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Fastest-Ever 'Mind Reading' AI Model Can Reconstruct Images From Your Brain
See what the person saw - and what the AI recreated from their brain activity.
The Science Behind the Nobel-Winning Technology That Controls Neurons With Light
Optogenetics revolutionized neuroscience, but its origins come from an entirely brainless organism—an alga.
Science-backed guidance for healthy screen time
We’re all aware – and wary – of doomscrolling. Lots of screen time can be bad for us. But what if that’s not always the case? We spoke with the author of a study that found a positive relationship between screen time and brain development in young people. This episode, we sort through what to actually worry about when it comes to screen time – and what guidelines already exist that can empower you and the kids in your life.Interested in learning more about how screen time affects your brain? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
German and US scientists win Nobel medicine prize for work on light and brain
The physiology or medicine prize traditionally opens the annual Nobel announcements.
A Political Brain Trust in an Upper West Side Building
Dick Gottfried and Ruth Messinger. Photo by Saul Dennis. By Saul Dennis Artists. Politicians. Actors. Chefs. Philosophers. Captains of industry,
3 scientists share Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for work in optogenetics
The Nobel Foundation awarded its prize in physiology and medicine Monday to three scientists who researched how nerve cells affect the brain.
Science Corp. Announces Long-Term (36 Months) Results of PRIMA BCI Clinical Trial Showing Durable Vision Restoration in Blind Patients Suffering from Geographic Atrophy
Science Corporation, the neural engineering and brain-computer interface (BCI) company, today announced long-term (36 months) followup data from its pivotal ...
Science on Target: Q3 Research We Enable
Read on for updates across the Research we Enable Postmortem Tissue (PMT) Core The Target ALS Postmortem Core has now collected brain and spinal cord tissue from over 650 cases, making it the largest and most comprehensive ALS tissue repository worldwide that is accessible with no-strings-attached to the global research community. This robust and expanding […]
Twenty-five years after 9/11, researchers are still discovering health effects among first responders
“We see differences 25 years later between those who were using or not the PPEs. We see that in these types of brain imaging…” said Dr. Roberto Lucchini.
Are right-brained people really more creative? Here’s what the science really tells us
Here’s what over 150 years of science really tells us about being left-brained vs right-brained.
Switching on brain cells: The Nobel-winning science of optogenetics
In optogenetics, scientists control neurons by stimulating them with light—potentially unlocking breakthroughs for conditions such as dementia, depression and blindness.
CATIE | Canadian study links cardiovascular disease to declining brain health
As the population of people with HIV ages, researchers studied cognitive health changes; 46% of study participants were cognitively declining, with cardiovascular health playing a role.
UCLA professor discovers new cause of narcolepsy in ‘blue spot’ brain region
For over 20 years, many scientists believed that a loss of a particular group of brain cells – termed hypocretin cells – found in the brain’s hypothalamus was the cause of narcolepsy.
1.2K views · 22 reactions | Nobel Prize 2026 explained: the...
Nobel Prize 2026 explained: the breakthrough that lets scientists switch brain cells on and off with light. Known as optogenetics, this technology helps researchers map the brain and uncover the...
Traumatic brain injuries: The science behind them
Centre of Neuro Skills Chief Medical Officer Dr. Matt Ashley talks about warnings to watch for and what recovery can look like.
AI Can Now Rebuild Images From Brain Scans. What If Your Dreams Don’t Stay Private?
Brain-IT reconstructs images from fMRI scans with startling clarity—and big implications.
Nobel medicine prize goes to 3 scientists for research into brain activity
The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded Monday to three scientists working on the mechanisms the brain uses to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells.
Why being scared can be fun, according to science
Why do people enjoy being scared? Psychiatry expert Dr. Arash Javanbakht says fear and excitement activate overlapping brain circuits, creating feelings of focus and energy. Horror movies and haunted houses
Nobel prize in medicine 2026 awarded for research on mysteries of brain
Three scientists to share 12m Swedish kronor prize for their work on ‘light-gated ion channels and optogenetics’
UFC AND CLEVELAND CLINIC RENEW LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP
UFC To Provide $1 Million Contribution To Fund Professional Athletes Brain Health Study Through 2030 WWE Joins Study; Zuffa Boxing Athletes Now Eligible To Participate
Education program in Eureka and Fortuna delves into brain health
This program provides research-backed guidance on brain health and the importance of taking action to protect your brain at every age.
