Summary: Guided by Moral Foundations Theory (MFT), researchers investigated the neural basis of moral judgment. They found a common network of brain regions engaged when people judge moral violations, but also identified distinct activity patterns for different moral categories. These results support a pluralistic view of morality and show that political ideology influences how moral … Read more

Summary: New research from the University of Geneva shows that the human brain reacts more quickly and allocates more attention to aggressive voices than to neutral or happy voices. This heightened vigilance helps people locate potential threats in the environment, improving chances for an appropriate survival response. Source: University of Geneva How the brain detects … Read more

Summary: A 17-year longitudinal study found that children raised in poverty had smaller volumes in several subcortical brain regions—such as the hippocampus, caudate, putamen, and thalamus—and showed reduced growth in these areas over time. Source: WUSTL Children who grow up in poverty face higher risks of cognitive and behavioral challenges compared with their more advantaged … Read more

Summary: New research provides additional evidence that social loneliness raises the likelihood of developing dementia in older adults. Source: Florida State University. Loneliness Linked to 40% Higher Dementia Risk in Older Adults A major study from the Florida State University College of Medicine, analyzing data from more than 12,000 people tracked for up to ten … Read more

Healthy eating supports growth, development and social interaction during meals, yet a comprehensive review shows that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face much higher rates of feeding problems than their peers. In a wide-ranging meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies on feeding behavior in children with autism, researchers from Marcus Autism Center and the Department of … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified age-related changes in brain network connectivity that correlate with increased risk for developing schizophrenia. Using a data-driven framework called Neuromark, the team analyzed fMRI scans, genetic profiles, and clinical data from 9,236 individuals to map how brain networks change with age and how those changes relate to genetic risk for schizophrenia. … Read more

Reduces fluctuations in attention toward and away from threat. A computerized attention-control training program significantly reduced combat veterans’ tendency either to fixate on threat or to avoid it, along with associated PTSD symptoms. In parallel trials conducted with U.S. and Israeli combat veterans, researchers found that attention-control training decreased the instability in attention allocation—called attention … Read more

Summary: Researchers examined how stressors from the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health, uncovering clear gender-specific patterns. During the first year of the pandemic, men’s anxiety was more strongly linked to job-related concerns, while women’s anxiety rose with worries about family and friends. Support from friends and family improved quality of life for women but showed … Read more

Even a mild brain injury can have long-term consequences, including an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia later in life. The mechanisms linking traumatic brain injury (TBI) to later cognitive impairment are not fully understood, but mounting evidence points to chronic inflammation in the brain as a likely contributor. Researchers at the University of … Read more

Summary: Researchers found that common benzodiazepine sleep medications can prevent sleepers from waking to alarm-like threats, while a newer class of sleep drugs preserves the ability to wake in the presence of danger. Source: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. Study finds common benzodiazepine sleeping pills blunt threat‑response during sleep, while a novel drug preserves awakenings to … Read more