Articles tagged with Prefrontal Cortex
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A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that liberals and conservatives exhibit distinct brain responses when exposed to the same political content, particularly when it involves words related to morality, emotions, and threat. The researchers discovered that neural polarization is driven by highe...
Researchers found that working memory is not confined to one brain area but requires synchronous activity of at least two regions. Gpr12 receptors in the thalamus are essential for establishing synchrony between the prefrontal cortex and other brain areas, leading to improved working memory performance.
Scientists at OIST have identified a new area of the brain involved in cost-benefit decision-making, revealing complex connections between regions. The ventromedial thalamus sends signals to neurons in the prefrontal cortex, influencing decision-making processes.
Researchers found that information encoding and inhibition are associated with a tug-of-war between specific brain wave frequency bands in three distinct regions. Higher regions use higher frequency waves, with the visual cortex beta band peaking at 11 Hz and prefrontal beta peaking at 19 Hz.
A research group from the University of Bologna developed a new protocol that combines fear conditioning with neurostimulation to modify aversive memories. Participants who underwent TMS sessions showed reduced psycho-physiological responses to unpleasant stimuli, indicating successful alteration of fear memory persistence.
A NIH study found consistent sex-based differences in cortical volume across 2,000 brain scans, which correspond with patterns of sex-chromosome gene expression. These findings suggest that genetic mechanisms, including those on the X and Y sex chromosomes, may influence sex differences in brain anatomy.
A new study published in eNeuro found that motherhood takes over the brain's decision-making regions to prioritize caring for offspring. The infralimbic cortex directs mothers to choose their pups over drugs, promoting maternal behavior.
Researchers used virtual reality to study how brain circuits respond to threats at different distances. They found that near threats engage survival circuitry, making them harder to extinguish, while distant threats are processed by higher-order thinking areas. This could lead to new therapies for PTSD.
Researchers found that individuals with stronger connections between frontal cortex and striatum in two distinct brain networks were more resilient to drug addiction. These brain circuits are involved in goal-directed behavior and habit regulation, suggesting potential strategies for preventing or treating addiction.
Researchers used functional MRI scans to study brain activity while watching videos. Increased activity in certain brain regions predicted whether individuals would continue watching and even forecasted aggregate video view frequency and duration.
Researchers at Santa Clara University identified a specific brain pathway that helps regulate drinking behavior, which may be disrupted in individuals with alcohol use disorder. The study suggests that this pathway's dysfunction could contribute to the development of compulsive drinking habits.
A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that scenes of unjustified and justified violence in movies activate different parts of the adolescent brain. Viewers show a synchronized response in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex when watching justified violence, suggesting they see it as acceptable for self- or f...
Scientists identify brain areas activated during frightening dreams, including the insula and cingulate cortex, which improve emotional regulation upon waking. They found a link between fear in dreams and emotions experienced once awake.
Researchers at the University of Alberta have identified a crucial role for the nucleus reuniens in coordinating memory consolidation during slow-wave sleep. The study suggests that this area may play an essential part in turning short-term memories into long-term ones.
A study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that individuals with psychopathic traits have greater levels of gray matter density in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, a region involved in self-regulatory processes. This increased density is associated with improved impulse control and reduced antisocial behavior....
Researchers have discovered that the prefrontal cortex directly encodes the intention to consume alcohol, but this ability is blunted in rats with a family history of excessive drinking. This finding suggests that restoring prefrontal cortex activity could be a new strategy for treating alcohol use disorders.
Researchers identified brain regions involved in creating the Uncanny Valley sensation, tracing it back to circuits processing social cues and valuation systems. The study's findings suggest ways to improve likability of artificial agents by adjusting these mechanisms.
Researchers at UCLA found that stimulating a specific region of the brain improves people's ability to retrieve memories. The study, published in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to increase excitability of neurons in the left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex.
A new study reveals that specific brain regions, including executive function areas and sensory monitoring zones, moderate both depressive mood and physical pain. The research found that individuals with higher levels of depressive mood exhibited increased sensitivity to pain and heightened activation in these brain regions.
A new study from Caltech shows that anxious individuals flee danger sooner in slow-threat scenarios, but not in fast-threat situations. This suggests that anxiety is a prediction strategy that helps prevent future dangers.
