Cognitive Science bridges the gap between the brain and the mind - tracing how networks of neurons shape perception, attention, memory, and imagination. This section explores the science of thinking and awareness, from the role of the default mode network in creativity to the mechanisms of focus, flow, and altered states. By bringing together neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, we highlight the discoveries that reveal not only how the mind works, but how it can be expanded.
A new Open Access study in Journal of Cybersecurity provides one of the most detailed multinational assessments of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) perpetration to date. Surveying more than 16,000 adults across 10 countries, researchers found that over one in ten respondents reported creating, taking, sharing, or threatening to share intimate images without consent. The findings show how digital platforms, communication tools, and cultural norms shape these behaviors, revealing widespread exposure, diverse motivations, and significant gaps in current prevention strategies.
A new Open Access study in Cerebral Cortex uses advanced brain-imaging methods to examine how white matter pathways develop in autistic children and young adults. Analyzing 365 participants, the researchers mapped microstructural differences along the brain's major communication routes and found that autism involves localized changes in both interhemispheric and within-hemisphere pathways. By identifying the exact portions of tracts that differ, the study offers a clearer picture of how sensory, language, and emotional processes may develop differently across individuals.
A large international survey published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum explored how adults aged 50 to 80 perceive aging, self-confidence, and the role of aesthetic treatments. The study, which included over 7,500 participants across eight countries, found that most older adults report strong satisfaction with their mental well-being and view aesthetic medicine as emotionally beneficial, even among those who never sought treatment. These results challenge stereotypes about aging, showing that confidence and self-image remain dynamic well into later life.
A new study published in Clinical Chemistry challenges the scientific basis of current per se and zero-tolerance laws for cannabis-related driving impairment. Researchers found that many regular cannabis users still exceeded legal THC blood thresholds several days after their last use, despite showing no signs of diminished driving performance. The findings raise questions about how impairment is defined and whether existing laws accurately reflect biological and behavioral realities surrounding cannabis use.
A new review in Brain Communications explores how rare and overlooked causes of coma and prolonged disorders of consciousness - ranging from genetic and autoimmune diseases to parasitic infections - impact the same neural circuits implicated in more common injuries. Despite differing origins, these conditions converge on a shared network involving the thalamus, brainstem, basal ganglia, and cortical pathways, providing powerful validation for emerging models of consciousness such as the mesocircuit hypothesis.
A case published in JCEM Case Reports highlights an unusual but critical side effect of the dopamine agonist cabergoline: pathological gambling leading to recurrent adrenal crises. The report describes a 34-year-old woman with acromegaly who developed impulse control disorder behaviors while on long-term cabergoline therapy. After discontinuing the drug, her compulsive gambling and anxiety resolved within two weeks - and her life-threatening adrenal crises subsided dramatically.
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Clinical Psychological Science has found that people who are more sensitive to their environments also tend to experience higher levels of anxiety and depression. Reviewing 33 studies with more than 12,000 participants, researchers confirmed a moderate and consistent link between trait sensitivity and common mental-health problems. The findings highlight environmental sensitivity as an overlooked personality factor that may both increase vulnerability to stress and enhance responsiveness to positive, supportive experiences. The paper is open access.
The rise of at-home DNA testing has transformed more than genetics - it has reshaped identity itself. A new study in Human Reproduction explores what happens when donor-conceived adults learn about their origins, showing that those who discover the truth later in life or by accident report lower satisfaction and more emotional distress. The findings highlight a timeless lesson for modern reproduction: truth, when shared early and intentionally, helps sustain emotional coherence across generations.
A new longitudinal study published in JAMA Neurology reveals that children exposed to the pesticide chlorpyrifos before birth show measurable structural and metabolic changes in their brains years later. The findings, based on MRI scans of 270 children from northern Manhattan and the South Bronx, connect prenatal exposure with altered cortical development, reduced white matter, and poorer motor performance - underscoring the long-term neurodevelopmental risks of common environmental pesticides.
