People with a severe, persistent form of schizophrenia show distinct differences in brain network organization compared with individuals who have less severe schizophrenia, with bipolar disorder, and with healthy volunteers, according to a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The research, led by scientists at the Campbell Family Mental Health … Read more

Summary: Clinical observations have long linked psychological stress with skin flare-ups, but the biological mechanism remained unclear. New research maps a direct neural route from the brain to the skin that explains how stress worsens atopic dermatitis (eczema). Analyzing data from 51 patients and multiple mouse models, researchers identified a distinct group of sympathetic neurons … Read more

Summary: A new study suggests that virtual reality can effectively encourage empathy, promote helpful behavior, and improve attitudes toward marginalized groups. Source: PLOS. Virtual reality (VR) may be an effective tool for fostering empathy, prosocial behavior, and more positive attitudes toward marginalized populations, according to research published October 17, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS … Read more

Increased brain plasticity in motor cortex distinguishes poor sleepers from good ones. Researchers at Johns Hopkins report that adults with chronic insomnia show greater neural plasticity and heightened activity in the motor cortex—the brain region that controls voluntary movement—compared with people who sleep well. These findings suggest insomnia involves persistent changes in brain function that … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that people perceive puppies as most adorable just before they reach ten weeks of age. Researchers note this timing coincides with the typical weaning period, when pups begin to separate from their mothers and become more dependent on external care. Source: Arizona State University Contrary to the popular idea that … Read more

Summary: Researchers have developed a compact, highly efficient thermoelectric device capable of restoring temperature sensations in amputees’ phantom limbs. Called the wearable thin-film thermoelectric cooler (TFTEC), this ultrathin device is lightweight, fast-acting, and energy-efficient. It holds promise for enhancing prosthetic feedback, creating new haptic experiences for augmented reality, enabling thermally-modulated medical therapies, and supporting industrial … Read more

Summary: Researchers at the University of Nottingham report that reversible chemical changes to RNA at synapses—specifically removal of methyl groups—may act as a synaptic tag. This process influences how neurons communicate and could play a role in reversible psychiatric conditions like anxiety and in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. Source: University of … Read more

Christmas festivities are now in full swing, with bleary heads aplenty. But what is the effect on our brains? Researchers are only recently making real progress in understanding how alcohol damages brain cells and disrupts normal brain function. “People have long said that alcohol ‘rots’ the brain, but to develop effective treatments for alcohol dependence … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that the visual environment in which a zebrafish develops influences its spontaneous brain activity and later behaviour. Source: University of Queensland. How early visual experience shapes spontaneous brain activity and behaviour The sudden arrival of a new idea is often described as a “lightbulb” moment. In neuroscience, spontaneous neural activity—brain activity that … Read more

Summary: New research from Washington University in St. Louis links maternal cannabis use during pregnancy to a modestly higher risk that a child will show signs of psychosis around age 10. The study also provides insight into how endocannabinoid signaling may influence early brain development. Source: Washington University in St. Louis Key finding: Pregnant women … Read more