by Ingrid Fadelli , Medical Xpress Optogenetic activation of mPFC Pyr neurons triggers REM sleep. a, Top: schematic of optogenetic activation of mPFC Pyr neurons. Bottom: expression of AAV-CaMKII-ChR2-eYFP (yellow) in mPFC of a C57BL/6J mouse. Dashed lines, optic fiber tract. Scale bar, 500 µm. Brain atlas image adapted with permission from ref. 61. b, Example...
by University of Toronto Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain An image of a beautiful beach conjures up certain sensations—one can imagine the warmth of the sun, and the sound of waves breaking on shore. But how does the human brain produce these impressions when an individual isn’t actually standing on a beach, basking in the sun’s rays...
by Bob Yirka , Medical Xpress Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of Turin Medical School has found that applying direct current to the brain’s right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex can enhance the placebo effect in patients. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,,...
by Toby Leigh, University of Plymouth Research carried out by a University academic has shed new light on the fundamentals of how, and why, we make the decisions we do. In two separate studies, UKRI Future Leader Fellow and Lecturer in Psychology, Dr. Elsa Fouragnan has used her expertise in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)...
by University of Bologna research group from the University of Bologna has succeeded in modifying the negative effect of a returning memory that triggers fear, and developed a new non-invasive experimental protocol. The result of this study, published in the journal Current Biology, is an innovative protocol that combines fear conditioning—a stimulus associated with something...
Early use of cannabis affects the working memory of adolescents, but its deleterious effect is more pronounced in girls, posing a risk to their academic success as well as to their memory when they reach adulthood. These are the findings of a study conducted by Sima Noorbakhsh of the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, under the...
Imagine a barking dog, a furry spider or another perceived threat and your brain and body respond much like they would if you experienced the real thing. Imagine it repeatedly in a safe environment and soon your phobia–and your brain’s response to it–subsides. That’s the takeaway of a new brain imaging study led by University...
