ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

Scientists can control brain circuits, behavior, and emotion using light. Researchers developed a new optogenetic tool, 'Opto-vTrap', which is expected to contribute to treatment for epilepsy, muscle spasms, and skin wrinkles.

Scientists used animated humanoid avatars to study how nonverbal cues influence people's behavior. The research offers insight into the brain mechanisms that drive social and economic decision-making.

A new study reveals why coaches believe 'game intelligence,' work ethic and competitiveness are far more important than physical fitness in determining success on the basketball court.

A new study has found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) prevented major depression, decreasing the likelihood of depression by over 50% as compared to sleep education therapy in adults over the age of 60 with insomnia.

Play is important for the development of complex social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. Play provides young individuals with a safe space to practice new behaviors without grave repercussions. While most animals engage in play, only humans engage in rule-based games. Which kinds of games people play -- competitive or cooperative -- may depend on their cultural background. In a new study, researchers screened historical data to answer the question whether cultures play games that correspond to how cooperative they are.

Flow is said to be good for our well-being -- and there is evidence that it can ward off depression, prevent burnout and make us more resilient. We seek it out, but we don't understand how the brain enables flow very well.

A new study is showing how value choices are recorded in our brains. Researchers found that persistency allows value signals to be most effectively represented, or 'coded,' across different areas of the brain, especially in a critical area within the cerebrum known as the retrosplenial cortex.

Mathematicians have analysed global COVID-19 data to identify two constants which can drastically change a country's rate of infection.

Researchers now show that stimulation of the anterior thalamus increases memory-related brain activity and restores memory function in rats with mammillothalamic tract (MTT) lesions. Their findings suggest that therapies involving targeted stimulation of the anterior thalamus could help with memory restoration in patients with brain injury.

The perception that boys are more interested than girls in computer science and engineering starts as young as age six, according to a new study. That may be one reason why girls and women are underrepresented in these STEM career fields.

Opioid medications remain a go-to treatment for severe pain, whether it's from surgery, a sudden injury, or nerve damage. But as opioid addiction and overdose deaths reach new highs in the United States, the need for safer ways to treat acute pain has grown more urgent. A new collection of compounds shows promise.