Exploring Aphantasia: The Mind Without a Mental Picture

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Summary: Researchers reviewed 50 studies to deepen our understanding of aphantasia, a phenomenon where individuals can’t visualize mentally. The research reveals aphantasia’s diverse impact, from reduced autobiographical memory and face recognition to broader implications in music imagination and occupation choices, suggesting a spectrum rather than a binary condition. Additionally, […]

Altered Brain pH Linked to Cognitive Disorders

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Summary: A global study involving 131 researchers from 105 labs across seven countries has found altered brain pH and lactate levels across various animal models of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. This large-scale research reveals a common endophenotype involving energy metabolism dysfunction as a hallmark in disorders such as schizophrenia, […]

Embracing Neurodiversity: Beyond Stigma to Strength

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Summary: A new study highlights the need to recognize and celebrate the diverse skills of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, and autism. The research advocates for a shift in perspective, focusing on strengths such as creativity, resilience, and problem-solving, rather than deficits. The study emphasizes that acknowledging […]

Household Chemicals Linked to Brain Health Risks

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Summary: Certain household chemicals, including those found in personal-care products and furniture, pose a risk to brain health, potentially contributing to diseases like multiple sclerosis and autism. The study reveals that these chemicals damage oligodendrocytes, essential cells for nerve cell protection. Key findings include the identification of harmful organophosphate […]

Brain Abnormalities in Children with Developmental Language Disorder

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Summary: Researchers have discovered that the anterior neostriatum, a part of the brain linked with movement, shows abnormalities in children with developmental language impairments. This study utilized a novel computational approach to analyze data from 22 studies, revealing that these abnormalities are uniquely prevalent in the anterior neostriatum. The […]

People With Autism Experience Pain at a Higher Intensity

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Summary: People with autism experience pain at a higher intensity than those not on the autism spectrum and are less adaptable to the sensation. This revelation contradicts the prevailing belief that those with ASD tend to be indifferent to pain. Source: Tel Aviv University A new study has examined […]

Community Newsletter: Better measurement; Rett rescue; interactomes; social touch

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We’re kicking things off this week with a PsyArXiv preprint about ways to improve measurement precision in neuroscience — and enhance reproducibility. Significance statement: Huge samples are not the only answer to the replication crisis. Additionally, we should make our measurements more precise. In this primer, we tell you […]

Fresh Questions About Oxytocin as the ‘Love Hormone’ Behind Pair Bonding

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Summary: The “love hormone” oxytocin may not play as critical a role in bonding as previously believed. Removing the oxytocin receptor in animal models still resulted in monogamous mating, attachment, and parental bonding behaviors, although females without the receptor produced milk in smaller quantities. Findings reveal parenting and bonding […]

Risk of Major Psychiatric Disorders Among Survivors of Childhood and Adolescent Cancers

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In a Taiwanese study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology , Hsu et al found that survivors of childhood and adolescent cancers were at a significantly increased risk of multiple major psychiatric disorders compared to those without cancer. Study Details The study used data from a nationwide data […]

Fresh Questions About Oxytocin as the ‘Love Hormone’ Behind Pair Bonding

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Summary: The “love hormone” oxytocin may not play as critical a role in bonding as previously believed. Removing the oxytocin receptor in animal models still resulted in monogamous mating, attachment, and parental bonding behaviors, although females without the receptor produced milk in smaller quantities. Findings reveal parenting and bonding […]