Genetics

How a gene for obesity affects the brain

Obesity is a complicated condition, caused by a combination of genetics, the food environment, behavior, and other factors. For millennia, getting enough food to survive and thrive was difficult. For most people, it's now ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

A novel and unique neural signature for depression revealed

As parents, teachers and pet owners can attest, rewards play a huge role in shaping behaviors in humans and animals. Rewards—whether as edible treats, gifts, words of appreciation or praise, fame or monetary benefits—act ...

Neuroscience

Study pinpoints origins of creativity in the brain

Have you ever had the solution for a tough problem suddenly hit you when you're thinking about something entirely different? Creative thought is a hallmark of humanity, but it's an ephemeral, almost paradoxical ability, striking ...

Medications

Study reveals how an anesthesia drug induces unconsciousness

There are many drugs that anesthesiologists can use to induce unconsciousness in patients. Exactly how these drugs cause the brain to lose consciousness has been a longstanding question, but MIT neuroscientists have now answered ...

Medical research

Protein droplets likely don't cause Parkinson's, study suggests

Liquid-liquid phase separation is not a precursor to formation of amyloid fibrils, a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, shows a recent study. Rather, the formation of protein into liquid droplets may help to dissolve ...

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