Hugs, kisses, and other forms of affective touch have an important impact on our physical and psychological health. Read this Spotlight to find out more.

Researchers find that one treatment for atrial fibrillation effectively improves the symptoms of anxiety and depression linked with this condition.

In this Spotlight, we explore the phenomenon that is lucid dreaming. We explain what it is, what to do to achieve it, and whether it brings any risks.

Anxiety seems to be taking over society. In this article, we ask whether anxiety really is on the rise, and why it might be increasing in prevalence.

According to new research, mental health apps commonly overdiagnose their users. The team conducted a content analysis of 61 mental health apps.

A new study warns that ketamine works almost like an opioid, and it raises concerns that the drug may do more harm than good in the long run.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder can develop when a person has experienced prolonged or repeated trauma. It can cause additional symptoms, as well as those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, learn more about complex PTSD, including the causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Dogs really are a person's best friend — not least because they impact both our physical and our mental health. In this Spotlight, we explain why and how.

Bulimia is an eating disorder that involves bingeing and purging. It can affect a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health. The side effects, which include tooth decay, digestive issues, and arrhythmia, may become severe without treatment. Here, learn about the signs of bulimia and its effects on the body.

Bipolar I and II are types of bipolar disorder that involve manic and depressive episodes. A person with bipolar II may experience hypomania, which is less severe than the manic episodes that occur in bipolar I. Learn more about the differences between these conditions here.

Searching for a more direct connection between the gut and the brain, researchers were shocked to see that distance spanned by a single synapse, relaying the signal in less than 100 milliseconds, less than the blink of an eye. The finding has profound implications for the understanding of appetite and appetite suppressants, most of which […]

A new study explores the mystery of what drives eating past the point of fullness, at the most basic level in the brain. It shows that two tiny clusters of cells battle for control of feeding behavior -- and the one that drives eating overpowers the one that says to stop. It also shows that […]

Using a new technique known as laser-capture RNA seq, that involves cutting out dopamine neurons from a human brain section with a laser, investigators have cataloged more than 70,000 novel elements active in these brain cells.

Although depression is one of the leading psychiatric disorders, its cause remains unclear. A recent study found that those affected by depressive disorder have a larger hypothalamus compared to their healthy counterparts. This could explain why many sufferers show increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and are very often afflicted with periods of tension.

Researchers have used a novel approach for analyzing the central nervous system of a proto-vertebrate to identify a regulatory cocktail that induces the creation of dopaminergic neurons/coronet cells, a primitive version of the hypothalamus. The findings shed more light on how neurons differentiate into particular subtypes, with potential implications for the treatment of conditions such […]

Researchers have identified a neuronal BRAF somatic mutation that causes intrinsic epileptogenicity in pediatric brain tumors.

Zombie cells are the ones that can't die but are equally unable to perform the functions of a normal cell. These zombie, or senescent, cells are implicated in a number of age-related diseases. Researchers have now expanded that list.

Researchers examined the effects of aging on neuroplasticity in the primary auditory cortex, the part of the brain that processes auditory information. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to modify its connections and function in response to environmental demands, an important process in learning.

A new brain imaging method can show the spread of specific tau protein depositions, which are unique to cases with Alzheimer's.

A new study shows that the processing of external information varies during the phases of the cardiac cycle.