Category: General Neuroscience

2021-22, Cognition

Square Dancing can Improve Cognitive Performance in Older Women

Yukta Kulkarni ’22 It is a well-known fact that exercise has many physical and psychological benefits. For example, persistent exercise is associated with increased muscle strength, a better metabolism, and even improving mood. Amidst common forms of exercise such as weight lifting and running, other activities such as dancing can fall into this category. Previous studies have shown that dancing offers advantages such as improvements … Continue reading Square Dancing can Improve Cognitive Performance in Older Women

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2021-22, Brain

Conditioned Taste Aversion Depends on Long-Term Depression of Neuronal Signaling

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is a learned association, made by humans as well as other animals, between the taste of food consumed and a subsequent period of illness assumed to be caused by said consumption. This period of illness is paired with an aversive stimulus, such as gastrointestinal malaise, and produces visceral distress that encourages the animal to avoid the food in … Continue reading Conditioned Taste Aversion Depends on Long-Term Depression of Neuronal Signaling

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2021-22, Neuroscience

Post-Stroke Neuroplasticity May Alter Artistic Skills Compensation

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident, is a medical emergency in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted or reduced. Strokes are the result of either an ischemic (arterial obstruction) or hemorrhagic (arterial rupture) event and are associated with the arrest of neuronal activity in the brain. However, various regions of the central nervous system (CNS) have demonstrated a capacity for recovering … Continue reading Post-Stroke Neuroplasticity May Alter Artistic Skills Compensation

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2021-22, Cognition, education, General Psychology, music, well-being

Music-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Improve Test Anxiety

Yukta Kulkarni ’22 From the ages of five to eighteen, school is a major part of a child’s life. A great deal of growing, making memories, and nurturing relationships are experienced during the hours a child is in school. However, education, with a focus on test performance, is considered the most important aspect of attending school. Unfortunately, many children suffer from test anxiety, something that … Continue reading Music-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Improve Test Anxiety

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Neurology, Psychology

Analysis of Female Pupillary Response as a Potential Reflection of “Cuteness”

Ayesha Azeem ’23 Observing something “cute” facilitates communication, as perceiving cuteness narrows perceptual attention and makes it difficult to focus on peripheral vision. Previous research has indicated that female reproductive hormones allow women to be more sensitive and attuned to perceiving cuteness. Because women have historically played the role of primary caregiver, evolutionary psychology suggests that cuteness motivates people to raise a child, which may … Continue reading Analysis of Female Pupillary Response as a Potential Reflection of “Cuteness”

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Neuroscience

Anti-Microglial Hyperactivity Drug Action May Block Alzheimer’s Disease Progression

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of memory, critical thinking skills, and behavioral capabilities that typically worsens with age. As the most common form of late-stage dementia, numerous risk alleles – variants of a gene that make a particular disease’s development more likely – have been identified for AD. Prominent among these is the triggering receptor expressed … Continue reading Anti-Microglial Hyperactivity Drug Action May Block Alzheimer’s Disease Progression

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Neuroscience, well-being

Neural Mechanism May Explain Variability of Social Ability in Autism

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder involving significant challenges with communication, behavior, and social skills. The range of conditions encompassed by the term is most often characterized by limited but intense interests, repetitive patterns of behavior, difficulty maintaining or regulating interactions with other people, and difficulty synchronizing facial expressions or motor movements with speech. It has long been believed that … Continue reading Neural Mechanism May Explain Variability of Social Ability in Autism

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Neurology

Similar but Different: The Potential Role of Spatial Differentiation in Memory Retrieval

Robyn Rutgers ’24 Researchers have long been interested in establishing how the brain remembers spatial environments and avoids confusion in similar environments, such as in a new supermarket. A recent study from University of Arizona researchers investigates how the processes of spatial memory retrieval are implemented in the brain and how the brain differentiates memory representations that involve overlapping features. The study recruited 27 participants … Continue reading Similar but Different: The Potential Role of Spatial Differentiation in Memory Retrieval

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Cognition

Improving Cognitive Functions in World Trade Center Responders

Thumyat Noe ’23 Individuals who responded to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th, 2001 experienced a great deal of trauma and distress. Researchers from Stony Brook University who study well-being and cognitive abilities discovered that these responders are at an elevated relative risk of developing aging-related cognitive impairment. In particular, lower cognitive function is correlated with higher levels of exposure to trauma in … Continue reading Improving Cognitive Functions in World Trade Center Responders

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Brain, Neuroscience

The Effect of Electrotherapy on Brains Addicted to Video Games

Ishmam Khan ’25 Although video games may represent a sanctuary from the stresses of daily living, young people, especially teens, are susceptible to becoming addicted to gaming platforms. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) results in an irresistible compulsion to play video games, which may lead to declining mental health and daily function. Currently, one common technique … Continue reading The Effect of Electrotherapy on Brains Addicted to Video Games

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Brain

Does Ethnicity Influence Memory Recall in Social Settings?

Daphne Siozios ’23 Collaborative learning occurs when a group of individuals works together to remember shared information and events. Not much is known about how the collaborative learning process and a social setting aids memory formation, analysis, and recollection since past research in the field has mainly focused on studying individuals in isolation. Professor Suparna Rajaram at Stony Brook University works to examine the effect … Continue reading Does Ethnicity Influence Memory Recall in Social Settings?

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Brain

Electrical Impulses May Be The Best Way to Treat Mental Illnesses

Aditi Kaveti ’23 Mental illnesses span a wide range of health conditions, including disorders that affect one’s mood, thinking, and behavior. Some severe cases of these conditions may be medication-resistant. For example, some patients with epilepsy are known to have significant anxiety associated with the condition that cannot be treated with medication. A study recently published in Nature Biomedical Engineering addresses medication-resistant disorders by studying … Continue reading Electrical Impulses May Be The Best Way to Treat Mental Illnesses

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