Summary: New research highlights the critical role of dynamic motion in recognizing familiar people, beyond static facial or body features. Faces, voices, and body movements each carry unique, idiosyncratic motion patterns — or “dynamic fingerprints” — that help perceivers identify individuals, even under challenging conditions.These motion cues are learned over...
How the Brain Chooses Between Memory and Perception
Summary: The brain constantly toggles between focusing on external sensory information and internal mental representations like memories, plans, and thoughts. This seamless switching is crucial for adaptive behavior, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.Recent research highlights both shared and distinct neural networks for external and internal attention, revealing costs...
Do We Trust Our Vision More Than Our Hearing When Judging Music?
Summary: A new study reveals that the “sight-over-sound” effect—where visual cues outweigh audio in judging music—depends heavily on the listener’s musical background. In experiments with Japanese brass band performances, general musicians relied more on visuals, while brass band specialists judged more accurately by sound alone.Non-musicians showed no clear bias. The...
Anxiety and depression may be fueled by front insula that is too active.
Summary: New research shows that elevated glutamate-glutamine (Glx) levels in the anterior insular cortex (AIC) make people more sensitive to mistakes and more prone to anxiety and depression. Using functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy and reinforcement learning tasks, scientists found that high AIC Glx predicted both a general internalizing symptom score...
Personality and Aggression Are influenced by the toxicoplasma parasitis.
Summary: New research highlights how parasitic infections can alter brain chemistry and behavior in humans. Toxoplasma gondii, among others, appears to manipulate dopamine and immune responses, increasing risk-taking, impulsivity, and aggression.These changes may benefit the parasite by promoting behaviors that aid its survival and transmission. The findings raise important questions...
Audio Proves Hope in easing Dementia’s Stress
Summary: A new study highlights how music therapy can help ease severe distress in dementia patients on hospital wards. The MELODIC approach embeds a music therapist to deliver sessions and create personalized musical care plans for patients.Results showed improved quality of life and reduced distress, with no adverse effects reported....
When Tears Seem Honest: Context Influences How We Evaluate Crying
Summary: New research reveals that our perception of others’ tears as sincere or manipulative depends heavily on context. Tears were judged more honest when shed in non-manipulative situations and by those less expected to cry, such as men or individuals perceived as less warm.This suggests unexpected tears may signal stronger...
How Your Mental Combines Words
Summary: Speaking requires a precise sequence of muscle movements, long thought to be coordinated by Broca’s area in the brain. New research reveals that a different region, the middle precentral gyrus (mPrCG), plays a key role in planning and executing speech sequences.Using brain recordings and stimulation during surgery, scientists showed...
How Eye Contact Fosters Connection
Summary: A new study reveals that the sequence of eye movements—not just eye contact itself—plays a key role in how we interpret social cues, even with robots. Researchers found that looking at an object, making eye contact, then looking back at the object was the most effective way to signal...
Do Antidepressants Job? Some Do, Research Says
A comprehensive review of over 23,000 studies identified 64 over-the-counter (OTC) supplements and herbal products evaluated in clinical trials for depression. St John’s Wort, saffron, probiotics, vitamin D, and omega-3s showed the strongest evidence, while others like lavender, zinc, and chamomile showed promise but need more research.Some popular supplements, like...
