When people listen to music, their emotional responses are reflected in measurable changes in pupil size. Researchers at the University of Vienna and the University of Innsbruck in Austria were the first to demonstrate that both the emotional content of music and listeners’ personal involvement with music influence pupil dilation. Published in the journal Frontiers … Read more

Summary: Early pregnancy loss — including miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy — can lead to lasting post-traumatic stress in around one in six women. In the month after loss, 29% reported post-traumatic stress symptoms, 24% reported moderate to severe anxiety, and 11% reported moderate to severe depression. At nine months after the loss, 18% still reported … Read more

Summary: Researchers report that chemical modifications adding methyl groups to RNA can strengthen memory formation. Source: UC Irvine. Findings may lead to a better understanding of memory-related disorders. Neurobiologists from the University of California, Irvine and the University of Queensland have uncovered new details about how experiences become stable long-term memories. Their work identifies a … Read more

Authenticity means being true to yourself and living in line with your values and beliefs. It is central to mental wellbeing and plays an important role in effective leadership and personal growth. While hostile environments and controlling people can suppress authentic behavior, coaching can restore connection and create productive interactions between the person and their … Read more

Summary: New research finds that supplementing vasopressin in naturally low-social rhesus monkeys improves their social behavior and facial recognition without provoking aggression. These results support the idea that vasopressin deficiency can contribute to social difficulties similar to those seen in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and point to a possible path for targeted therapies addressing core … Read more

Summary: Altering gut bacteria in mice before chemotherapy reduces the cognitive fog commonly known as “chemo brain.” Source: Ohio State University Researchers investigating the gut’s role in cognitive and mood changes after chemotherapy are using an unexpected rodent behavior—coprophagia—to study how gut microbes influence chemo-related brain effects. Chemotherapy frequently damages the digestive system, producing symptoms … Read more

Summary: A small population of retinal neurons, called OFF ganglion cells, can detect tiny decreases in light and appear to be specialized for shadow detection. Source: Aalto University Mice rely on a dedicated neural pathway in the retina to detect shadows, and this pathway can register shadows at nearly the faintest possible level of dimming, … Read more

Counseling is described in various ways across disciplines, but most definitions emphasize the importance of the therapeutic relationship (Nelson-Jones, 2014). An essential part of that relationship is establishing a clear therapeutic framework: a safe, consistent professional structure in which effective therapeutic work can occur (Knox & Cooper, 2015). Like any professional healthcare service, counseling requires … Read more

Hybrid PET/CT imaging focused on the pituitary region shows promise for distinguishing military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from those with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The study adds weight to the hypothesis that a subset of … Read more

Summary: New research from NYU Langone shows that stimulating the vagus nerve boosts perceptual learning in mice, enabling them to distinguish finer sensory differences over time. This stimulation engages brain systems involved in attention, memory, and plasticity, and may have implications for improving sensory-based skills in humans, including adaptation to cochlear implants. Researchers trained mice … Read more