Beloved TV star’s health scare: ‘I had a part of my brain that died’
She revealed the frightening situation during an interview.
Focus, calm and flow: The science behind relaxation
The vagus nerve connects the brain to the organs. Stimulating it can be beneficial - but some social media hacks lack science to back them up. Plus: Forest or city walk — which is more relaxing?
Neuroscience launches seminar series with talk on brain circuitry by renowned neurobiologist Peter Strick P’98
The Bates Program in Neuroscience kicked off its new Neuroscience Seminar Series with a talk from Peter Strick P’98, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh.
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology Went to a Technique That Lets Scientists Control the Brain With Light
Neuroscientific advances follow a pattern of visualizing the brain, measuring its function and then controlling it. Optogenetics may lead to a new era of medical treatment.
Nobel Prize 2026: Three Science Discoveries That Sound Straight Out Of Sci-Fi
This year's Nobel science winners were honoured for their research on tiny particles from space, using light to control brain cells, and studying mirror-image molecules.
What scientists discovered about dogs and human emotions
Brain scans show dogs process human facial expressions differently, suggesting they can distinguish between emotions like fear, sadness, and anger.
Nobel medicine prize goes to 3 scientists for research into brain activity
The Nobel committee lauded their work, writing on X that the method “is now being used in laboratories around the world to reveal the brain’s mysteries.”
RosCept Capsules Introduces Ros Cept Multi-Ingredient Dietary Supplement for Brain Health, Memory and Concentration
RosCept dietary supplement features Magnesium Beta Hydroxybutyrate, Calcium Beta Hydroxybutyrate, and Sodium Beta Hydroxybutyrate in a focused BHB formulation.Wilmington, DE, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RosCept has announced the introduction of RosCept, a multi-ingredient dietary supplement formulated with three mineral beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) compounds: Magnesium Beta Hydroxybutyrate, Calcium Beta Hydroxybutyrate, and Sodium Beta Hydroxybutyrate. Official Website: https://roscept.shop/
Scientists could one day remove your bad memories. Here's how
Madeleine Finlay hears from Steve Ramirez, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, whose book How to Change a Memory was shortlisted for this year’s Royal Society Trivedi science book prize. He explains how scientists have been able to locate memories in the brains of rodents, trigger them artificially and even remove them, and reveals what the practical applications of this science could one day be for humans.
‘Feeling Is Part of Memory’: In Conversation With Nobel Laureate Karl Deisseroth
The newly named Nobel laureate reflects on using light to probe the brain, the relationship between science and art, and the deep questions that have guided his work.
'Chronovisor' review: A researcher makes a wild discovery
Filmmakers Jack Auen and Kevin Walker, better known as the duo Cosmic Salon, mount an engagingly brainy nighttime adventure into lost technology.
AI behaves more like a brain than a database – cognitive science’s role in its origin story helps explain why
Modern AI owes its existence to both cognitive and computer science. What you envision as its origin story can influence how you understand what large language models can do.
Domestic violence research highlights overlooked links between head injuries and mental health
Domestic violence can leave a lasting injury that cannot always be seen: damage to the brain. Strangulation or choking and blows to the skull—some of the most common forms of this abuse—can cause physical ...
Friends of BrainHealth grants advance dementia prevention and brain health research
For nearly 20 years, the Friends of BrainHealth donor circle has helped turn promising ideas into innovative brain health research.
