Lonely? Hungry? The same part of the brain worries about both

MRI scans show that hunger and loneliness cause cravings in the same area, which suggests socialization is a need.

Credit: Dương Nhân from Pexels
  • A new study demonstrates that our brains crave social interaction with the same areas used to crave food.
  • Hungry test subjects also reported a lack of desire to socialize, proving the existence of "hanger."
  • Other studies have suggested that failure to socialize can lead to stress eating in rodents.
Keep reading Show less
emotions brain neuroscience loneliness food hunger
Badge
Northwell Health
Northwell Health

COVID-19 amplified America’s devastating health gap. Can we bridge it?

The COVID-19 pandemic is making health disparities in the United States crystal clear. It is a clarion call for health care systems to double their efforts in vulnerable communities.

Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Willie Mae Daniels makes melted cheese sandwiches with her granddaughter, Karyah Davis, 6, after being laid off from her job as a food service cashier at the University of Miami on March 17, 2020.

Sponsored by Northwell Health
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated America's health disparities, widening the divide between the haves and have nots.
  • Studies show disparities in wealth, race, and online access have disproportionately harmed underserved U.S. communities during the pandemic.
  • To begin curing this social aliment, health systems like Northwell Health are establishing relationships of trust in these communities so that the post-COVID world looks different than the pre-COVID one.
Keep reading Show less
health poverty health care united states coronavirus inequality public health race mental health

Zebrafish give new insight to sound sensitivity in autism

These tiny fish are helping scientists understand how the human brain processes sound.

Credit: peter verreussel / Adobe Stock
  • Fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by changes in a gene that scientists call the "fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1)" gene. People who have FXS or autism often struggle with sensitivity to sound.
  • According to the research team, FXS is caused by the disruption of a gene. By disrupting that same gene in zebrafish larvae, they can examine the effects and begin to understand more about this disrupted gene in the human brain.
  • Using the zebrafish, Dr. Constantin and the team were able to gather insights into which parts of the brain are used to process sensory information.
Keep reading Show less
brain health intelligence mind cognitive science dna fish genetics human body senses sound medical research neuroscience autism spectrum disorder

Become fluent in another language with 50% off a lifetime Babbel subscription

The top-grossing language-learning app on the market just got a major discount.

  • After just one month of learning, many Babbel users became conversational in a new language.
  • A lifetime subscription to Babbel provides users with the ability to learn 14 different languages whenever they want.
  • Babbel is the top-grossing language-learning app on the market.
Keep reading Show less
language speech learning mind brain

Adult language-learning changes how the brain’s hemispheres function

It's never too late to learn a new language. Just don't count on speaking French like a Parisian.

Credit: Teeradej via Adobe Stock
Mind & Brain
  • Language processing has long been thought to occur primarily in the left hemisphere of the brain.
  • A new study used fMRI on groups of adults to examine how the brain's left and right hemispheres contribute to learning a new language.
  • The results showed that, as the participants progressed, they began to use more of their right hemisphere, but only for some aspects of language processing.

Learning a new language as an adult changes how the brain's hemispheres contribute to language processing, according to a new study.

The brain's left and right hemispheres are generally specialized to perform different tasks. The left hemisphere has long been thought to handle language processing, particularly in regions like Broca's area and Wernicke's area.

But the right hemisphere also plays a role. For example, stroke victims with damage to their left hemisphere have been able to (partially) recover language abilities after right-hemisphere regions reorganized themselves to compensate for the injury.

Illustration of left and right brain hemispheres

Credit: Chickensaresocute via Wikipedia Commons

So, is the left hemisphere indeed hard-wired for language? In terms of learning a new language later in life, what roles do the hemispheres play, and how does neuroplasticity factor in?

The new study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, explored these questions by conducting fMRI on groups of adults as they read, listened to, and spoke both their native language and a new language. In the early stages, the fMRI results looked similar for the native and new languages.

As learning progressed, however, the participants increasingly employed regions from the brain's right hemisphere. But this was only true for reading comprehension and, to a lesser extent, speech comprehension of the new language. Speaking the new language remained a left-dominant (or left-lateralized) task.

The results suggest neuroplasticity for speech production is far more limited, which may explain why adults have a harder time speaking a new language, though they can learn to read and comprehend one relatively easy. It also suggests the brain's left hemisphere is hard-wired for speech production.

Benefits of learning a new language later in life

Neuroplasticity does gradually decrease with age, and if you're an adult picking up a new language you may never become a totally fluent speaker. Still, learning a new language later in life is totally possible. In addition to broadening your career options and opportunities to explore other cultures, studies suggest that learning a second (or third) language can help:

Learn a new language—super fast. Here’s how. | Steve Kaufmann | Big Think

learning language brain mind neuroscience

'Muscular bonding': The strange psychological effects of moving together

Synchronous movement seems to help us form cohesive groups by shifting our thinking from "me" to "we."

Soldiers marching in unison

Credit: yoemll via Adobe Stock
Mind & Brain
  • Muscular bonding, a term coined by the veteran and historian William McNeill, describes how individuals engaged in synchronous movement often experience feelings of euphoria and connection to the group.
  • Psychologists have proposed that muscular bonding, or interpersonal entrainment, is a group-level adaptation that helped early human groups outcompete other groups.
  • Muscular bonding can help people form cohesive groups, but it could come at cost.
Keep reading Show less
psychology humanity morality evolution sociology

New bed, no sleep? First night blues

Heard about the phenomenon of FNE, or 'first night effect'?

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Mind & Brain

Have you ever woken up in a new place and noted with disappointment that you are still tired?

Keep reading Show less
human body health psychology brain consciousness sleep
Quantcast