Unlocking the Brain's Secrets: Revolutionizing Mental Health Treatments
Researchers have discovered new brain areas that facilitate social connections and are constantly communicating with the old amygdala region. This finding may aid in the treatment of mental health issues like sadness and anxiety. Northwestern Medicine, a US hospital located in Chicago, did a study that was published in the journal Science Advances. The goal of the study was to better understand how humans developed to become extremely adept at deciphering what is going on in other people's thoughts. "We frequently ponder, 'What is that individual thinking or feeling? According to senior author Rodrigo Braga, "did I say something to upset them?"
The human brain's more recently evolved areas include the brain regions that allow these talents, indicating that this skill is a very recent evolutionary development. Braga clarified, "You are essentially placing yourself in another person's head and drawing conclusions about their thoughts when you can not truly know."
The study discovered that the ancient amygdala is linked to and in continuous communication with the social cognitive network, the more developed areas of the human brain that facilitate social interactions.
The amygdala, sometimes known as the "lizard brain," is usually involved in processing fear and identifying dangers.
According to Braga, "social behaviors including parenting, mating, violence, and traversing social-dominance hierarchies are all controlled by the amygdala." Although the amygdala and social cognitive network have been shown to co-activate in previous research, Braga stated that "our findings is different since it indicates the communication is continually happening."
The medial nucleus, a specific region of the amygdala, is essential for social behavior. This study is the first to show a direct relationship between newly formed social cognitive network regions involved in thinking about other people and the medial nucleus of the amygdala. The researchers claim that this connection gives the social cognitive network access to the amygdala's processing of emotionally charged information.
Both grief and anxiety cause the amygdala to become hyperactive, which can lead to inconsistent emotional regulation and exaggerated emotional reactions. The study's conclusions suggest that this new knowledge of brain connections may help less invasive methods like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
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