Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 14, 2023

A mysterious brain network may underlie many psychiatric disorders

Scientists have uncovered a mysterious network of brain connections that is linked to several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This shared brain circuitry could help reveal why many patients who are diagnosed with one psychiatric illness also meet the criteria for a second. Half of the...

Jan 16, 2023

What is brain fog?

Have you ever been so tired you couldn't think straight, or gotten stuck rereading the same sentence over and over? For people who live with brain fog, these experiences are part of everyday life. But what exactly is brain fog? And is it a cause for concern? Officially, brain fog...

Mar 12, 2023

If the brain doesn't feel pain, why do headaches hurt?

Headaches are extremely common and they can take many forms, ranging from mild to debilitating and lasting minutes to days. When your cranium is in pain, it's easy to think your brain tissue itself must be hurting. But that's not likely. Ironically, the brain senses pain throughout the body, but...

Mar 24, 2023

Your native language may shape the wiring of your brain

A person's native language may shape how their brain builds connections between different hubs of information processing, a new brain scan study reveals. The observed differences in these language network structures were related to linguistic characteristics in the native languages of the study participants: German and Arabic. So the difference...

Jan 9, 2024

Why multitasking is challenging for kids and older adults

We're all time-poor, so multitasking is seen as a necessity of modern living. We answer work emails while watching TV, make shopping lists in meetings and listen to podcasts when doing the dishes. We attempt to split our attention countless times a day when juggling both mundane and important tasks....

Mar 14, 2024

'Flow state' uncovered: We finally know what happens in the brain when you're 'in the zone'

Many people know the feeling of being in the zone: As they're fully immersed in a task, the background noise of the world fades and they may not notice time passing. Gymnasts may enter this all-consuming mental state as they're refining a floor routine, an artist might find the zone...

Feb 8, 2023

How anxiety affects the body: 5 physical symptoms, according to science

Many people have experienced feelings of anxiousness at some point in their lives, whether the feelings were triggered by an important exam, a first date or unexpected bad news. For people with an anxiety disorder, these feelings can turn into recurring, intrusive thoughts or concerns that impact everyday life. And...

Feb 13, 2023

What causes mood swings?

There are many reasons why a person can experience mood swings. They often involve many biological systems and, as such, the research around them is complex and ongoing. Mood swings are significant changes in mood, said Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, regional medical director of the Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center in...

Feb 20, 2023

Can you 'catch' stress from other people?

Stress is something a majority of people will experience at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. There are numerous events or experiences that can catalyze periods of stress, from...

Feb 22, 2023

Can stress cause hair loss?

Thinning hair is a normal part of aging, but certain lifestyle factors or health conditions can cause sudden or gradual hair loss. Stress and hair loss can also be related, particularly if a person experiences high stress levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. In these cases, a person may notice...

Feb 27, 2023

Can stress turn hair gray?

There's a long-held belief that graying hair is more than just an issue of time and age — it's a marker of lived experience. The adage, you're making my hair gray suggests silvering strands are a record of worries, while Marie Antoinette's hair went white in a single night after...

Mar 3, 2023

Psychedelics may treat depression by invading brain cells

Psychedelic drugs have shown promise as therapies for hard-to-treat depression. Now, scientists have a potential explanation for why: The drugs may be able to slip through the outer membranes of brain cells and essentially flip switches inside the cells that other depression treatments can't. The findings of the new study,...

Mar 6, 2023

What is oxidative stress?

Oxidative stress describes an imbalance between cells' production and elimination of byproducts of the breakdown of oxygen. These byproducts, known as reactive oxygen species (ROSs), are important for cell functioning but cause damage in high amounts. ROS belong to a larger category of highly reactive chemicals called free radicals. Because...

Mar 22, 2023

What causes people to 'choke' under pressure?

In high-stakes situations, such as during a job interview, an exam or a sporting event, people may find that they choke under pressure, meaning they perform worse than expected. However, if that sense of pressure were removed, these people would be able to perform to their fullest capability, said Dr....

Jan 15, 2024

Tinnitus often causes distress. A new app could help.

A new app that delivers a specialized form of talk therapy to users might help people cope with tinnitus, a small study shows. Tinnitus, or persistent ringing in the ears, does not have a single cause, but it is often related to hearing loss; a recent study suggests the condition...