Baptist Health Breaks Ground on New Home of Kenneth C. Griffin Neuroscience Institute and Announces $75 Million Total Gift to Neuroscience Research and Care - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Stephen Blumenthal, Board Chair, Baptist Health Foundation ,Alex Villoch, Chief Executive Officer, Baptist Health Foundation ,Michael McDermott, M.D., System Chief Executive of Baptist Health Brain & Spine Care, Chief Medical […]
Dr. Egnor: The “Platonic Turn” in Science
There is a “disconnect” between a physical organ of the body — the brain — and the “immortal mind,” the human spirit, that transcends it.
$3.3M National Institutes of Health grant funds UH study of microplastics, infant brain development
Researchers will measure exposure through maternal blood, examine fetal brain development through ultrasound and collect cord blood and placenta samples. Infants will be assessed at 2, 6 and 12 months for neurological function, motor development, language skills and cognition.
California scientist wins a Nobel Prize, then makes school lunches for his kids
Dr. Karl Deisseroth spent hours fielding congratulatory calls after learning that he had won a Nobel Prize for medicine for helping to open a new field of brain science called optogenetics.
Committee led by Rep. James Comer seeks brain health study of naval aviators
The House Oversight Committee says the Navy isn’t doing enough to ensure it's protecting the long-term wellbeing of naval aviators.
Southport fire chief files lawsuit against Novant Health after mother’s fatal fall
Southport’s fire chief has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Novant Health and an attending doctor, alleging hospital staff ignored warnings that his 67-year-old mother was at high risk of falling before a fatal bathroom fall triggered an untreated brain bleed.
Science-backed guidance for healthy screen time
We’re all aware – and wary – of doomscrolling. Lots of screen time can be bad for us. But what if that’s not always the case? We spoke with the author of a study that found a positive relationship between screen time and brain development in young people. This episode, we sort through what to actually worry about when it comes to screen time – and what guidelines already exist that can empower you and the kids in your life.Interested in learning more about how screen time affects your brain? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Nobel medicine prize goes to 3 scientists for research into brain activity
The Nobel Prize in medicine has been awarded to three scientists whose work led to a tool that uses light to help unravel how the brain works
Here’s Exactly How Often to Eat Fish to Support Brain Health, According to a Dietitian
In TODAY.com’s Expert Tip of the Day, a dietitian shares how to get the brain-boosting benefits from eating fish regularly.
California scientist wins a Nobel Prize, then makes school lunches for his kids
STANFORD, California (AP) — Dr. Karl Deisseroth spent hours fielding congratulatory calls after learning early Monday that he had won a Nobel Prize for medicine for helping to open a new field of brain science called optogenetics.
10 Healthy Brain Habits To Keep Your Career Sharp This Fall
As autumn days become shorter, 10 brain health habits keep your thinking sharp and give your brain the same care you give to your heart, lungs and digestive health.
Exploring the science of keeping your mind sharp as you age
Everyone wants to keep a sharp mind as they age, especially as dementia cases continue to rise. Now, a growing body of evidence suggests almost half of the key risks for cognitive decline can be prevented or delayed. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the emerging science that can help protect against dementia with Dr. Jonathan Rosand of the Global Brain Care Coalition.
Scientists win Nobel medicine prize for research into brain activity
Their work was lauded “for discoveries leading to optogenetics, which makes it possible to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain.”
Your gut may be making a molecule that raises Alzheimer’s risk
Scientists have linked a gut bacterial compound called ImP to greater Alzheimer’s risk, harmful brain protein buildup, and faster cognitive decline. The finding raises the possibility that reducing ImP in the blood could one day help slow or prevent dementia.
AI behaves more like a brain than a database – cognitive science’s role in its origin story helps explain why
This article by Michael Hout, New Mexico State University, and Arryn Robbins, University of Richmond, first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission.
Nobel medicine prize goes to 3 scientists for research into brain activity
The Nobel Assembly praised their method, noting its global use in revealing brain mysteries.
‘Positive thoughts’: Legendary WWE announcer reveals new health setback
Jim Ross, a longtime professional wrestling announcer, has revealed a new health setback months after brain surgery.
The One Fall Food Dietitians Recommend for Brain, Heart, and Gut Health
There are many different varieties of this beloved (and healthy) fall fruit.
