Stop for a minute and smile

neurosciencestuff:

April 4, 2012

Brain pacemakers have a long-term effect in patients with the most severe depression. This has now been proven by scientists from the Bonn University Medical Center. Eleven patients took part in the study over a period of two to five years. A lasting reduction in symptoms of more…

thenewenlightenmentage:

Science Bulletins: Brain Evolution—The Sweet Smell of Success

A good sense of smell may have contributed to the development of certain kinds of social functions in Homo sapiens, according to a new study. Scientists used 3D modeling to reconstruct modern human and Neanderthal brains and discovered that the olfactory areas, which govern smell, are larger in humans. Their models also show that humans have larger temporal lobes, regions related to social behavior. Future studies will explore the possibility of a connection between the olfactory and temporal regions of the brain and the evolution of sophisticated social behavior in humans.

This latest Human Bulletin from the American Museum of Natural History’s Science Bulletins program is on display in the Hall of Human Origins until April 30, 2012.

Science Bulletins is a production of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology (NCSLET), part of the Department of Education at the American Museum of Natural History. Find out more about Science Bulletins at amnh.org/sciencebulletins/.

paratusojosinvisibles:

A long, but hopefully easy to understand look at Stress Resilience

Historically stress research has focused on the detrimental effects of stress and the physiology of stress responses, however, until relatively recently, little attention has been paid to individuals who are resilient to…

unmental-final:

“Swiss scientists have shown that breaking your arm can affect your brain. It appears that immobilising the broken limb reduces the thickness of part of the cerebral cortex.

The study highlights how rapidly the brain can adapt in response to environmental changes, a phenomenon known as brain…

(Source: abc.net.au)

The limbic system is involved in the regulation of motivated behaviours - including the four Fs of motivation: fleeing, feeding, fighting, and sexual behaviour. (This joke is as old as biopsychology itself, but it is a good one.)

—Pinel, J., Biopsychology.  (via everybodyjustride)

Hey girl, if I were a Shwann cell I’d squeeze around your axon and give you a fast action potential.

—(via impulse-to-soar)

h0ld0npain3nds:

http://www.teen-depression.info/overview/biology/

Biology of Depression and the Rest of the Brain

Since the development of the monoamine theory, depression research has uncovered more to the story of depression. Imbalances of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin do appear to be linked to…