New analysis casts doubt on the reliability of many neuroscience studies, pointing to small sample sizes and low statistical power as key problems. Researchers led by the University of Bristol examined 48 neuroscience meta-analyses published in 2011 and found that the average statistical power of the studies included was roughly 20 percent. In practical terms, … Read more

School is a formative environment that helps shape who children and young people become. The experiences students have in school influence their future growth, choices, and wellbeing. Positive experiences at school are linked to lasting benefits, including lower risk-taking behaviors and a stronger sense of preparedness for future goals (Furlong, Gilman, & Huebner, 2014). Positive … Read more

The central nervous system’s primary role is to coordinate movement. Skilled actions depend on multiple processes—planning, initiation, execution, and refinement—and new experiments at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus show that the sensorimotor cortex is essential for initiating and carrying out a complex learned movement. When researchers temporarily switched off this cortical region … Read more

Summary: A small clinical study finds that short-term exposure to moderate cold activates brown adipose tissue (brown fat) and increases energy expenditure, enabling people with active brown fat to burn roughly 15% more calories—approximately an extra 20 kilocalories—compared with those who lack detectable brown fat. Source: The Endocrine Society Short-term cold exposure and brown fat: … Read more

Counseling is a structured helping process designed to support change and improve wellbeing. The process typically begins by exploring the challenges a client faces and then working with them to resolve developmental or situational difficulties (Sajjad, 2017). A trained counselor helps clients manage physical, emotional, and mental health concerns, reduce distress, and navigate crises to … Read more

Summary: Humans encode motor sequences using a three-level hierarchical organization. Source: NICT Researchers at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan, together with collaborators at Western University, Canada, have visualized how the human cerebral cortex represents hierarchical motor sequences during skilled finger movements. Using high-resolution fMRI and advanced pattern analysis, the team … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified an oncogene that appears to drive glioblastoma, the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer. The gene, AVIL, normally helps cells regulate shape and structure, but when overactive it promotes tumor growth and spread. In laboratory mice, blocking AVIL eradicated glioblastoma cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed, pointing to a … Read more

Intrinsic motivation describes a drive to act based on internal reasons—because a task is interesting, enjoyable, or personally satisfying (Ryan & Deci, 2000). By contrast, extrinsic motivation refers to performing actions for external reasons, such as meeting a deadline, receiving a reward, or gaining approval from others. Understanding how to identify intrinsic motivation is valuable … Read more

Study identifies gene regions linked to Behçet’s disease, a poorly understood condition that causes painful ulcers and serious inflammation, including in the brain Researchers remain uncertain about the exact cause of Behçet’s disease, a chronic inflammatory disorder that produces painful oral and genital sores and can lead to severe complications such as blindness and brain … Read more

Summary: A recent study indicates that transmission of oral microbiota between newlywed partners may be associated with the development of depression and anxiety symptoms. Researchers followed couples during the first six months of marriage and observed that previously healthy spouses living with partners who had insomnia combined with depression and anxiety began to show similar … Read more