Can we harness the brain's deep-cleaning system to prevent Alzheimer's?
The glymphatic system is the brain's recently discovered network for flushing out toxins. Now, we're uncovering surprising ways to boost it to protect brain health
Could psilocybin treat brain injuries? Neuroscientist explains how psychedelics could fill a gap in head trauma care
Live Science spoke with neuroscientist Argel Aguilar-Valles about recent research exploring psychedelics as a treatment for mild head trauma.
The psychedelic brain looks like chaos—underneath, there's order
Participants meditated inside an MRI tube, with and without psilocybin.
New Evidence Shows How Some Brains Age in Reverse
The aging brain may not be as doomed as we thought—at least for people with extraordinary memory.
German and US scientists win Nobel Prize in medicine for research on brain activity
The trio won the award for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. This neurobiology tool has provided new insights into how we might treat blindness, depression, addiction and dementia.
Ted Lasso Just Let Its Final Brain Cell Slip Away
With the end of another season comes serious questions about its future.
Here’s a look at the Nobel Prizes for science
An icy window into the cosmos, a light switch for the brain and solving the mystery of mirror image molecules all took home the top prize.
‘No brainer’: Growing trend of Chinese tourists booking business-class flights
Chinese holidaymakers are increasingly upgrading to ‘premium travel’ to make their well-earned leisure time more pleasurable, say insiders.
Birdbrained Science: Eco-friendly has never tasted so good
It’s an unspoken debate as old as time: glass, aluminum or plastic? Which material makes the best bottle?
UMaine study explores whether music can help older adults maintain brain health
University of Maine researchers are studying whether listening to music or learning to play an instrument could help older adults maintain cognitive function as they age. The three-year study, led by Rebecca MacAulay, an associate professor of psychology at UMaine, is funded by the National Institute on Aging and will…
Your Age at Menopause May Predict Your Brain Health Years Later
Brain health experts explain.
AI behaves more like a brain than a database – cognitive science’s role in its origin story helps explain why
Modern AI owes its existence to both cognitive and computer science. What you envision as its origin story can influence how you understand what large language models can do.
Billy Joel shares health update amid brain disorder: ‘I know people are worried about me’
Joel was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus last year.
Is it possible to preserve your memories before dying? The science is moving beyond science fiction
For most of history, preserving someone’s memories after death meant relying on photographs, letters, stories and the recollections of other people. Technology is now pushing that idea much further. Scientists can record parts of brain activity linked to memory, researchers are mapping the neural networks that store experiences, and digital systems can preserve enormous amounts of a person’s voice, writing, images and personal history. That still falls far short of copying a mind. No technology
Billy Joel shares health update after undergoing brain surgery
‘I want people to not have to worry about me,’ the singer said
Scientists Find a Hidden Network of Tiny Channels The Brain May Use to Flush Out Toxic Alzheimer's Proteins
Toxic proteins need an exit.
Nobel for medicine awarded to 3 scientists for work that helps map the brain
A method that controls nerve signals with light, developed by an American and two Germans, has provided greater understanding of Alzheimer’s and is used in efforts to restore sight.
Scientists Find a Hidden Network of Tiny Channels The Brain May Use to Flush Out Toxic Alzheimer's Proteins
Toxic proteins need an exit.
Can dancing improve brain health?
One doctor is challenging us to rethink the way we think about healing by combining modern medicine and ancestral wisdom.
Rewriting the playbook: The grassroots movement for Black midlife health
I was 45 when my body first started sending distress signals: drenching night sweats, sudden 2 a.m. awakenings and a persistent brain fog that had me forgetting...
Why the creative brain feeds on movement
Movement and creativity go hand in hand. Scientists are working to discover why
How snakes evolved long, limbless bodies may be more complicated than scientists thought
"The brain tells a much richer story than the skeleton alone."
'Other Mommy' is packed with jump scares. Why our brains can't resist them.
Jessica Chastain's new horror movie is here — and it is bound to have some audience members scared witless.
Do More Steps Mean Better Mental Health For Teens?
