Author: dispatchtimes news

A new study suggests that spontaneous mind wandering—an unintentional drift of attention away from a task—predicts distinct aspects of ADHD symptoms in adults, indicating two separate mechanisms by which off-task thoughts may influence attention. The research, published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, identifies both a general tendency to experience spontaneous mind wandering in daily life and a momentary drop in performance during such episodes as linked to higher ADHD traits. The team is led by Takehiro Minamoto, an associate professor of psychology at Shimane University, with Takuma Hayashi and Md Abdullah Al-Mamun among the co-authors. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental…

A new review published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback examines how integrating virtual reality with EEG-based neurofeedback may boost engagement and potentially aid users in learning to control their own brain activity. The work, led by researchers from the University of Graz—Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood and Lisa Maria Berger—concludes that while immersive VR feedback holds promise, firmer study designs are needed to confirm the precise benefits. Neurofeedback involves real-time monitoring of brain activity, typically via electroencephalography (EEG), with sensors placed on the scalp. The system translates electrical signals into cues that guide the user toward targeted brain-wave patterns associated…

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, and the University of Washington have identified a previously underexplored feature of Alzheimer’s disease that could point to new avenues for treatment. The study, published in Science, found that the three‑dimensional organisation of the genome differs in brain cells from people with Alzheimer’s disease, linking changes in genome folding with shifts in gene activity and tissue architecture. To build this detailed picture, the team combined single‑cell technology, spatial mapping of brain tissue, and a newly developed deep learning model. “Alzheimer’s disease cannot be understood…

A new study into adolescent loneliness shows how it fluctuates with social context and with underlying maladaptive personality traits. Researchers used ecological momentary assessment to track young people’s feelings in real time, involving 294 participants aged 12 to 21 over a 14‑day period with up to seven prompts a day and an additional evening survey, generating more than 27,000 momentary responses. The researchers frame their work within the differential reactivity hypothesis, which suggests people differ in how they respond to social situations. Those prone to loneliness may not encounter more stressors, but they react more intensely to the ones they…

A rapid-response survey led by Crystal Hammond of the University of California, Riverside, and Adriana Bankston of the STEM Advocacy Institute has highlighted how sudden US federal science funding cuts in early 2025 are destabilising the careers of early‑career researchers and prompting many to consider moving abroad. The study, published in Frontiers in Sociology, flags immediate hurdles for young scientists and warns of potential long‑term damage to the country’s scientific workforce. In the first months of 2025, the Trump administration implemented swift policy shifts across the academic landscape. Federal science budgets were slated for double‑digit reductions, hundreds of existing grants…

A new study examining the so-called double empathy problem has found no overall difference between autistic and non-autistic adults in their ability to read others’ emotions, though it discovered a specific advantage for autistic participants when empathising with other autistic individuals. The research, published in Molecular Autism, also suggests autistic people may underestimate their own empathic abilities. Empathy is typically divided into cognitive empathy, the recognition and understanding of another person’s mental state, and affective empathy, the ability to respond emotionally in a way that mirrors what someone else is feeling. The study situates itself within ongoing debate about whether…

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Public Health suggests that therapeutic gardening offers a moderate uplift to mental health for adults living with chronic conditions, though its effects on physical health are less clear. The research was led by Feifei Wang, a public health researcher at Fudan University, and Szilvia Boros, a psychologist at Széchenyi István University. Chronic health conditions cover a wide spectrum of long-lasting illnesses, from cardiovascular disease and arthritis to diabetes, dementia and depression. With an aging global population placing increasing demand on healthcare systems, nature-based therapies such as therapeutic gardening are frequently explored as…

A University of Limerick-led study has found that weightlifting can produce large reductions in depressive symptoms among anxious young women, regardless of whether the exercises are performed at moderate-to-high or very low intensity. Led by Darragh O’Sullivan of the University of Limerick in Ireland, the eight-week trial involved 55 participants with subclinical analogue generalized anxiety disorder and was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Generalised anxiety disorder involves severe, persistent worry that interferes with daily life. Some people experience symptoms that mimic this condition but fall just short of an official diagnosis, known as analogue or subclinical anxiety. Women…

A new longitudinal study suggests that different video game genres can shape the brain in distinct ways and improve cognitive performance, with action games producing stronger and longer-lasting neural changes than turn-based strategy titles. The research, published in Brain Sciences, was conducted by scientists at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. As video games have cemented their position in global entertainment, researchers have increasingly explored their potential to influence the brain. Earlier work has hinted that regular gameplay can sharpen attention, memory and executive function—the set of mental skills governing flexible thinking and self-control. Jingqing Lu, Dezhong…

A six-week programme of collaborative drawing has yielded fresh insights into how the brain wires itself to create social bonds across generations. The study, published in PLOS Biology, found that younger and older adults who regularly work together show decreasing neural synchronisation over time, while same-age pairs become more synchronised, even as both groups report growing feelings of closeness. The findings come as loneliness remains a global health concern and cross-generational community schemes are increasingly used to foster connection. The research suggests that the physical brain changes accompanying these relationships are nuanced and depend on who is interacting with whom.…