Author: healthadmin

Scary situations for mammals become less scary when they have a mate nearby. A new study in mice reveals the specific brain wiring responsible for this increase in social courage. Scientists have discovered that social interactions change the firing patterns of dopamine-producing neurons, making us less sensitive to risk and stimulating our sense of exploration. The results were published in a magazine neuron. Exploration is a basic biological drive. Animals must venture into the unknown to secure food, find shelter, and find mates. This important behavior carries inherent risks, and animals must constantly weigh resource benefits against the threat of…

Thanks to new research into how humans perceive color differences, Erwin Schrödinger’s century-old ideas have taken a major step forward. A team led by Los Alamos scientist Roxana Bujak used geometry to construct a mathematical definition of color perception based on hue, saturation, and brightness. Their results, presented at the Visualization Science Conference, formalize Schrödinger’s model of color and show that these familiar color properties are built into the structure of color perception itself. “Our conclusion is that these color properties do not emerge from additional external constructs such as culture or learning experiences, but rather reflect intrinsic properties of…

People always believe that others are more likely to lie or cheat than they actually are, and correcting this pessimistic view can improve social trust. Recent papers published in Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that individuals significantly overestimate the dishonesty of their co-workers. Providing accurate information about actual levels of integrity tends to reduce support for intense workplace surveillance and promote a more positive view of human nature. Honesty acts as the invisible glue that binds social and economic systems together. When people act dishonestly, society pays a steep price in the form of unpaid taxes, insurance fraud, retail…

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss, affecting millions of men and women around the world. This is better known as male or female pattern hair loss and usually develops gradually as the hair follicles shrink over time. As the hair follicles become smaller, they produce thinner, shorter hairs until growth dramatically slows or stops. Current treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil work for some people, but are not ideal for everyone. Finasteride works by targeting hormones involved in follicle shrinkage, while minoxidil is commonly used on the scalp to promote growth. However, some patients are…

Schizophrenia may be associated with an increased risk of aggressive behavior, but the physical brain differences associated with this trait remain poorly understood. A new analysis of thousands of brain scans reveals that reduced brain volume and worsened neural pathways are associated with increased aggression in psychiatric patients. The study results were published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Schizophrenia has a low lifetime prevalence, affecting approximately one-half of one percent of the general population. Despite these rare cases, researchers estimate that this disorder accounts for a disproportionate share of all violence. Approximately 1 in 10 people with this disorder will…

At a time of growing concern about environmental pollutants and their insidious effects on human health, a groundbreaking study led by Yeo, Hinton, Pullella, and colleagues, among others, has revealed surprising occupational predictors of serum levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadian adults. This 2026 study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, leverages data from a national biomonitoring survey to highlight the complex interactions between workplace environments and internal chemical exposures, highlighting the urgent need for occupational health reform and increased regulatory oversight. PFAS, sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their resilient…

New survey data shows that transgender and non-binary youth who take testosterone report lower rates of lower abdominal pain compared to youth who do not use testosterone. The findings challenge the assumption held by some medical professionals that gender-affirming testosterone treatment is the primary cause of lower abdominal pain in this population. This study was published in the *International Journal of Transgender Health*. Pelvic pain refers to widespread discomfort in the abdomen below the belly button. Symptoms can arise from a variety of sources within the body. It can be caused by problems with the genitals, intestines, urinary tract, or…

When people encounter political fact-checking that challenges their deeply held views, they typically reject that information. Popular psychological theory holds that this happens because voters want to avoid the psychological discomfort of being wrong, but recent research has found that emotion management strategies don’t actually reduce this partisan divide. The study, published in the journal Politics and the Life Sciences, shows that our tendency to abandon uncomfortable truths may not be driven by a desire to control our emotions. People naturally process information in ways that protect their existing beliefs. Psychologists call this behavior motivated political reasoning. Rather than acting…

Recent research published in Psychotropic Drugs Journal provides evidence that using hallucinogens at some point in life may slightly increase the risk of developing valvular heart disease. These findings suggest the need for continued monitoring of cardiovascular safety as psychedelics become more widely used in medicine and society. Public interest in hallucinogens is rapidly increasing across the United States. More and more people are using substances such as psilocybin and LSD for therapeutic purposes and recreational experiences. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated some of these drugs as breakthrough therapies to treat conditions such as severe depression and…

The use of dietary supplements has increased rapidly in recent years. Vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional products are often sold as easy ways to boost energy, support immunity, protect brain health, and even promote longevity. For many people, taking supplements feels like a smart, positive health habit. However, this perception can be misleading. For people who already have proper nutrition, many supplements offer little or no measurable benefit. Sometimes it’s just an unnecessary expense. Some are risk-free. Taking large amounts of certain vitamins and minerals can cause toxicity, interfere with medication administration, and cause unintended health effects. However, for older…