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Oct. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A teenager's daily step count may improve more than their physical health — it may also help protect their mental health. Researchers tracked more than 5,500 adolescents (average age: 12), using Fitbits, brain scans and ...
‘Positive thoughts’: Legendary WWE announcer reveals new health setback
Jim Ross, a longtime professional wrestling announcer, has revealed a new health setback months after brain surgery.
Nobel medicine prize goes to 3 scientists for research into brain activity
The Nobel Assembly praised their method, noting its global use in revealing brain mysteries.
Livelong Women’s Health Summit Builds Momentum for 2027 Expansion
The Livelong Women's Health Summit brought together consumers, clinicians, researchers, and health experts for conversations spanning menopause, strength and performance, brain health, nutrition, hormones, and the science of aging. The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) served as a sponsor for the event.
Dietitian highlights dairy's role in student-athlete health
The role of dairy in a well-balanced diet. Emily Lyday, a registered dietitian with St. Vincent Sports Performance, says proper student nutrition helps support healthy brain and bone development. “Often times dairy comes in as a side, as an addition to their meal, just to help support it a little bit more to get some […]
Bullfrogs have a brain superpower
Understanding their backup brain fuel could help treat human neurological diseases.
Yale School of Medicine On the Science of Childhood Anxiety, Say, Anxiety Disorders Are the Most Common Mental Health Challenges In Youth
Credit: Matt Bradbury October 5, 2026 - By Isabella Backman - Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenges in youth. Left untreated, they can disrupt the lives of both children and their families. The good news is that with intervention, most children will overcome these conditions. Across Yale School of Medicine, scientists are working to understand anxiety at every level, from common anxious behaviors to molecular biomarkers in the brain. They are using their findings to develop and disseminate new evidence-based treatments for childhood anxiety. Today, the go-to treatment for childhood anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a form of psychotherapy that teaches children skills for confronting anxious thoughts and helps them practice managing situations that cause anxiety. While it is the gold-standard treatment backed by considerable scientific evidence, up to 50% of children will not see sufficient benefit from CBT alone. Wendy Silverman, PhD, Alfred A. Messer Professor in the Child Study Center, co-directs the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program alongside Eli Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center. One of their main interests is learning how to improve outcomes beyond CBT. “We’re developing cutting-edge, research-based knowledge that can reduce the suffering that anxiety causes children and their families,” says Silverman. Changing parent behavior YSM experts are investigating how to improve CBT outcomes for children by involving the parents. Silverman’s research has uncovered two main components of parent intervention that improve childhood anxiety: not enabling children to completely avoid the things that make them anxious and taking steps to enhance their autonomy. Parents may unintentionally reinforce their child’s anxiety by allowing them to avoid what makes them anxious. They also may unintentionally limit the children’s sense of autonomy by being overly intrusive. “One of the things that we take pride in is that we’ve focused on trying to understand what parents need to do, and to test our ideas and see if changing the parents’ behaviors is enhancing the effects of CBT,” Silverman says. “Our findings thus far suggest that they do." As much as CBT can be helpful, it can also be challenging to get one’s child to do the necessary steps for CBT to work. This is one important reason why Lebowitz created a novel intervention program for parents named Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). Existing intervention programs often teach parents to act as therapists for their child, such as training them on how to practice breathing exercises. “It makes sense, but this doesn’t work very well in practice,” says Lebowitz. “And part of the reason, I think, is that it’s not easy to get your kid to do things, especially if they’re not excited about doing it.” SPACE is unique because it focuses entirely on parent involvement and changing parental behavior—children are not involved in the sessions. For example, parents learn how to use supportive messages that convey confidence that their child can tolerate and manage distress. “It might sound like a parent saying to a child, ‘I get that this is really hard for you, but I know that you can handle it,’” Lebowitz says. The program also works with parents to identify the ways in which they are accommodating anxious behaviors. “We’ll pick one thing that parents are doing that is an accommodation and help them make a detailed plan for how they’re going to change that,” Lebowitz explains. Treating Anxiety in Children and Adolescents Much of the existing research on SPACE has focused