Research on why people act as they do. Covers self-processing across primates, substance use, weight-loss behavior, and nicotine seeking.
A new study reveals Cuvier's beaked whales dive up to 1,400 meters, lasting about an hour, with brief recovery times. The findings provide a baseline for studying their reactions to sonar and offer insights into the species' remarkable diving capability.
Scientists parse animal behavior into digestible chunks using an adaptive model, spotting subtleties that would have otherwise been missed. The study found that complex dynamics can be broken down into simple linear patterns, allowing for the quantification of brain states and movement behaviors in various organisms.
The MIT robot uses a soft-pronged gripper, force-sensing wrist cuff, and external camera to see and feel the tower and its individual blocks. It learns from visual and tactile feedback, and adapts its moves in real-time to avoid toppling the tower.
A new machine learning-based intention detection method predicts grasping/releasing intentions based on user behaviors, enabling SCI patients to pick-and-place objects. The method utilizes a first-person-view camera and is advantageous in detecting user intentions without requiring person-to-person calibrations.
A study from Cornell University analyzed 765 million Spotify streams to discover how music intensity varies by season, hemisphere, and chronotype. Researchers found that people in western cultures prefer more arousing music, while those in Asia prefer relaxing music.
New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows that disrupting memories associated with environmental cues and cocaine use significantly reduces drug-seeking behavior in rats. This breakthrough may lead to developing more effective therapies to prevent relapse, such as targeting specific memories strengthened b...
Biomedical engineers at Duke University developed a framework to predict mutually beneficial biological systems using machine learning. They created a simplified metric to determine collective benefit using variables like temperature, pH, and genetics.
New research by Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business finds that when bad things happen to good people, people are motivated to help, but only in a nominal way. When good things happen to bad people, people are reluctant to act, preferring to wait for karma to catch up.
A new scale measures connectedness to nature in young children, revealing a link between outdoor environment and improved well-being. Parents who encouraged nature play had less distressed children, while those who took responsibility towards nature saw fewer peer difficulties.
The Sleep Research Society recognized four scientists with awards for their groundbreaking work in sleep and circadian research. Louis Ptáček received the Distinguished Scientist Award for his pioneering genetic studies, while Frank A.J.L. Scheer and Steven A. Shea were honored for their seminal discoveries on circadian misalignment.
A new study links certain consumer behaviors, including flossing with Oral-B Glide, to elevated levels of toxic PFAS chemicals in the body. The findings suggest that consumers can limit their exposures by modifying their behavior and choosing flosses without PFAS.
Researchers used augmented reality to investigate the link between active sensing movement and sensory feedback in weakly electric fish. The study found that subtle active sensing movements are controlled by sensory feedback, enhancing sensory information reception. This discovery may have implications for neuroscience and robotics.
A new study has found that a better understanding of dog body language can reduce the risk of dog bites. Children and parents were trained to correctly interpret dog distress signals, leading to significant improvement in accuracy, particularly among younger children.
Researchers found that marmosets prefer melodies with consistent dependencies, mirroring human language structures. This discovery implies that primates already possessed this cognitive ability, shared with humans, around 30 million years ago.
Researchers developed high-resolution functional ultrasound imaging to study brain activity in awake and behaving mice. They found that out of 181 consistently identified brain regions, 87 were modulated during the optokinetic reflex, a stabilizing eye movement response.
A Caltech-led team of researchers has identified individual neurons that monitor our behavior, catching errors and correcting them quickly. The study provides rare recordings of these neurons, which are involved in error monitoring and have implications for psychiatric diseases like obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have discovered neurons that signal the detection of errors, offering insights into executive function capabilities and possible treatments for conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. The study also found a single-neuron correlate of self-monitoring for errors in humans.
The Center for Central Nervous System Function at Brown University has been awarded a $12 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health's COBRE program. The funding will support five new research projects and develop new analysis tools to advance brain science.
The study used event-related potentials to assess grammatical gender processing in German, revealing that participants found it difficult to process sentences with mismatches. Grammatically masculine role-nouns seem to be interpreted as specific to men, yet are regularly used to refer to all genders.
