Reference Terms
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Thought
Thought or thinking is a mental process which allows beings to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires.
Thinking involves manipulation of information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, reason and make decisions. Thinking is a higher cognitive function and the analysis of thinking processes is part of cognitive psychology.
The basic mechanics of the human brain reflect a process of pattern matching or rather recognition. In a "moment of reflection", new situations and new experiences are judged against recalled ones and judgments are made. In order to make these judgments, the intellect maintains present experience and sorts relevant past experience. It does this while keeping present and past experience distinct and separate. The intellect can mix, match, merge, sift, and sort concepts, perceptions, and experience. This process is called reasoning. Logic is the science of reasoning.
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Mind & Brain News
November 9, 2025
Nov. 9, 2025 — Millions struggle with depression and anxiety, often enduring long waits for effective treatment. Scientists in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany are developing a genetic test to predict which medications will actually work. Using polygenic risk scores, ...
Nov. 8, 2025 — Sertraline (Zoloft) may relieve emotional symptoms of depression and anxiety within two weeks, while physical side effects stabilize later. The research highlights how antidepressants can act on specific symptom networks rather than uniformly across ...
Nov. 8, 2025 — Researchers have identified special immune cells in the brain that help slow Alzheimer’s. These microglia work to reduce inflammation and block the spread of harmful proteins. They appear to protect memory and brain health, offering a promising ...
Nov. 7, 2025 — Prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos causes widespread brain abnormalities and poorer motor skills in children. Even after a residential ban, ongoing agricultural use continues to endanger developing ...
Nov. 6, 2025 — Miniature antibodies from camels and llamas can slip into the brain more easily than conventional drugs, offering a new way to treat disorders like Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. Researchers say these “nanobodies” could reshape the future of ...
Nov. 6, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a surprising benefit of the acne drug doxycycline: it may lower the risk of schizophrenia. Teens prescribed the antibiotic were about one-third less likely to develop the condition as adults. The effect could stem from the ...
Nov. 6, 2025 — Weill Cornell researchers uncovered how free radicals from astrocyte mitochondria can fuel dementia. Using new compounds that target these radicals at their source, they slowed brain inflammation and neuronal damage in mice. The findings reveal a ...
Nov. 5, 2025 — Virginia Tech researchers have shown that memory loss in aging may be reversible. Using CRISPR tools, they corrected molecular disruptions in the hippocampus and amygdala, restoring memory in older rats. Another experiment revived a silenced memory ...
Nov. 5, 2025 — Meditation is widely praised for its mental health benefits, but new research shows that it can also produce unexpected side effects for some people—from anxiety and dissociation to functional impairment. Psychologist Nicholas Van Dam and his team ...
Nov. 4, 2025 — Walking a few thousand steps daily may help hold off Alzheimer’s for years, a Mass General Brigham study found. Even moderate physical activity slowed both cognitive decline and the buildup of harmful tau proteins in the brain. The researchers say ...
Nov. 4, 2025 — Researchers have discovered a specific set of neurons in the amygdala that can trigger anxiety and social deficits when overactive. By restoring the excitability balance in this brain region, they successfully reversed these symptoms in mice. The ...
Nov. 4, 2025 — Using powerful 7-Tesla brain imaging, researchers mapped how the brainstem manages pain differently across the body. They discovered that distinct regions activate for facial versus limb pain, showing the brain’s built-in precision pain control ...
Latest Headlines
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Nov. 8, 2025 — New research shows that the superior colliculus, a primitive brain region, can independently interpret visual information. This challenges long-held beliefs that only the cortex handles such complex ...
Nov. 5, 2025 — Scientists have shown that brain connectivity patterns can predict mental functions across the entire brain. Each region has a unique “connectivity fingerprint” tied to its role in cognition, ...
Nov. 4, 2025 — Researchers at MIT’s Picower Institute found that rotating waves of brain activity help restore focus after distractions. In animal tests, these rotations predicted performance: full rotations ...
Nov. 3, 2025 — Researchers found that embodying a digital, childlike version of one’s own face helps unlock vivid childhood memories. This illusion strengthens the connection between bodily self-perception and ...
Nov. 3, 2025 — Duke-NUS scientists unveiled BrainSTEM, a revolutionary single-cell map that captures the full cellular diversity of the developing human brain. The project’s focus on dopamine neurons provides ...
Nov. 3, 2025 — A team of scientists has developed a highly accurate blood test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The test reads tiny DNA patterns that reveal the biological signature of the illness. For millions ...
Nov. 3, 2025 — Disrupted sleep patterns in Alzheimer’s disease may be more than a symptom—they could be a driving force. Researchers at Washington University found that the brain’s circadian rhythms are ...
Nov. 2, 2025 — Cognitive struggles are climbing across the U.S., especially among young and economically disadvantaged adults. Rates of self-reported cognitive disability nearly doubled in people under 40 between ...
Nov. 1, 2025 — Researchers discovered that altering the body’s natural rhythm can help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s damage. By turning off a circadian protein in mice, they raised NAD+ levels and reduced ...
Oct. 31, 2025 — People living in socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods may face higher dementia risks, according to new research from Wake Forest University. Scientists found biological signs of ...