on parents of children under age 14. Ongoing studies are now exploring its use with parents of older teens. “Both anxiety and accommodation can interfere with normative developmental shifts during the teen years, including increased autonomy and individuation from parents,” says Rebecca Etkin, PhD, associate research scientist in the Child Study Center. “In this sense, SPACE may be particularly well-suited for anxious teens and their parents. We want to see whether it is effective during this distinct developmental window.” Unfortunately, many families in need of CBT face barriers, including limited availability of services and geographic constraints. One way to improve access is digital interventions. Silverman and her team are developing an evidence-based digitized intervention program for parents that they can access directly from their computer or smart phone. “The work we’re doing will be one of the very few parent interventions that is digitized and importantly tested for effectiveness,” she says. Creating interventions for anxiety-related challenges Silverman and Lebowitz recently received a generous gift to develop and test other interventions that help parents reduce other child anxiety-related behavioral and emotional difficulties, such as restrictive eating and unexplained somatic symptoms. One of these projects in particular focuses on understanding the risks of social media and its potential benefits, including offering a sense of connection. “A lot of research has focused on the idea that social media is harmful and the less of it the better,” says Lebowitz. “But we actually see is that this is not quite right—there are negatives, but there are also positives. So, we’re trying to get a little bit more nuanced of a picture.” The team is working with teens with social anxiety and their parents over an extended period to better understand their social media habits and how their anxiety levels affect engagement with different platforms. The teens will answer questions sent to an app on their phones about mood and social media usage in an effort to capture emotional responses as they unfold. “We hope to develop interventions that can help make the best of social media while protecting against the more problematic effects,” Lebowitz says. The brain’s role in anxiety Researchers are also testing therapies to address anxiety at the neurological and molecular levels. In collaboration with Dylan Gee, PhD, professor of psychology in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Hilary Blumberg, MD, John and Hope Furth Professor of Psychiatric Neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine, Lebowitz and Silverman are using brain imaging to identify changes in a child’s brain before and after parents enroll in SPACE. In one study, children viewed anxiety-inducing images while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the researchers conducted scans with and without the children’s parents nearby. Before SPACE, children’s brains were better able to activate the regulatory circuitry needed to turn off an anxious response when their parents were nearby. But after SPACE, children could activate this circuitry even without the parent around. “As parents work on gradually reducing some of their accommodations, you can see a child get better at regulating their own fear system in the brain,” Lebowitz says. “It’s remarkable.” Research into the molecular underpinnings of anxiety can also inform new childhood anxiety treatments. In a recent study, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Flora Vaccarino, MD, Harris Professor in the Child Study Center, discovered that a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) could be protective from the toxic effects of stress. FGF2 levels in children and their parents were linked to the children’s risk of developing anxiety and depression, the study showed. The findings could help explain why some children who are exposed to early life trauma such as poverty or abuse are more prone to developing mental health disorders. And FGF2 could be a target for treatment. “This is very novel because it starts to give a clue to what is the molecular chain that connects those lived experiences to the actual psychological outcomes,” Lebowitz says. New ways to study and treat childhood anxiety Michael Crowley, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, collaborates with Silverman and Lebowitz to study the role that attention plays in development and maintenance of childhood anxiety. There is a large body of research that shows that anxious children, like anxious adults, are prone to focus on threatening stimuli such as angry faces compared with neutral faces. This has led to innovative interventions that involve attention retraining. The idea is that if experts train children to look away from threatening stimuli, it may reduce their anxiety—especially children with social anxiety who are most prone to attend to threats. The researchers have just completed a clinical trial for attention retraining with 10- to 14-year-olds with social anxiety disorders and are currently analyzing the findings. Besides this innovative attention retraining research, as Crowly notes, “I like to design tasks that are engaging to kids,” Crowley says. “My goal is to assess something without the kids knowing what we are assessing.” With