Articles tagged with Behavioral Neuroscience
A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that high estrogen levels may increase feelings of reward in response to alcohol in female mice. The research suggests that treatment for alcohol use disorder may be more effective if sex differences are considered.
Researchers analyzed child brain activity using fMRI to predict working memory abilities during development. The study found that brain network activity in the frontoparietal network was unique to working memory and reflected individual capabilities.
Researchers at Max-Planck-Gesellschaft have created a miniature microscope that can capture neural activity in all cortical layers of freely behaving rats. This breakthrough technology allows for continuous imaging of neuron populations, even during complex behaviors, providing insights into the brain's circuit dynamics.
A recent study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence found sex-related differences in the effects of cannabis use on brain activity and subjective response. Neural activity primarily underlies response to cannabis cues, with no differences between male and female users, while female users exhibit more intense subjective craving.
A team of scientists developed an innovative method to study eye movements in mice, revealing two types of eye movement coupled to head movement: 'head tilt compensation' and 'saccade and fixate'. These findings validate using mice to study human brain disorders, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke.
Researchers describe four categories of self-nudging tools: reminders and prompts, framing decisions in a certain way, reducing accessibility of harmful options, and using social pressure. This behavioral science technique can help individuals negotiate internal conflicts and reach long-term goals.
Researchers from University of California, Davis, found that immune responses before pregnancy can predict behavioral deficits in offspring if the mother's immune system is activated during pregnancy. The study used a mouse model to identify baseline immunoreactivity as a predictor of resilience or susceptibility to immune activation.
Scientists discovered widespread synaptic changes in sea slugs that learn to reject non-food objects, offering insight into human learning's impact on the brain. The study found that synaptic modifications occur in concert across various brain areas.
A subset of retinal neurons sends inhibitory signals to the brain, affecting subconscious behaviors such as synchronizing circadian rhythms with light/dark cycles. This discovery sheds light on how eyes influence our behavior and vision in response to light intensity.
Researchers successfully combined rat spinal cords with tissue-engineered muscles, creating a biohybrid system that produces electrical activity causing contraction. This innovation could lead to breakthroughs in understanding diseases like Lou Gehrig's and developing new surgical training tools.
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have made a groundbreaking discovery suggesting that improper cellular cleanup during brain development may cause lifelong behavioral issues. This process, mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome, plays a critical role in ensuring proper brain assembly and function.
A recent study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia found a strong association between mild behavioral impairment (MBI) and amyloid plaque deposits in the brains of elderly individuals. MBI may potentially serve as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease, allowing for earlier diagnosis and intervention.
Research suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder exhibit differences in attention regulation, which may be attributed to altered locus coeruleus activity. This study found that participants with autism displayed atypically smaller pupil dilations during a distraction task, indicating dysregulation in the brainstem.
Research in mice reveals that lactation temporarily changes how a mother's TIDA neurons regulate prolactin secretion, causing them to fire more frequently and out of rhythm. However, these changes are fully reversible after weaning, suggesting a unique adaptation to motherhood.
Researchers discovered the anterior lateral motor cortex plays a crucial role in integrating vast amounts of information to make decisions, surpassing previous understanding of its primary function. This finding highlights the brain's remarkable ability to adapt to context and informs scientists' larger understanding of brain function.
Researchers use physics and technology to track animal movement, revealing key findings on flock behavior, neural network tracking, and burrowing forces. By analyzing animal motion, scientists gain a deeper understanding of collective behavior and individual animal actions.
Researchers at McGill University have discovered at least nine directions of brain-gender variation using a unique dataset and machine learning algorithms. This finding has important consequences for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canada and beyond.
Researchers identify specific cortical area responsible for food addiction's loss of control over intake, linked to obesity and eating disorders. The study provides new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying addictive behavior in food, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University discovered a mechanism employed by fruit flies to broaden our understanding of visual perception. The team found that L3 neurons, sensitive to brightness, are active in low-light conditions and play a crucial role in detecting sudden changes in luminance.
Psychologists from the University of Basel found that people focus their attention on the two most promising options when choosing between multiple alternatives. This leads to faster decisions and improved efficiency. The study's results propose a mathematical model describing dynamic interactions of preference formation and eye moveme...
