Some clinicians are concerned that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis has risen throughout Western society since the late 1980s. Is this correct? And if so, has the true incidence of PTSD really spiraled out of control, or has it simply become overdiagnosed? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ this week. PTSD is a serious […]
When scientists need to understand the effects of new infant formula ingredients on brain development, it’s rarely possible for them to carry out initial safety studies with human subjects. After all, few parents are willing to hand over their newborns to test unproven ingredients. Enter the domestic pig. Its brain and gut development are strikingly […]
Job descriptions for the thousands of types of neurons in the brain typically include a common function: release chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate across circuit connections called synapses. In a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health, the lab of MIT Professor Troy Littleton will seek to understand how neurons construct synapses of […]
A new study from UCLA and Stanford University researchers finds that three-dimensional human stem cell-derived 'mini brain' organoids can mature in a manner that is strikingly similar to human brain development. For the new study, published in Nature Neuroscience February 22, senior authors Dr. Daniel Geschwind of UCLA and Dr. Sergiu Pasca of Stanford University […]
Alcohol and cannabis use during adolescence is a well-known risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) during adulthood. Whether early drug use plays a causative role in predisposing teens to AUD and CUD is unknown, but researchers are investigating the possibility that it may have an impact on neural development. […]
Professionalization in any field requires long-term experience and training. In the past decades, studies have demonstrated that the professionalization of athletes and artists create differences in the behavior of the brain while carrying out activities related to their area of expertise. To detect the effects of media professionalization in the brain, a research team from […]
Large numbers of people around the globe have been forced into solitude due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, social distancing is utterly at odds with our drive for social connection, the cornerstone of human evolution. Suddenly confronted with a lack of social interactions, many of us are now experiencing more loneliness. We are missing that […]