this goal in mind, Crowley has created a virtual game, named Boom, to study threat processing in children with anxiety disorders. The game is similar to that of hot potato—the child and three digital players take turns virtually passing a ball to each other’s gloves. At some point, the ball turns into a bomb, and as the bomb lands in each player’s glove, the outline of the glove turns yellow. The goal is to avoid having the bomb go off in your glove. What isn’t obvious is that the game is designed to measure different types of threatening stimuli, both ambiguous and direct. In the game, the direct threat occurs as the bomb is traveling towards your glove. The ambiguous threat is the yellow outlined glove as it is unknown where the bomb will travel next. While children play the game, Crowley’s team measures their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). The researchers have discovered that in kids with anxiety, the brain reacts more strongly to ambiguous threats than it does in their peers, but less strongly to direct threats. They believe that the initial abnormally large brain response to not knowing where the bomb is going impairs the brain's ability to properly respond when the threat is actually traveling the child’s way. “The brains of children with anxiety are unable to differentiate between threats you need to do something about and those that are not your problem.” Michael Crowley, PhD, develops innovative games for studying anxiety in children and adolescents.Credit: Matt Bradbury Based on these insights, Crowley hopes to study whether interventions like attention training could restore appropriate threat processing. Crowley’s team is also working on a test called the Balloon Risk Avoidance Task, which evaluates risk-taking and avoidance behaviors. It features a digital balloon that is full of air and about to burst. Kids have six seconds to let air out of the balloon. The more air they let out, the less risk they face that the balloon will pop. But at the same time, the balloon becomes less valuable as it deflates. “The more air you keep in the balloon, the more points you get,” Crowley explains. So far, the researchers have found that when the balloons pop unexpectedly, teens with social anxiety show distinct brain responses. Studying these responses can help psychologists understand the underlying pathways driving the various manifestations of anxiety. The genetics of anxiety When Thomas Fernandez, MD, associate professor in the Child Study Center and of psychiatry, was still in training, there was a lot of excitement about understanding the genetics associated with autism spectrum disorder. Since then, scientists have identified around 250 genes associated with autism. The genetic contribution to anxiety disorders, on the other hand, has historically received less attention. Anxiety is less heritable than autism, but the genetic contribution for anxiety disorders that emerge in childhood may be higher than for anxiety disorders overall. While scientists estimate the heritability of anxiety disorders in general to be around 30% to 50%, some studies suggest higher heritability for certain childhood-onset anxiety presentations. “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism,” Fernandez says. “So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism. So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” Thomas Fernandez, MD Associate Professor In the Child Study Center and in Psychiatry Now, Fernandez and Emily Olfson, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Child Study Center, are studying children and their parents to identify genetic changes that are present in the child but not the parents, known as “de novo mutations.” “All of us have some de novo mutations—maybe about 50 to 100 sprinkled throughout the genome,” Olfson says. “But when they occur within the coding regions of genes, they can be really disruptive.” Previous research shows that people with autism have higher rates of damaging de novo mutations than the general population. In 2022, Olfson, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Fernandez published a study on 68 children and their families that found that children with anxiety had similarly high levels of these mutations. Studying de novo mutations can help point the researchers to where they should be looking for genes associated with anxiety. “The end game is using the genes to steer us toward the right part of biology that we can then target to come up with better treatments,” Fernandez says. Building on those findings, the team is now studying more families to better understand how these de novo mutations, along with other genetic and environmental factors, shape pediatric anxiety disorders. They recently received a National Institutes of Health grant to enroll 750 new families over the next five years. Olfson is the principal investigator, with co-investigators Lebowitz, Fernandez, Silverman, and Shuangge Steven Ma, PhD, department chair and professor of biostatistics at Yale School of Public Health. Neurodevelopment, Risk Genes, and Mental Health Conditions - The Olfson Lab Joel Gelernter, MD, Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, is interested in how different anxiety disorders differ genomically. “We are studying social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, working to understand