A study led by Roland Benoit and Philipp Paulus found that imagining interacting with a liked person at a neutral place can transfer emotional value to the location. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex plays a key role in this process, evaluating importance of individuals and places.
A new study published in JNeurosci finds that mice lacking the gene Shank3 display structural and functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex. These findings establish a role of Shank3 in maintaining prefrontal cortex connectivity, which may increase autism risk when disrupted.
Researchers analyzed 82 studies on working memory mechanisms in adults of different age groups. Meta-analyses showed that brain function decreases agreement with aging, suggesting functional reorganization in the prefrontal cortex. This changes may be a sign of compensatory function or increased variability in older adults.
Researchers found ketamine restores functional connectivity and ensemble activity of neurons and eliminates depression-related behaviors. Dendritic spine formation is crucial for maintaining remission, but its slow process may indicate that it's a consequence of ketamine-induced rescue of prefrontal cortex circuit activity.
A new study reveals dopamine generates sustained activity in ensemble of cells in the prefrontal cortex, lasting up to 20 minutes. This coordinated activity supports complex functions such as motivation and attention to complete a task.
Research suggests a reciprocal relationship between obesity and self-control, with reduced prefrontal cortex activity leading to overeating and weight gain. Exercise and mindfulness can improve prefrontal cortex activity, promoting better dietary choices.
A new study published in eNeuro found that Ritalin had no impact on neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex of monkeys. The researchers observed improved performance in attention tasks at higher doses, but not in brain activity.
A mouse study reveals that abnormal brain development and maternal stress interact to produce schizophrenia, bipolar, and depressive disorders. Disrupting a specific molecule in the prefrontal cortex during embryonic development can lead to similar cognitive impairments.
Researchers used electrocorticographic data from surgically implanted electrodes to investigate memory development in a cohort of 17 children and adolescents. The study found that earlier activity predicts greater memory accuracy, and sub-second deviations in activity flow between frontal subregions predict memory formation.
A new study from MIT has found that a region of the thalamus is key to switching between rules required for different contexts. The mediodorsal thalamus suppresses irrelevant representations, protecting them as short-term memory for reactivation. This process helps maintain neural representations and enables context-dependent actions.
A study at Texas A&M University has identified a new brain region, the nucleus reuniens, that plays a role in inhibiting fear. The discovery holds potential for clinical interventions in psychiatric diseases like PTSD and could lead to more targeted treatments.
A study published in Cell Metabolism found that individuals who achieved greater weight loss showed increased activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex associated with self-control. Additionally, the hormone leptin returned to baseline levels after successful weight loss, indicating a new set point was achieved.
Young adults exposed to cannabis during adolescence show altered brain structure and gene expression related to psychosis risk. The study suggests that adolescent cannabis use can induce long-term changes in brain cells and gene networks, potentially increasing psychiatric vulnerability.
Researchers at Iowa State University investigate how childhood emotional connections with physical activity influence adult attitudes and behaviors. They suspect the prefrontal cortex plays a significant role in regulating emotions during exercise. The study, using children aged 7-9, aims to measure brain activity, exertion, and pleasu...
Researchers identify medial prefrontal cortex as key player in perceptual memory, allowing for stable perception of environment despite intermittent blinks. This finding has implications for understanding interaction between perception and memory, and may also shed light on confidence in one's own perception.
Researchers found that individuals with higher dispositional mindfulness exhibited greater deactivation of the posterior cingulate cortex and less activation in the default mode network. This led to reduced pain reports. The study suggests a neural basis for why some people may feel less pain than others.
Researchers have discovered two brain regions - the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus - whose activity patterns are characteristic of the process of forgetting. Voluntary forgetting enables humans to focus on tasks and is crucial for emotional wellbeing.
KAIST neuroscientists discover the anterior cingulate cortex plays a role in inhibiting innate fear responses to predators' odors, shedding light on instinctive fear behavior. The study paves the way for therapeutic treatments of fear-related mental disorders such as panic and PTSD.
Perinatal exposure to phthalates impairs the development of rats' brains, leading to reduced neurons and synapses. The study also shows deficits in cognitive flexibility, suggesting potential negative effects on behavior. Researchers used environmentally relevant phthalate concentrations to simulate human exposures.
Research reveals that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds can lead to a smaller medial prefrontal cortex and decreased cognitive flexibility in adult rats. The study's findings have implications for understanding the neurobiology underlying developmental disorders such as autism.
