Category: Psychology

2023-24, 2023-24, Brain, Cognition, General Neuroscience, General Psychology, Neuroscience, Psychology, Year

Childhood Maltreatment as a Predictor of Neural Activity During Postpartum

Marie Collison, Class of ‘25 Individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment (CM) in their past have a greater risk of exhibiting behaviors of maltreatment towards their own children. As such, it is important to understand how mothers may respond to their infant cues in context with their past experiences, especially during the often tumultuous postpartum (after-birth) period. Prior research has established that brain responses in … Continue reading Childhood Maltreatment as a Predictor of Neural Activity During Postpartum

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2023-24, Brain, Cognition, Depression, General Neuroscience, General Psychology, Neuroscience, Psychology, Uncategorized, Year

Understanding SSRI Withdrawal: Insights Into the Complex Journey

By: Marie Collison, Class of ‘25 Depression is a very common and impairing condition, often resulting in costly care. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed as a part of treatment; however, 30–50% of individuals who are prescribed antidepressants do not take them long-term. There are many reasons why a patient may decide to stop taking their medication, such as experiencing negative side effects … Continue reading Understanding SSRI Withdrawal: Insights Into the Complex Journey

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2023-24, Depression, General Neuroscience, mental health, Psychology

Orbitofrontal Cortex Studies May Pave the Way to Treating Social Anhedonia

Author: Kimberly Johnston, Class of 2026 Social anhedonia is a psychological condition characterized by a diminished ability to experience pleasure from social interactions and activities. It is associated with greater symptom severity and poorer response to treatment in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In individuals with MDD and social anhedonia, abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) may hinder the brain’s ability to properly respond … Continue reading Orbitofrontal Cortex Studies May Pave the Way to Treating Social Anhedonia

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General Psychology, Neurology, Psychology

Quantifying Affectionate Touch in Romantic Relationships

Julia Chivu ’23 Across cultures and continents, affection serves as a universal bond that unites romantic partners. Researchers from various institutions worldwide collaborated on two studies to better understand and quantify the dynamic between love and touch. The first study sought to investigate the global association between love and touch-related behaviors. The second study examined the correlation between frequencies of affectionate touch and love amongst … Continue reading Quantifying Affectionate Touch in Romantic Relationships

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Psychology

Playing traditional cultural games results in greater love for your country?!

Maria Sazonova ‘ 26 Figure 1: Small children joyfully playing Petak Umpet  Petak Umpet is an Indonesian variation on the widespread game of hide and seek, one that provides cultural insight and preservation. Education of the young is extremely important for the wellbeing and future advancement of the State, and traditional games are important cultural based learning resources. A research team from The University of … Continue reading Playing traditional cultural games results in greater love for your country?!

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General Psychology, Psychology

A Mother’s Love: How Maternal Instinct Might be Triggered by Texture

Sidney Padmanaban ’26 Figure 1 Ducklings will often follow the first animal to imprint on them, even if it isn’t a duck. Imprinting, when a young animal comes to recognize another being as an object of habitual trust, is instinctual and a very important part of relationships. As soon as babies are born, they begin to become imprinted by the people in their lives. Previously, … Continue reading A Mother’s Love: How Maternal Instinct Might be Triggered by Texture

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Health, Neurology, Neuroscience, Psychology

Where Do We Feel Love?

Julia Chivu ‘ 23 Figure 1  A person looking off to the side while clutching a neon red heart in a dimly lit environment.  Love has compelled psychologists, philosophers, neuroscientists, and other scholars to try and understand its complexities and implications. Researchers from Aalto University sought to understand how 27 different types of love, including parental, romantic, sexual, and religious love, are perceived and experienced … Continue reading Where Do We Feel Love?

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Neurology, Psychology

Maternal Empathetic Cortical Responses Synchronize with Neonatal Pain Perception

Vignesh Subramanian ‘ 24 Figure 1: The heel prick of an infant’s foot, which often induces momentary pain for the infant. The early psychophysical development of newborns relies heavily on having strong emotional bonds with caregivers. Compared to other animals, human infants are born highly dependent on their parents, undergoing a prolonged period of extensive neural organization and brain development that requires greater parental sensitivity … Continue reading Maternal Empathetic Cortical Responses Synchronize with Neonatal Pain Perception

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Drug Discovery, Pharmacology, Psychology

Microglial Depletion Promotes Maternal Behavior in Nulliparous Rats

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 The period during and immediately following childbirth, known as the peripartum period, is marked by major changes in the mother’s hormone levels, immune function, and neurological activity. These changes include structural brain alterations with a significant impact on postpartum behaviors, such as maternal-infant bonding, that are essential for the well-being of the offspring. Many neuroimmune alterations emerging in late pregnancy remain unclear … Continue reading Microglial Depletion Promotes Maternal Behavior in Nulliparous Rats

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2022-23, Depression, General Psychology, Psychology

Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals at Greater Risk For Suicidal Ideation

Jessica George ’24 Suicide has been a long standing issue in the United States, with several socio-demographic and economic factors affecting an individual’s susceptibility to suicide risk. Transgender and gender diverse individuals (TGD) are at especially high risk. Given the high rates of suicide among TGD, as well as the lack of research in this area, it is important to address this gap. Dr. Kirakosian … Continue reading Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals at Greater Risk For Suicidal Ideation

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2022-23, General Neuroscience, General Psychology, Neuroscience, Psychology

Non-planned and impulsive suicide attempts associated with low activity of frontal brain 

By: Jessica George, Class of 2024 Figure 1: Global frontal brain activity may be a biomarker for non-planned or impulsive suicide attempts Suicide is a serious public health concern and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. One of the major challenges in preventing suicide is the frequent non-planned or impulsive nature of suicidal behavior, leaving little opportunity for intervention. Therefore, it is essential … Continue reading Non-planned and impulsive suicide attempts associated with low activity of frontal brain 

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2022-23, Biology, Psychology

Pleasant and Unpleasant Odor Identification Ability is Associated with Distinct Dimensions of Negative Symptoms across Multiple Psychotic Disorders

Sydney Giron ’26 The olfactory system is involved in ingestive behavior, awareness of environmental hazards, and social interactions. Olfactory function has been used as both a diagnostic and prognostic marker for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Previous studies suggest an association between olfactory impairments and negative symptoms that are associated with psychotic disorders. These symptoms include avolition, which is a lack of motivation and alogia, which … Continue reading Pleasant and Unpleasant Odor Identification Ability is Associated with Distinct Dimensions of Negative Symptoms across Multiple Psychotic Disorders

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