting potential vulnerability to climate change impacts.

Researchers have discovered that the microstructural complexity in specific prefrontal brain regions of infants is linked to higher negative emotionality and lower positive emotionality, providing early indicators of potential future mental health issues.

Researchers at the University of Rochester discovered rare retinal ganglion cells that don't align with known color detection pathways, suggesting these cells play a crucial role in the nuanced perception of colors beyond primary hues.

Researchers found significant improvements in brain activity related to inhibitory control in individuals with heroin addiction following 15 weeks of inpatient treatment, indicating potential for brain recovery and enhanced self-control in addiction treatment.

Table tennis players exhibit enhanced brain structure and function, with increased white matter integrity and improved cognitive performance, suggesting that the sport's demands can lead to significant neural and cognitive benefits.

New research has found that lower amygdala activation to sad versus happy faces predicts poorer treatment outcomes in difficult-to-treat major depressive disorder, suggesting the brain's positive emotional processing is key to recovery.

Neuroscientists found that the brain's reward system, particularly the orbitofrontal cortex, highly values the smooth texture of high-fat foods, linking this sensory input to economic valuations and influencing eating behavior.

Researchers found that acute stress induces a neurotransmitter switch from glutamate to GABA in the dorsal raphe neurons, leading to generalized fear.

When groups of people reach an agreement after discussing ambiguous movie clips, their brain waves become more synchronized, revealing how consensus impacts our neural activity.

Childhood trauma significantly disrupts brain networks involved in self-focus and problem-solving, leading to altered cognitive and emotional processing. These neural changes highlight the need for targeted therapies to support affected children's mental health and development.

Researchers found that the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT induces brain activity patterns in rats that resemble those seen during sleep, even while they are awake. This suggests a unique state blending wakefulness and sleep-like brain waves.