A high-fat, high-sugar diet that leads to obesity may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease when paired with normal aging. The study found significant differences in inflammation and insulin resistance markers between obese and healthy mice.
A novel study by Michigan Medicine researchers suggests that the prefrontal cortex has a crucial switchboard-like relationship with other brain areas, helping to ignite awareness of visual information. This finding could lead to new approaches in treating individuals with disorders of consciousness, such as coma or vegetative states.
A study found that individuals with greater volume in the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex tend to exhibit improved dietary self-control. This suggests that brain anatomy plays a crucial role in making healthier food choices.
A Drexel University study found that new parts of the brain become active when students learn physics, suggesting that learning is an imaginative process. The study used fMRI to measure blood flow in the brain and found increased activity in areas linked to problem-solving and memory.
Researchers identify two brain nuclei that send signals to opposite areas of the brain, sparking timid or bold responses. Stimulating these nuclei can shift a mouse's behavior from freezing to standing its ground, offering insights into treating anxiety disorders.
Recalling traumatic memories enhances the rewarding effects of morphine in male rats, increasing freezing fear response and preference for morphine. Dopamine receptors D1R and D4R play a role in this effect, suggesting abnormal dopamine signals may underlie PTSD addiction.
The brain uses a two-step process to categorize both visual and auditory inputs, increasing sensitivity to acoustic features in the lower-level auditory cortex. This discovery has important implications for understanding individual differences in language learning and developing treatments for people with learning disorders.
A study published in Science Advances reveals significant differences in molecular machinery that turns on and off gene expression between cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. The research provides insights into the molecular apparatus involved in conscious thinking and may lead to the development of drugs to treat mental illnesses.
A study by Case Western Reserve University researchers found a link between impaired brain coordination and attention deficit disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. The study revealed that the ErbB4 gene helps coordinate brain regions to maintain attention.
Researchers discovered two distinct brain areas, cognitive-fear circuit and reactive-fear circuit, that process fear responses to different types of threats. The study used fMRI scans and a virtual predator video game to show how the brain reacts differently to immediate versus distant threats.
A groundbreaking study published in eNeuro finds that low-dose ketamine promotes resilience to future adverse events in female rats, similar to its effects in males. The researchers identified a neural circuit involving the prefrontal cortex and dorsal raphe nucleus responsible for ketamine's stress-reducing properties.
A study by Steve Maren and his team identified a key brain circuit that triggers fear relapse. The research found that the hippocampus is connected to a specific type of cell in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a crucial role in relapse. This breakthrough could lead to more effective treatments for disorders like PTSD.
Neuroscientists have created a detailed map of the connections in the subgenual cingulate area 25 (A25) of non-human primates. The research reveals strong links between A25 and brain areas involved in emotional regulation, stress response, and memory formation.
Scientists used electrocorticograhy (ECoG) to record electrical activity on the brain surface, finding that the prefrontal cortex coordinates activity to help us act in response to a perception. The brain requires several seconds to respond to complex tasks, with the prefrontal cortex recruiting other areas, including memory networks.
A study published in eNeuro found that amphetamine exposure during adolescence impairs the development of the mouse prefrontal cortex. This region is critical for decision-making and other complex functions. The researchers observed reduced synapses and axon growth, suggesting a lasting impact on brain structure.
Researchers discovered that the stress gene NR4A1 adjusts energy output and synapse number of prefrontal cortex neurons in response to stress. Chronic stress may interfere with normal brain circuit function through this gene's impact on cellular connectivity, but altering its expression protects PFC cells from synaptic loss.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that stopping a planned behavior requires fast choreography between brain areas, including the prefrontal cortex and pre-motor cortex. They also identified the importance of timing in making successful changes to plans.
A study published in Current Biology confirms that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improves associative learning by modulating brain connectivity between areas, not neuron firing rates. tDCS was shown to increase learning speed in macaques by up to 40% with no increased neuronal firing.
Researcher Robert Reinhart found that synchronizing specific brain oscillations enhances executive function by improving communication between two key brain areas. Participants showed improved learning and decision-making skills, and effects could be quickly reversed.
Researchers found that reading stories triggers unique patterns of brain activation, regardless of language or cultural origin. This study suggests exposure to narrative storytelling can have a widespread effect on triggering better self-awareness and empathy for others.