Summary: Researchers report that a woman’s attraction to a man can increase when his photo receives higher ratings from others. The same social influence was observed for abstract art. Source: University at St. Andrews. Researchers from the Universities of St Andrews, Durham, Exeter and Arizona State report that people’s preferences are shaped by others’ choices: … Read more
Response to Anxiety Linked to Movement Control Areas in the Brain Summary: Researchers report that anxiety responses in adolescents involve not only emotion-related regions but also motor control areas of the brain. Source: ECNP. A small longitudinal study presented at the ECNP Congress in Vienna suggests that social anxiety in teenagers is associated with activity … Read more
Summary: When anxiety develops, many specific brain regions become more active and the normal coordination between those regions breaks down. Source: University of New Mexico Overview: The global stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty and social unrest have heightened fear and distress for millions. Understanding how acute fear can evolve into long-lasting anxiety in … Read more
Summary: Mice with dysregulated cytokine IL-23 that consumed diets containing the artificial colorants FD&C Red 40 and Yellow 6 developed colitis, according to a new study. Source: Mount Sinai Hospital Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report that artificial food colorants can trigger intestinal inflammation when the immune system is already … Read more
A miniature, fully implantable device that merges optogenetics—using light to control neural activity—with a novel method for wirelessly powering implanted electronics is the first entirely internal system for delivering optogenetic stimulation in mice. This wireless optogenetics platform greatly expands the types of behavioral experiments possible, enabling studies of animals moving within enclosed environments, burrowing, or … Read more
Summary: EEG recordings can reveal how people evaluate risk. Researchers found that higher frontal midline theta power corresponds with stronger cognitive control during decisions, and predicts a greater tendency to select low-risk options. Source: Friedrich Schiller University Jena Anxious individuals tend to take fewer risks. A team of psychologists from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, collaborating … Read more
Summary: New research frames arrogance as a spectrum. Psychologists identify three distinct types of arrogance and outline their implications for interpersonal behavior and future research. Source: University of Missouri Columbia On a first date, people often try to make a favorable impression. But when someone consistently boasts or dismisses others, that behavior typically reflects some … Read more
Summary: Variations in the CD38 gene, previously associated with attachment-related behavior in animals, are linked to daily romantic interaction patterns, perceptions, and relationship adjustment in humans. CD38 Gene Variant Associated with Communal Behavior and Relationship Adjustment Source: Scientific Reports Key finding: A specific variation of the CD38 gene (rs3796863) is associated with how people behave, … Read more
St. Jude–Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project Identifies a Frequent Genetic Alteration Driving Ependymoma The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital–Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has discovered the most common genetic alteration reported to date in ependymoma, a childhood brain tumor, and provided strong evidence that this change actively drives tumor formation. The study was … Read more
Summary: New research has identified a promising therapeutic target to prevent dangerous cardiovascular and metabolic complications associated with obstructive sleep apnea. The study shows that gut microbes change bile acids, and those modified bile acids influence disease pathways systemically. Using genetically engineered mouse models, investigators found that deleting a specific bile acid sensor—the farnesoid X … Read more