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Rewiring the urge to smoke

Researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center found that stimulating a specific brain region regulates self-control reduced how much people smoked, with participants showing significant reductions in smoking and cravings after treatment

SourceMedical University of South Carolina·JournalJournal of Psychiatric Research·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMay 8, 2026

University of Houston psychologist reveals how distraction breaks memory

Researchers at the University of Houston found that distraction disrupts memory consolidation primarily due to demands on central executive processing. To improve short-term memory, focus attention on a task for a few seconds before switching, and avoid multitasking.

SourceUniversity of Houston·JournalAttention Perception & Psychophysics·DateApr 20, 2026
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Brain research: Study shows how brain stimulation can influence decisions

A new study by Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg found that brain stimulation can influence decisions, making choices faster with anodal stimulation and slower with cathodal stimulation. The research used transcranial direct current stimulation to activate or inhibit specific brain regions.

SourceMartin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg·JournalJournal of Cognitive Neuroscience·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 14, 2025

HSE University researchers caused people to behave less rationally by suppressing activity in specific parts of the brain

Researchers at HSE University used transcranial magnetic stimulation to suppress brain activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, leading to test subjects making less rational decisions. The study provides insight into the mechanisms behind gaming addiction and offers a potential new approach to understanding risky choice.

SourceNational Research University Higher School of Economics·JournalScientific Reports·DateOct 25, 2022
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Study finds stuttering anticipation prompts unique activity in the brain

New research finds elevated activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex when anticipating stuttering, indicating a key role in cognitive control. This study provides fresh insight into how stutterers process anticipation, offering potential implications for therapy.

SourceNew York University·JournalNeurobiology of Language·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 24, 2022

Cortex suppression resolves motivation conflict in favor of prosociality

Researchers suppressed cortical excitability to resolve self-interest vs. prosocial motivations in favor of cooperation, particularly in dictator games. In generosity games, no effect was observed. The study suggests the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a key role in resolving conflicts between self-interest and prosociality.

SourceNational Research University Higher School of Economics·JournalScientific Reports·DateNov 16, 2021

Brain activity buffers against worsening anxiety

A new study by Duke University researchers found that people at-risk for anxiety were less likely to develop the disorder if they had higher activity in a region of the brain responsible for complex mental operations. Higher functioning dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may buffer against worsening anxiety.

SourceDuke University·JournalCerebral Cortex·DateNov 17, 2017

Stanford study identifies brain areas altered during hypnotic trances

Researchers identified three key brain regions involved in hypnosis, including decreased activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate and increased connections between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula. These changes may help understand how hypnosis affects perception and body control.

SourceStanford Medicine·JournalCerebral Cortex·DateJul 28, 2016
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Wired for gaming: Brain differences in compulsive video game players

Researchers found hyperconnectivity between brain networks in adolescent boys with Internet gaming disorder, which may help them respond to new information but also increase distractibility and poor impulse control. The study provides insights into the neural basis of compulsive video game play.

SourceUniversity of Utah Health·JournalAddiction Biology·DateDec 21, 2015

How your brain decides blame and punishment -- and how it can be changed

Researchers found that disrupting brain activity in a specific area can change punishment decisions without affecting blame judgments. This study suggests that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex integrates information from other parts of the brain to determine punishment and moral responsibility.

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalNeuron·DateSep 16, 2015

A 'cingular' strategy for attack and defense

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.

SourceRIKEN·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateApr 20, 2015
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Training the brain to improve on new tasks

A new study found that training individuals on a working-memory task can improve their performance on various cognitive tasks, including problem-solving and attentional control. The training exercise increased connectivity between specific brain areas, particularly the parietal and frontal brain regions.

SourceCognitive Neuroscience Society·DateApr 15, 2013

The art of mindreading -- empathy or rational inference?

Researchers found that the brain's dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a key role in rational inference, but not emotions, in 'mindreading'. The study suggests that certain executive functions like cognitive flexibility may be important for processing what someone else is thinking.

SourceElsevier·JournalCortex·DateMay 4, 2010
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

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Is there a seat of wisdom in the brain?

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.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalArchives of General Psychiatry·DateApr 6, 2009

Emory study lights up the political brain

A recent Emory University study used fMRI to investigate how Democrats and Republicans process information during the 2004 US Presidential election. The researchers found that emotional circuits in the brain lit up when partisans held biased opinions, rather than rational reasoning.

SourceEmory University Health Sciences Center·DateJan 24, 2006
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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Perceptual decision-making hub pinpointed in human brain

Researchers at NIMH identified a brain region in the frontal cortex as the site of perceptual decision-making, which weighs competing signals from specialized visual processing areas. The discovery could explain why harder-to-identify images evoke slower responses in this area.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Mental Health·JournalNature·DateOct 14, 2004

New U-M Analysis Of Brain At Work

Researchers found that verbal storage tasks activate left-hemisphere speech areas, while spatial storage tasks activate specific areas of the right cortex. The study provides strong evidence for a more precise understanding of how various regions of the frontal cortex are involved in specific mental activities.

SourceUniversity of Michigan·JournalScience·DateMar 11, 1999
Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

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