Neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified a neural circuit in the amygdala, the brain’s seat of emotion processing, that gives rise to anxiety. Their insight has revealed the critical role of a molecule called dynorphin, which could serve as a target for treatment of anxiety-related disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Continue reading “Scientists show how brain circuit generates anxiety”
Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds
Using brain images of people listening to short symphonies by an obscure 18th-century composer, a research team from the Stanford University School of Medicine has gained valuable insight into how the brain sorts out the chaotic world around it. Continue reading “Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds”
Can’t get an image out of your head? Your eyes are helping to keep it there.
Even though you are not aware of it, your eyes play a role in searing an image into your brain, long after you have stopped looking at it. Continue reading “Can’t get an image out of your head? Your eyes are helping to keep it there.”
Increased stress on fathers leads to brain development changes in offspring
New research in mice has found that a father’s stress affects the brain development of his offspring. This stress changes the father’s sperm, which can then alter the brain development of the child. This new research provides a much better understanding of the key role that fathers play in the brain development of offspring. Continue reading “Increased stress on fathers leads to brain development changes in offspring”
Semiconductor quantum transistor opens the door for photon-based computing
Transistors are tiny switches that form the bedrock of modern computing; billions of them route electrical signals around inside a smartphone, for instance. Continue reading “Semiconductor quantum transistor opens the door for photon-based computing”
How a Mediterranean diet could reduce bone loss in osteoporosis
Eating a Mediterranean-type diet could reduce bone loss in people with osteoporosis — according to new research from the University of East Anglia. Continue reading “How a Mediterranean diet could reduce bone loss in osteoporosis”