why people differ in their risk to these specific anxiety disorders and evaluating various risk factors,” he says. Gelernter was recently involved in one of the largest studies to date of the genomics underlying anxiety disorder. The study included around 122,000 people with anxiety disorders and around 730,000 without. It found that some genetic differences associated with anxiety were linked to signaling that helps reduce overactivity in the nervous system. Many anxiety medications available today work by targeting this process. “It’s nice when the biology that you get out of a large genome-wide study ratifies things that we already know because that can help increase confidence in further findings from the study,” Gelernter says. Uncovering the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders John Krystal, MD, Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Translational Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, is interested in the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), of which anxiety is a major symptom. In the late 1980s, Krystal’s team discovered that the drug yohimbine activated symptoms in patients with PTSD. “This was the first time we could link a specific biological mechanism to the symptoms of PTSD,” Krystal says. At the time, he adds, this finding was highly controversial. “A lot of people felt that PTSD was a purely psychological syndrome that didn’t have an underlying biology.” Since then, Krystal has dived deep into understanding the neurobiology of PTSD to learn how to better treat it. His team is evaluating the use of ketamine and psychedelics. These would be among the first treatments to be developed specifically for PTSD. They may also be applicable for other disorders including anxiety disorders, Krystal adds. An important gap in PTSD treatment is the absence of biological tests that inform how to best help patients manage their PTSD symptoms. A doctor doesn’t diagnose cancer based on how they feel. Rather, they use tests of the biology of the cancer to determine the best course of treatment. “And we can’t do that in any psychiatric disorder other than Alzheimer’s disease,” Krystal says. “But now we are building a foundation for this approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders for the first time.” Source: Yale School of Medicine
‘A Mother’s Brain’ explores the neuroscience of motherhood
Neuroscientist Susana Carmona’s book guides readers through a new mom’s changing brain.
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Your employment history may impact the health of your brain. A new study found that steady employment in midlife was associated with better memory and thinking
Alzheimer's Awareness: Aging Brain Clinic at UNC Health serves as one-stop shop for memory-loss answers
"It can be very helpful for people to have somebody say, 'This is what I think is going on with you.'"
Southport fire chief files lawsuit against Novant Health after mother’s fatal fall
Southport Fire Chief Charles Drew has filed a wrongful-death suit against Novant Health, alleging lapses in care led to his mother’s fatal fall and brain bleed.
The Hunt for Consciousness Is Moving Deeper Into the Brain
A research team is using ultrasound to map the deep-brain circuits that may give rise to conscious experience.
Nobel medicine prize goes to 3 scientists for research into brain activity
The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded Monday to three scientists working on the mechanisms the brain uses to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells.
Rutgers Brain Health Institute Recruits World-Renowned Autism Expert
The Rutgers Brain Health Institute has recruited Sara Jane Webb as director of the Rutgers Center for Autism Research, Education and Services (RUCARES). Webb — a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle and is affiliated with the Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute — succeeds inaugural director Wayne Fisher and will join Rutgers in April.
On complex political issues, most Americans take shortcuts to simplicity
A novel study by UC Berkeley scholars finds that when Americans are presented with complex decisions on immigration, climate change or political candidates, they often avoid difficult reasoning.
Evening of Purpose helps fight complex disease
ROCKY MOUNTAIN MS CENTER Aurora News: The simplest way to describe Multiple Sclerosis is that it is a complex, unpredictable disease for which there is no cure. On a deeper dive, medical professionals will say it’s a cruel disease, one where the immune system attacks the central nervous system, affecting the brain, spinal cord and optic […]
Ubisoft's 'Motherbrain' Gen-AI Now Serves as a 'Global Entity' Across Ubisoft
Ubisoft GenAI 'Motherbrain' will serve as a global entity for Ubisoft's games, being implemented into as many games as possible.
German and US scientists win Nobel medicine prize for work on light and brain
They will share a prize sum of 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million).
3 science-backed ways to help your brain clear out waste
If the brain’s plumbing doesn’t work properly, research shows, cellular garbage accumulates, and a cleaner brain may be a healthier one.
Your Brain Under Anesthesia Behaves Surprisingly Like a Worm's, Scientists Discover
A shared experience of oblivion.