Amygdala News and Research

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Optimizing the use of oxytocin to help people overcome social difficulties

Oxytocin is known for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding and it has also been shown to have a wider application in the development and regulation of social behavior in many species.

3 Mar 2020

Researchers find the potential of opioid drug to help mask fear memory

Anxiety disorders such as phobias and PTSD are fairly common problems in society. One of the prime causes of anxiety disorders is the inability to overcome the fear for certain contexts when they no longer apply.

19 Feb 2020

New study provides clear picture of brain abnormalities associated with schizophrenia

What if the key to a better understanding of schizophrenia has been here all along--but researchers haven't had the resources to study it?

12 Feb 2020

Pheromone darcin changes brains of female mice

Pheromones are chemicals that animals produce to change the behavior of another animal of the same species. Many species use these chemicals to communicate information about the location, sexual, and social status of potential partners. A team of researchers from Columbia University may have unlocked how the pheromone darcin, aids in attracting mice of the opposite sex.

2 Feb 2020

Non-invasive electrostimulation of the vagus nerve improves memory in mice

Researchers at UPF are testing a new non-invasive method of stimulating the vagus nerve in mice that improves their memory.

28 Jan 2020

The influence of neuroanatomy on treatment response of patients with trigeminal neuralgia

A new study published in the journal Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society, shows unprecedented data regarding the neuroanatomical influence on the treatment response of patients with trigeminal neuralgia.

24 Jan 2020

Opioid dependence produces permanent changes in the brains of rats

Approximately one-quarter of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, with five to 10 percent developing an opioid use disorder or addiction.

24 Jan 2020

Study: Psychiatric challenges in young girls with autism are linked to larger amygdala

Preschool-age girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face greater challenges with emotional and behavioral problems than similar age boys with ASD.

22 Jan 2020

Childhood adversity and violence exposure can alter the brain

Childhood adversity is a significant problem in the US, particularly for children growing up in poverty.

17 Jan 2020

Alcohol dependence results in remodeling of functional architecture in rodent’s brain

Employing advanced technologies that allow whole brain imaging at single-cell resolution, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that in an alcohol-dependent mouse model, the rodent brain's functional architecture is substantially remodeled.

14 Jan 2020

Scientists discover powerful molecule that explains why people with anxiety use marijuana

/news/20200113/Research-could-help-explain-why-some-people-use-marijuana-when-stressed-or-anxious.aspx

14 Jan 2020

Poor early life environment leaves permanent mark on adult brain

A severely deprived child may never really recover from the impact of deprivation early in life, finds a new study.

9 Jan 2020

Evidence for engrams as neural basis for memory

Though scientist Richard Semon introduced the concept of the "engram" 115 years ago to posit a neural basis for memory, direct evidence for engrams has only begun to accumulate recently as sophisticated technologies and methods have become available.

2 Jan 2020

Study measures brain injury from boxing, MMA in younger and older fighters

For boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, is there a safe level of exposure to head trauma? A new study shows different effects in the brain for younger, current fighters compared to older, retired fighters.

23 Dec 2019

Scientists develop computationally inspired method for preclinical study of anxiety

Nearly 40 million people in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder. While treatment options exist, treatment success varies, and many people do not respond to treatment until weeks or months after they begin anti-depressants

18 Dec 2019

New review explores relationship between yoga practice and brain health

Scientists have known for decades that aerobic exercise strengthens the brain and contributes to the growth of new neurons, but few studies have examined how yoga affects the brain.

12 Dec 2019

Scientists discover specific neurons that promote reward-like behaviors, alcohol consumption

Scientists have known that a region of the brain called the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays a role in behaviors related to alcohol use and consumption in general. It's been less known which precise populations of brain cells and their projections to other brain regions mediate these behaviors.