A new study found that low-intensity exercise activates brain networks involved in cognitive control and attention processing, while high-intensity exercise primarily affects emotion processing. The results suggest a potential therapeutic strategy for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Researchers discovered that the inferior colliculus in mice integrates sound and movement information, allowing for rapid and accurate responses to external sounds. This integration helps prevent movement-related sounds from interfering with hearing, promoting survival.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found a molecule produced by the brain that reduces anxiety-causing connections between two brain regions. This discovery could lead to pharmacologic treatments regulating anxiety and depressive symptoms in people with stress-related anxiety disorders.
Researchers used high-speed cameras and computer algorithms to analyze the movements of larval zebrafish, identifying three distinct components of their prey capture behavior: orientation, approach, and capture. The study provides new insights into how the brain generates complex behaviors.
Researchers found that mice's visual capability changes between day and night due to their internal clock, not eye changes. They used a maze experiment to study how the circadian rhythm influences behavior and nerve signals in the retina.
Researchers at UNC School of Medicine found that specific neurons in the CeA contribute to reward-like behaviors and alcohol drinking. By selectively lesioning or ablating these neurons, animals drank less alcohol without affecting anxiety-like behavior.
Researchers discovered that myokine Dpp, produced by skeletal muscle, regulates feeding behavior by modulating dopamine levels in the brain. This finding sheds new light on the mechanisms governing feeding behavior and has implications for understanding metabolic diseases.
A study at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) suggests that pindolol, a blood pressure medication, can reduce anxiety-like behavior and neurogenic maladaptations in mice with long-term heavy alcohol consumption. The drug also restores damage caused by alcohol to new and immature neurons in the brain.
A new perspective piece challenges standard economic theory by highlighting individual trajectories over time. People's behavior often deviates from classical recommendations due to a lack of understanding of unique wealth evolution.
Researchers have mapped zebrafish brain regions involved in decision making, revealing how sensory information is integrated to trigger a behavior. The study uses whole-brain imaging and behavioral paradigms to demonstrate the accumulation of evidence over time.
Scientists outline 10 simple rules to ensure responsible use of computational modelling in behavioural sciences, avoiding common pitfalls and misinterpretations. The guidelines cover designing effective experiments, generating and validating models, and reporting on analyses.
Researchers at Princeton University have developed models to identify internal states of the brain in fruit flies. By analyzing song patterns and behavioral changes, they discovered three distinct strategies - Close, Chasing, and Whatever - linked to specific neurons controlling these shifts.
A new study uses deep neural networks to accurately assess neurological disorders in rats and mice, identifying key features of motor impairments. This breakthrough technology has the potential to standardize diagnosis and monitoring of neurological disorders, enabling early interventions and improved patient outcomes.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered that neural activity patterns can predict which individuals will develop compulsive drinking behaviors after a single binge drinking experience. The study identifies a specific cortical-brainstem circuit as a biomarker for the development of compulsive drinking behavior.
Researchers at Salk Institute discover a brain circuit controlling alcohol drinking behavior in mice, which can predict compulsive drinking. The study found that neural communication patterns between two brain regions are related to the development of compulsive drinking.
Research reveals that walking changes how we perceive our environment, especially in the peripheral visual field, which enhances processing for navigation. This shift in visual preference makes sense due to the role of peripheral input in tracking movement and direction.
A new study found that ketamine decreases alcohol consumption in high-consuming male rats, but has no effect on females. The drug may be a viable treatment option for male patients with an alcohol use disorder.
A new study from Michigan State University found that open monitoring meditation increased error recognition in non-meditators. The researchers measured brain activity using EEG and found a stronger neural signal about half a second after an error, indicating enhanced conscious error recognition.
A study on mice has created a set of objective measurements for personality, revealing the connection between genes, behavior, and individual traits. The researchers found that each mouse had a unique personality that consistently informed its behavior.
Researchers create algorithm to identify stable traits that capture mouse behavior, revealing unique individual characteristics and genetic basis. The method has potential to advance knowledge of mouse personality and its relation to mental health and disease.
Researchers at Pitt and CMU are developing an all-in-one implantable device that can record neural activity, identify cell type, and determine cell function through chemical stimulation. This innovation aims to provide more information on brain function and reduce invasive methods.