Scientists at the National Eye Institute have found that neurons in the superior colliculus are key players in allowing us to detect visual objects and events. The findings show that a specific population of neurons directly cause a behavior, and a mathematical model can predict behavior based on these neurons.
Dr. Marise Parent is studying how the hippocampus inhibits eating behavior at a biochemical level to identify new strategies for treating diet-induced obesity and other eating-related disorders. Memory plays a crucial role in controlling eating behavior, but the exact brain areas involved are not well understood.
Researchers found a clear connection between gene expression and behavior in little male fish building patterns to attract mates. The study also suggests that the genes behind this behavior have human cousins implicated in autism spectrum disorder.
A neuronal circuit in nematode worms modulates locomotion by dopamine and neuropeptide signaling, findings that may provide insights into food-motivated behavior in humans. The study suggests that similar inhibitory balancing mechanisms may be present in mammals.
A recent study published in Nature suggests that gut bacteria play a crucial role in regulating movement in fruit flies. The researchers found that specific bacterial strains, such as Lactobacillus brevis, can slow down the speed of germ-free flies by fine-tuning levels of carbohydrates.
Researchers discovered a new brain mechanism underlying salience processing that facilitates associative learning and survival. The periventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is activated by salient stimuli, including novel stimuli and reinforcing cues.
Researchers found that using priming can lead to significant changes in competitive behavior among both men and women. The study revealed that when men were primed to exert influence, they became more cautious, while women became more confident. This breakthrough has implications for education and professional training.
Researchers analyzed over 500,000 mouse decisions to identify a brain region supporting a decision-making strategy similar to nonhuman primates. This discovery paves the way for manipulating this circuit using advanced techniques.
Researchers found that vaginal births reduce cell death in brain regions, while C-sections lead to increased ultrasonic vocalizations and altered hormone expression at weaning. Cesarean-born mice also had greater body weight.
The study found that sweet and bitter tastes were quickly detected but took longer to be identified, while salty and sour tastes were vice versa. The researchers also discovered that participants' ratings of pleasantness influenced processing speed for sweet and bitter tastes.
Researchers found greater nerve cell death in Cesarean-born mice, associated with reduced neurons and altered behavior, but no effect on overall brain size or development
A study published in Pediatric Research found that babies born to overweight mothers are more likely to develop regulatory problems, including excessive crying and feeding difficulties. The research suggests that prenatal factors, such as maternal weight during early pregnancy, may contribute to these issues.
A new study found that growth rates of brain circuits in infancy can predict a child's IQ and emotional behavior at age four. Researchers used MRI scans on infants and followed their development to identify early signs of mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders.
Scientists discovered a genetic mutation in the CHRNA5 gene that contributes to nicotine dependence and relapse. The study found that this mutation increases nicotine consumption and rates of relapse, offering hope for developing new therapies to combat tobacco addiction.
Researchers found a correlation between neurobehavioral symptoms and unemployment among individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI. Frontal system neurobehavioral syndromes can predict employment outcomes, highlighting the need for rehabilitative strategies to address these behaviors.
Researchers found that suppressing a specific area of the prefrontal cortex led to a significant decrease in risk-taking behavior in monkeys. The study suggests that this brain region is critical for controlling attraction to big uncertain rewards.
A UofL study found that brief cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduced depressive symptoms, negative thinking, and chronic stress in female caregivers of children with severe health conditions. The therapy improved sleep quality after just five sessions.
A new study confirms that three viable explanations exist for detection dogs collecting non-target scat, including natural behaviors of non-target species altering the genetic profile of target scat. This finding has important implications for conservation projects using scat-detection dogs to track animal populations.
Researchers found that fruit flies freeze in response to threats at slow walking speeds, but run away when moving quickly. The team identified a single pair of neurons critical for this process, providing insights into the brain's defensive strategies.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee suggest that a genetic mutation may cause Huntington's disease to appear earlier in life. A new drug, Panobinostat, may regulate gene expression and prevent disease progression.
Researchers are mapping the function of specific enzymes that may facilitate the development of new drugs to fight bacterial infections and cancer. The study could also potentially help against neurodegenerative diseases such as autism, Down syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's.
