Neuroscience

Brain's astrocytes play starring role in long-term memory

Star-shaped cells called astrocytes help the brain establish long-lasting memories, Salk researchers have discovered. The new work adds to a growing body of evidence that astrocytes, long considered to be merely supportive ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

REM sleep silences the siren of the brain

Upset by something unpleasant? We have all been there. Fortunately, it also passes. A new day, a new beginning. At least: if you have restful REM sleep. Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience discovered ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Overcoming PTSD: Study reveals memory disruption drug target

Fight or flight, panic, trembling: Our brains are wired to ensure we respond instantly to fear. While that fear response may save our lives in the dangerous moment, at times people stay on high alert long after the threat ...

Neuroscience

Proof it's possible to enhance or suppress memories

What if scientists could manipulate your brain so that a traumatic memory lost its emotional power over your psyche? Steve Ramirez, a Boston University neuroscientist fascinated by memory, believes that a small structure ...

Neuroscience

How the brain fights off fears that return to haunt us

Neuroscientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a group of cells in the brain that are responsible when a frightening memory re-emerges unexpectedly, like Michael Myers in every "Halloween" movie. The ...

Medications

Researchers find anesthetic can muddle specific memories

A team of researchers from Spain, the U.S. and the Netherlands has found that giving people propofol can lead to muddied memory recall of specific incidents. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Exposure to trauma impacts ability to squash bad memories

People exposed to trauma are less able to suppress unwanted emotional memories due to neural and behavioral disruptions in their brain that may contribute to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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