Researchers studied blue bottle fly landing behaviors using high-speed videography, uncovering a wide range of rotational maneuvers. The results suggest the flies may use neural processes and sensory cues for inverted landings, informing efforts to engineer small robotic fliers.
Researchers developed an agent that reduces toxic protein buildup in animal models of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, improving cognitive and motor behavior. The new compound CM101 specifically targets DDRs to switch on the garbage disposal in brain cells.
The researchers used BARseq to map the connections of 3,579 neurons in the auditory cortex of the mouse brain. This technology enables scientists to pinpoint the location of a neuron and determine its pattern of gene expression and physiological activity.
Researchers used a grip-force test to analyze sensorimotor function in people with the FMR1 premutation, identifying subtle symptoms and potential indicators of disease progression. The study aims to improve early diagnosis and treatment for Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) in at-risk individuals.
Researchers discovered a neurosteroid drug can correct behavioral problems and brain abnormalities caused by prenatal exposure to THC. This finding suggests a therapeutic approach for children born to mothers who used cannabis during pregnancy, highlighting the need for caution and guidance for pregnant women using cannabis.
Deep3DFly uses computer science and neuroscience to model fly movements and poses, enabling robots to climb challenging terrain. The system can automatically predict and correct errors in calculations, opening up new possibilities for robotics and medicine.
Researchers have developed a fluorescent probe that can image electrical activity in multiple neurons simultaneously, enabling the visualization of brain circuits and their relation to behavior. This technique uses a voltage-sensing molecule to record electrical activity on a millisecond timescale, providing more informative measuremen...
Researchers propose novel treatment strategies that can help prevent opioid abuse by identifying vulnerable individuals through advances in brain science. These findings have implications for addressing the opioid epidemic, particularly in understanding the neurological response to opioids.
Researchers aim to develop treatments for behavioral symptoms of chronic stress and depression by understanding and controlling memory. Beier's project explores neuronal plasticity and synaptic protein interactions to engineer molecular reagents for selective modulation of memories.
Lindsay Schwarz, a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital neuroscientist, has won the prestigious NIH Director's New Innovator Award for her groundbreaking research on norepinephrine neurons and neural circuits. The award supports her innovative approaches to developing new molecular tools that target specific cell populations.
A larger sample size failed to support original claims linking genetic variants to altered brain activation during reading and listening. The new findings highlight the complexity of genes and human brain function relationships.
Researchers at Wayne State University and Henry Ford Health System aim to develop a new therapeutic approach to reduce opioid addiction relapse using dual orexin antagonism. The study will investigate the role of sleep disturbance in opioid use disorder and its potential link to treatment cessation.
A new study from King's College London found that depression and binge-drinking are more prevalent among female military partners than comparable women outside the military community. The research suggests that military partners may use binge-drinking as a coping mechanism for the stress and separation caused by deployment.
Researchers identify lateral septum as crucial link between circuits guiding goal-directed movement and motivated behavior. The study shows that the LS directly encodes information about speed and acceleration, enabling it to integrate or optimize performance across environmental signals.
Researchers at UCSF found that tailoring instruction to individual birds' genetic predispositions can improve their learning abilities. In contrast, standardized tutoring programs failed to engage birds from families with different song tempo preferences.
A study published in Heliyon found that early life experiences shape individuals' beliefs about themselves and the world, contributing to chronic obesity and frequent bingeing. Schema therapy model can help address these underlying issues by identifying and changing maladaptive schemas and coping modes.
Research at University at Buffalo finds that heroin exposure sharply reduces drebrin levels in the brain's reward pathway, leading to synaptic rewiring and increased risk of relapse. Restoring drebrin levels can reduce relapse behaviors, providing a potential new treatment avenue.
Rats learn to play a simplified version of hide and seek with humans, exhibiting strategic gameplay and learning to alternate roles. They develop unique vocalizations and show intense activity in the prefrontal cortex during game events.
Researchers have linked mammalian behavior to its underlying neural code for the first time, shedding light on how a mammal's brain interprets signals from the eyes. This discovery is relevant to all neuroscientists studying perception and has implications for understanding individual 'words' in the brain.