Articles tagged with Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Researchers at Kyoto University developed a new training method to study habit formation in mice, revealing two distinct brain circuits managing different aspects of habits. The first circuit determines whether behavior becomes a habit, while the second controls execution levels.
Research in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging reveals that lifetime physical activity can reshape neural connectivity, strengthening the brain's internal communication and optimizing its response to stress. The study challenges traditional deficit-focused views of adversity, offering a more dynamic and hope...
A study by Steve Chang explores how oxytocin influences brain activity to shape social behavior in rhesus monkeys. The researchers found that oxytocin increased activity in the basolateral amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex when monkeys were socially motivated, maintaining beneficial decisions and social task behavior.
A new study by UNLV researchers finds that diabetes weakens the anterior cingulate cortex, suppressing reward perception and memory signals, leading to mild cognitive impairment. The connection between high blood sugar levels and Alzheimer's disease may be linked to altered hippocampal theta synchrony.
A rat study found that type 2 diabetes can suppress the activity of the anterior cingulate cortex, a region critical for cognition and emotions. This weakening affects reward signals and leads to altered behavior, highlighting a potential link between T2D and psychiatric disorders.
A study by Dr. Keum Sehoon's team identified key neural ensembles in the anterior cingulate cortex that encode empathic freezing, a behavioral response to witnessing distress in others. The researchers found that observing another's pain triggers activation in the ACC as if the observer were experiencing pain themselves.
Researchers discovered distinct neuronal populations in the ACC process pain and itch information separately, with stimulus-specific neurons receiving differentiated synaptic inputs from the mediodorsal thalamus. Suppressing these neurons reduced corresponding sensations without affecting the other.
Researchers at the Salk Institute identified a specific brain circuit responsible for slowing anxious breathing, connecting the frontal cortex to the brainstem. This discovery may offer a scientific explanation for the beneficial effects of practices like yoga and mindfulness on alleviating negative emotions and could lead to the devel...
The UNLV study found that brain activity patterns change with the number of experiences, not time, and that increasing speed affects perception. The research suggests that our brains register a 'vibe' about time, making it faster when we're having fun or doing tasks efficiently.
This study analyzed resting state fMRI data to investigate salience network disruptions in schizophrenia. The analysis revealed weaker dorsal salience network connectivity and increased ventral salience network connectivity in patients.
A study by IBS researchers has identified the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as a key region responsible for sensory hypersensitivity associated with autism spectrum disorders. The team discovered that ACC hyperactivity and brain-wide hyperconnectivity contribute to sensory abnormalities in Grin2b-mutant mice.
Researchers at Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science discovered how the brain coordinates attention and filtering functions to perform complex tasks. The study found that multiple brain regions work together to adjust focus and filter out distractions, providing insight into human cognitive flexibility.
A new study suggests that transcranial ultrasound stimulation can be used to change specific types of activity within the brain, paving the way for targeted treatments of mental health conditions. The research found that TUS induced significant changes in GABA concentration and altered communication between brain regions.
Researchers at Korea University Medicine identified a new neuroimaging-based biomarker for MDD, the local gyrification index (LGI), which shows decreased cortical folding in patients. LGI values reflect long-drawn developmental processes and are stable markers compared to previous biomarkers.
A new study found that the serotonin booster prucalopride increased functional brain connectivity in healthy adults, particularly between cognitive networks. The results suggest that prucalopride may improve cognitive function and have therapeutic potential for depression patients.
Researchers have uncovered the underlying mechanism driving depressive systems in chronic pain, identifying a potential therapeutic target for treatment. Tiam1 protein modulates neural connections, leading to hypersensitivity and depression; ketamine blocks this effect, alleviating symptoms.
A new study by neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute finds that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and motor cortex collaborate to update understanding and behavior when a task requires more steps. The ACC helps M2 adjust to new rules, but reduced activity leads to increased negative outcome encoding cells' activity in M2.
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong discovered a new neural mechanism that enables animals to perceive and integrate environmental cues, such as air puffs and sounds, to initiate defensive behavior. This finding has implications for understanding schizophrenia patients' auditory hallucinations.
The brain detects unwanted memories and proactively inhibits them using the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). If inhibition fails, the ACC triggers a reactive alarm to alert other regions to stop the intrusion. This study sheds light on the neural mechanisms of controlling intrusive thoughts.
A study published in Nature Neuroscience reveals the discrete thalamocortical circuits underlying chronic pain and depressive symptoms. The researchers found that a specific pathway from the parafascicular thalamic nucleus to the anterior cingulate cortex mediates depression-associated pain sensitization.
In a groundbreaking study, researchers found that rats can transfer information about danger to each other in both directions, influencing their responses to threats. The study suggests that this reciprocal exchange of information could enhance the detection of danger within groups, similar to cross-species eavesdropping.
