States of unconsciousness, such as those that occur during sleep or while under the effect of anesthesia, have been the focus of countless past neuroscience studies. While these works have identified some brain regions that are active and inactive when humans are...
The human auditory pathway is a highly sophisticated biological system that includes both physical structures and brain regions specialized in the perception and processing of sounds. The sounds that humans pick up through their ears are processed in various brain...
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is one of the most sophisticated regions of the mammalian brain. This crucial brain region is known to support various complex functions, including cognition, memory, decision-making, intelligence, and the experience of pain.
Aging is a natural process that affects all living organisms, prompting gradual changes in their behavior and abilities. Past studies have highlighted several physiological factors that can contribute to aging, including the body's immune responses, an imbalance...
Human decision-making has been the focus of countless neuroscience studies, which try to identify the neural circuits and brain regions that support different types of decisions. Some of these research efforts focus on the choices humans make while gambling and taking...
Many past neuroscience studies have found that animals process sensory information, such as visual stimuli, sounds, and so on, in relation to their movements within their surroundings. This experimentally confirmed idea, referred to as embodiment, has informed the...
Endogenous cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids for short, are lipid-based neurotransmitters known to support various physiological processes. Recent studies have hinted at the role of these neurotransmitters in so-called fear extinction, the process through which fear...
When humans make decisions, such as picking what to eat from a menu, what jumper to buy at a store, what political candidate to vote for, and so on, they might be more or less confident with their choice. If we are less confident and thus experience greater...
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the stage of the sleep cycle during which vivid dreaming typically takes place. This crucial sleep phase, characterized by relaxed muscles, rapid eye movements, an elevated heart rate and irregular breathing patterns, has been linked...
Cytokines are proteins that help the human body to control and support the work of the immune system. Over the past few decades, a growing number of studies have been exploring the role of specific cytokines, including IL-12, in inflammation and the development of...