How does the brain respond to positive and negative stimuli?

Study demonstrates the brain's ability to constantly reclassify external stimuli based on previous experiences and adapt to new situations.

Are people who believe in the paranormal more vulnerable to stress?

A study of 3084 participants evaluated whether two types of belief in the paranormal might be associated with different levels of perceived stress.

Do we perceive the weight of our body parts and the weight of objects differently?

According to Newton’s law, weight is given by the product of its mass and gravity. How does the brain determine the weight of objects and body parts?

Did you know that some studies supported by the BIAL Foundation are among the most cited in the world?

The research funded by this Foundation has generated innovative discoveries with a significant impact on science. According to the most recent data, covering November and December 2024, 17 articles resulting from this support are part of the Highly Cited Papers group, meaning they rank among the top 1% most cited in their academic field and year of publication, according to the Essential Science Indicators (ESI). Among them, a study published in Science Advances stands out, exploring the dynamic patterns of the brain associated with consciousness, helping to better understand states such as coma and sleep. Another widely cited study, published in PLoS ONE, investigates the challenges of meditation and its psychological effects, a topic increasingly relevant in contemporary Western society. A study published in the journal Cortex explores whether the human brain, particularly the left frontal lobe, may act as a filter to suppress innate psi abilities, such as psychokinesis. An article in Biological Psychiatry outlines an essential roadmap on interoception – the perception of the body's internal signals – and its connection to well-being. Other widely cited articles analyze altered states of consciousness (such as meditation, hypnosis, and psychedelic experiences), the brain mechanisms of insomnia, and even the effects of COVID-19 on cognition. With hundreds of citations and growing impact, these studies reinforce the importance of the BIAL Foundation in understanding the human mind, paving the way for new scientific discoveries.

What happens in the brain when we say "No"?

Negation plays an important role in language, changing the meaning of sentences and the focus of our attention. Recent studies suggest that understanding non-action sentences, such as "She did not write the letter", involves brain areas responsible for movement control. In this context, Alessio Avenanti and collaborators investigated how reading affirmative and negative action and attention sentences affects inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms in the primary motor cortex (M1), which controls movements. Using a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), they discovered that negated action sentences (like "did not write") decrease activity in the brain's motor areas, blocking action. However, non-action sentences, such as "She was not attentive", do not have this effect. Negated action sentences also reduce the activity of inhibitory circuits in the brain, regulated by the neurotransmitter GABAA, but do not affect circuits that facilitate brain activity. These findings help us better understand how the brain processes language and how this is connected to the movements we perform. This study was supported by the BIAL Foundation, in the scope of the research project 304/22 - Boosting and hindering action imitation by modulating spike-timing dependent plasticity, and published in the journal Brain and Language, in the article Exploring the impact of sentential negation on inhibitory motor networks: Insights from paired-pulse TMS.

Did you know that the human brain can study itself?

It seems like a paradox, but it's true! The brain, responsible for our consciousness and perception, has the unique ability to study itself. But how can an organ analyze itself? How can the brain serve as both the subject and the tool of its study? A recent review, led by Simone Battaglia, delved into these questions, combining philosophical and neuroscientific perspectives. In trying to understand itself, the brain faces a unique dilemma: how can a complex system analyze its functions without an external reference point? This dilemma is compared to the philosophical concept of "self-reference", where a system must define and understand itself from within. Another key issue is the dichotomy between scientific objectivity and the subjectivity of conscious experience. The study suggests that a complete understanding of the brain and mind requires an approach that integrates both aspects. Effectively, scientists combine advanced brain imaging techniques, such as MRI, which studies the brain at structural and functional levels, with introspection, the process of reflecting on thoughts and experiences. These complementary approaches allow for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying consciousness and perception. Studying how the brain generates different states of consciousness can help identify signs of disorders such as depression or schizophrenia, and new ways to treat post-traumatic stress, for example. There is still much to discover, but these studies could pave the way for new insights into understanding and addressing the complexities of the human mind. This review was published in the scientific journal Physics of Life Reviews, in the article The paradox of the self-studying brain as part of the research project 235/22 - SPARKS: Driving associative plasticity in the cortically blind brain to promote recovery of visual awareness to promote recovery of visual awareness, supported by the BIAL Foundation.