Summary: A new study finds that autism-like behaviors appear in mice when two competing neuronal proteins—MDGA2 and BDNF—lose their balance. Under normal conditions, MDGA2 restrains BDNF/TrkB signaling; when MDGA2 levels fall, BDNF/TrkB activity rises, driving increased excitatory neuronal activity and social deficits. Mice with reduced MDGA2 displayed behaviors resembling core features of autism spectrum disorder … Read more

Happiness is such a central idea in life that most people rarely stop to define what it really means or to ask why we devote so much energy to finding it. The pursuit of happiness is more than a philosophical concept; it has long been a cultural ideal. In Western traditions it has been celebrated … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified how a specific class of neurons helps the brain maintain and focus on short-term information. The team discovered PAC neurons—cells that coordinate the activity of memory-specific neurons through phase-amplitude coupling rather than storing content themselves. These conclusions come from direct brain recordings in epilepsy patients performing memory tests, offering fresh insight … Read more

When someone is fully immersed in an activity they often say, “I’m in the zone.” Positive psychologists use the term flow to describe this state. Flow denotes a deeply absorbing, effortless, and spontaneous experience in which a person’s attention and actions move with ease (Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). Because flow supports creativity, learning, … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that people can show early signs of multiple sclerosis up to five years before clinical diagnosis. Source: University of British Columbia People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may begin to show changes and increased health-care use up to five years before the condition is clinically recognized, according to a new analysis … Read more

Summary: Many people report feeling “empty” in their daily lives. Researchers have identified mental health symptoms, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours, associated with emptiness and say this psychological experience needs greater attention from clinicians and researchers. Source: The Conversation At some point many people will describe themselves as feeling “empty.” Yet this common, painful experience … Read more

While coaching models and frameworks provide useful structure, experienced coaches rely on a flexible set of techniques. Skilled coaches blend communication, motivation, and practical interventions to help clients make measurable progress. The techniques described here apply across coaching specialties—life, executive, team, and career coaching—and focus on actionable, evidence-informed practices for goal setting, motivation, and behavior … Read more

Summary: New research reveals sex-related differences in neurodevelopmental and health outcomes among people exposed to alcohol before birth. Prenatal alcohol exposure was linked to higher risk of depression and anxiety in girls and women, while boys and men showed higher prevalence of ADHD, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. Source: Research Society on Alcoholism Researchers … Read more

Picture this: you’re at work and your manager drops a last-minute demand on your desk — an urgent report due now. You may feel a flash of panic, but if you can settle, focus, and work steadily, the task gets done. Your colleague, however, reacts differently: their face tightens, breathing speeds up, their voice raises, … Read more

TAU team connects neurons to computers to decipher the enigmatic code of neuronal circuits Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a novel lab-on-a-chip platform that links living neurons to electronic systems in order to probe how neuronal circuits encode and transmit information. The device, described by doctoral student Mark Shein and his supervisors Prof. … Read more