Researchers at Yerkes National Primate Research Center have successfully reversed the effects of parental stress on offspring by exposing parents to behavioral interventions. The study found that this approach breaks the cycle of intergenerational stress, reducing sensitivity and structural imprints in offspring.
A new study finds that toddlers are attuned to how others may be judging them and modify their behavior accordingly. Children between 14 and 24 months show inhibition when being watched with a neutral or negative expression, but press the buttons associated with positive responses more often.
By 24 months old, children demonstrate awareness that their behavior can be positively or negatively evaluated by others. The study found that even young toddlers are attuned to the judgments of others and adjust their behavior accordingly.
Researchers found a 130% increase in fishing activity in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area before a full ban took effect, setting back conservation efforts. The study suggests that people will adapt rationally to policy changes, leading to unintended consequences for conservation goals.
A study of 63 healthy individuals found a strong association between elevated gut bacteria and stronger brain function in areas linked to reward and emotions. This suggests that indole-producing gut bacteria may contribute to overeating behaviors.
A recent study found that genetic diversity among shelter dogs exceeds expectations, revealing over 125 distinct breeds. Breed labels assigned by shelters often lead to inaccurate assessments, with accuracy rates as low as 10%. Behavioral assessments may be a more informative alternative.
A study found that young adults, particularly college students, are high food wasters due to a lack of learned food management behaviors. The study's findings suggest that environmental factors, such as access to refrigerators and cooking facilities, also play a role in their behavior.
A team of researchers from the University of Oregon has made a groundbreaking discovery about the neural circuitry that controls movement in fruit flies. By mapping the communications between a pair of brain neurons and motor neurons, they found that a single neuron can trigger both forward and backward motion.
A Baylor study reveals that religiosity drives donors to give, but materialism decreases charitable giving. Researchers suggest fundraisers can use this knowledge to boost giving.
A survey of southern California high school students found a correlation between concerns over increasing social discrimination and poorer behavioral health outcomes. The study suggests that public health attention and policy changes may be needed to address the impact of public expressions of discrimination on adolescent mental health.
Researchers studied ants' tunnel excavation to understand optimal traffic flow in crowded environments. They found that idleness, reversals, and uneven work distribution reduced clogs and improved performance. These strategies can be applied to improve movement in engineered systems like robot swarms.
A study published in Age and Ageing found that women whose mothers lived to at least age 90 were 25% more likely to also live to 90 without serious diseases or disabilities. Additionally, if both parents lived to 90, the likelihood of their daughter's longevity increased by 38%.
Researchers link vocal repertoire to brain region size in primates, finding a positive correlation between cortical association areas and vocal complexity. The study reveals the importance of specific brain regions in controlling vocal production, providing insight into human speech evolution.
Researchers created a map of over a billion brain cell connections to understand how memories are formed and recalled. The study revealed diverse patterns of synapses that may be key to recalling information, potentially helping scientists understand memory problems.
Research shows that dogs that remain calm and exhibit empathy during their owner's distress help out faster. Therapy dogs performed as well as other dogs in opening doors, highlighting the importance of traits like obedience over human-animal bonding.
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.
A new study published in the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior found that individuals can improve their food choices by adopting a 'health-focused' mindset during meal planning. This approach triggers activity in the prefrontal cortex, linked to self-control and future meal planning.
New research reveals how cannabis triggers hunger hormones and changes brain activity to stimulate appetite. The study's findings could lead to targeted treatments for severe appetite loss in various chronic illnesses, improving quality of life and recovery.
Researchers developed a technique to quickly teach robots novel traversal behaviors with minimal human oversight, enabling autonomous navigation in environments. The goal is to provide reliable robot teammates to the Soldier, allowing for faster task completion and enhanced situational awareness.
Researchers at Columbia University identified neural-circuit activity in electric fish that enables the brain to tune out self-generated signals, allowing animals to focus on external stimuli. This mechanism may inform studies of sensory disorders like tinnitus, which disrupts the brain's ability to cancel out self-generated sounds.