A new study from Penn Medicine researchers found that people have implicit negative biases against individuals with scars, birthmarks, and other facial differences. These biases are present even when participants are not consciously aware of them, and they can affect neural responses in the brain, leading to reduced empathy.
Research shows low-intensity ultrasound can modulate normal brain function, affecting counterfactual thinking and alternative choice. This technique may revolutionize non-invasive treatment for mental health conditions like depression and Parkinson's.
Researchers pinpointed the anterior cingulate cortex as the brain region responsible for integrating disparate information to inform 'on-the-fly' decision-making. Activity in this region was associated with combining quality and quantity, while other areas linked to interaction between these factors were also activated.
Researchers used laser stimulation to increase oligodendrocyte proliferation and alter myelination in the mouse brain, highlighting potential mechanisms underlying brain stimulation and connectivity. These findings suggest a new avenue for exploring the neural basis of brain stimulation therapies.
Researchers at the University of Houston have developed a new way to understand how the brain controls walking in complex environments. Using brain-body imaging and motion capture technology, they identified specific areas of the brain involved in locomotion, including the posterior parietal lobe and sensorimotor cortex.
Researchers found overlap in activity of anterior cingulate cortex indicating pattern of self-regulation triggered by cognitive fatigue. The study broadens understanding of disease entities associated with lower threshold for cognitive fatigue.
A study found that mice exhibit hyperalgesia when housed with withdrawal mice, and inhibiting a specific brain region reverses this effect. The findings suggest a neural overlap between physically-induced and socially-transferred hyperalgesia.
A recent study found that heavy alcohol use during adolescence is associated with reduced grey matter volumes, particularly in the anterior cingulate cortex. This can disrupt normal brain maturation, leading to potential long-term effects on impulse control and substance use disorder risk.
A study by University of York psychologists found that perceiving oneself as obese triggers lower body satisfaction in females compared to males. Brain activity monitoring revealed a link between body perception and emotional processes, shedding light on eating disorder vulnerabilities.
A UCLA-Caltech study has pinpointed the individual neurons in the brain that support observational learning, a skill essential for human decision-making. The research team discovered that these neurons fire in response to schadenfreude, the pleasure of seeing someone else make a mistake.
Researchers discovered that a specific brain area, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, is active when learning to help others. People with higher empathy levels showed increased activity in this region and learned to benefit others faster.
A study found that consuming omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA, improved cognitive flexibility and increased the size of the anterior cingulate cortex in older adults at risk of Alzheimer
The study found that two specific brain regions, the posterior cingulate cortex and rostral anterior cingulate cortex, are activated when making defensive or offensive strategies. This suggests that intuition plays a key role in rapid strategic decisions, rather than deliberate reasoning.
A study using fMRI scans found that unnecessary brain activity hinders learning, while reduced neural connections facilitate faster skill acquisition. The researchers' novel analysis methods revealed complex brain networks and community structures that correlate with individual differences in learning rates.
Researchers found that quicker learners use different brain regions and have more interconnected networks, while slower learners rely on more individualized brain activity. The study provides insight into the neural mechanisms behind skill learning and practice.
In unpredictable situations, rats abandon past experience for random choices, controlled by the anterior cingulate cortex. This finding may have implications for human disorders like depression, where ordinary decision-making is ineffective.
A study published in Neural Regeneration Research found that experimental low back pain altered the functional connections between the insula and default mode network, affecting regions involved in cognition and emotion. The findings suggest a crucial role of these brain regions in pain processing.
A new report links differences in brain structure to political orientation, finding that liberals have larger anterior cingulate cortexes and are better at coping with conflicting information, while conservatives have larger amygdalas and are more sensitive to threats.
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine have reviewed the neurobiology of wisdom, identifying key brain regions involved in its attributes such as empathy, compassion and emotional stability. The study suggests an optimal balance between primitive and pre-frontal cortex brain regions may enhance wisdom.
Researchers found differences in activation strength between male and female groups on a verbal fluency task, with women scoring higher than men. The study suggests that sex differences may be related to both performance level and neurocognitive variations.
A study using functional MRI technology reveals that areas of the brain associated with unpleasant emotions and memories become less active during scratching, suggesting a possible explanation for its relieving effect. The findings may lead to new treatments for chronic itch, which affects over 30 million Americans.
Researchers found that people with smaller anterior cingulate cortex had higher levels of stress hormones, suggesting a potential cause-and-effect relationship. The discovery deepens understanding of ageing, depression, and Alzheimer's diseases, and may lead to treatments targeting reduced stress hormone levels.
Researchers have discovered that the anterior cingulate cortex plays a crucial role in storing and retrieving lifelong memories. The study, led by Dr. Paul Frankland, found that older memories are transferred from the hippocampus to the cortex over several weeks, likely during sleep.