Thoughts that arise spontaneously when humans are not deliberately trying to think of something are known to play a key role in decision-making and various cognitive functions, as well as in some mental health disorders. In fact, psychology studies suggest that...
Brain circuits are known to gradually form and develop after birth as the result of both innate biological processes and life experiences. Past studies suggest that the initial development of brain circuits spans across two different stages.
When animals and humans explore their surrounding environment or complete specific tasks, their brains simultaneously support both their mental (i.e., cognitive) processes and physical movements. For instance, some brain processes could contribute to memory encoding...
The SYNGAP1 gene, which supports the production of a protein called SynGAP (Synaptic Ras GTPase-Activating Protein), is known to play a key role in supporting the development of synapses and neural circuits (i.e., connections between neurons). Mutations in this gene...
Most neuroscience research carried out up to date has primarily focused on neurons, the most renowned type of cell in the human brain. As a result, the unique functions of other brain cell types are less understood and have often been entirely overlooked.
The default mode network (DMN) is a set of interconnected brain regions known to be most active when humans are awake but not engaged in physical activities, such as relaxing, resting or daydreaming. This brain network has been found to support a variety of mental...
Humans and certain animals appear to have an innate capacity to learn relationships between different objects or events in the world. This ability, known as "relational learning," is widely regarded as critical for cognition and intelligence, as learned relationships...
The brain of humans and other animals is known to contribute to the protection of the body from infections. Past studies have unveiled the existence of the so-called conditioned immune response (CIR), which is a form of Pavlovian conditioning that entails the...
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder associated with persistent, intrusive thoughts (i.e., obsessions), accompanied by repetitive behaviors (i.e., compulsions) aimed at reducing the anxiety arising from obsessions. Past studies have showed...
Lewy body diseases (LBDs) are a class of debilitating neurodegenerative disorders linked to the abnormal aggregation of the protein α-synuclein in nerve cells. When misfolded, this protein can produce clumps known as Lewy bodies, which can adversely impact the...